《The Adventurous Gamer Ninja – Daichi Hekima.》 Chapter 1 – My Second Chance Darkness¡­ All around me was nothing but darkness. I couldn''t see anything, hear anything or even feel anything. It was like I was floating in a dark void. ''How long has it been? How did I even get here¡­?? Oh! Right... Now I remember.'' ¡°Ring¡­¡± The sound of a bell ringing throughout the school could be heard. ¡°That will be all. Class dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Whoohoo!!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The sounds of a teacher eager to leave and reach home and students even more eager to enjoy their holidays came. Almost all the students chatted amongst each other in groups. Excitedly discussing their plans to spend their vacation. Amidst all the students enthusiastically chatting, almost no one paid attention to the lone student quietly gathering his things and leaving the class. His name was Thomas Kane. He was the son of a wealthy industrialist. Shipped off to boarding school at a young age and with two older brothers who outshined in everything they did and deemed as prodigies by everyone, Thomas didn¡¯t have the motivation to excel in anything. Even though he was above average in IQ and could easily attain top marks in all subjects, his scores in studies were average due to his lack of motivation. During the first few months of boarding school, he tried to make friends. He managed to make a few but after a short while he figured out they only became friends mostly due to the fact that he came from a wealthy family. He cut ties with them and then found the task of making friends tedious and tiresome. He was smart enough to not make himself a social outcast. He made neither friends nor enemies. He maintained an average score. He had an everyday ordinary life. But there were two things in life he loved. Chess and comics. He was very good at chess. Predicting his opponents moves from the start and outsmarting them by a wide margin was one of his favorite ways to win the game. As he played more and more he got really good at it. He also played poker with his brothers whenever they would come to visit. He couldn''t beat them but each time they played he learned a couple of his tells that would give him away. So with each game he got a little bit better at trying to control his emotions from showing on his face. He wanted to learn to make the perfect poker face. The second thing in life he loved was comics, manga and anime. He loved them. The stories they tell. The characters they portray. It brought him endless joy reading and watching their adventures. He was a hardcore fan. He spent his days in his apartment alone reading all kinds of comics and mangas he could get his hands on. He fell in love with them from a young age. He enjoyed reading about the different adventures and he often imagined what it would be like if he were in that world. He left the school and reached his apartment building after about a 15 minutes walk. His apartment was situated on the third floor. The apartment was a modest one. Comfortable for a single person. He started climbing the stairs. And as he reached the second floor, he suddenly began to feel dizzy. His hands suddenly grabbed onto the side rails to steady himself. He felt like the world was spinning around him. ¡°Wow. What the hell?¡± After a few moments, the vertigo he was feeling slowly disappeared. ¡°Oh, man.! I must be more tired and hungry than I thought.¡± He slowly started to walk and he reached his apartment doors. ¡°Hey, Tommy.¡± Thomas heard the voice of his neighbour. He turned around and saw an old man with a white beard wearing round glasses and a deerstalker hat standing behind him. ¡°Hey, Mr. Mark. How you doing?¡± ¡°Fine kid. Was just gonna go out for groceries. Oh, and I got a package delivered with your name.¡± Thomas¡¯s eyes widened excitedly. It¡¯s finally here. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s something I ordered from overseas. It¡¯s a new comic book series that¡¯s recently released. I can¡¯t wait to read it.¡± His eager anticipation could be heard in his voice. ¡°You really love those books don''t you?¡± Old man Mark said with a good-humored voice. ¡°Hold on, I''ll get them for you.¡± The old man turned around and walked back to his apartment and Thomas took out his keys and opened the doors to his home. The old man came back holding a brown package box. Thomas was about to grab the package box when the vertigo he was feeling earlier came back. The feeling was more intense this time. As Thomas was falling down and blacking out, the last thing he heard was the scared shouts of old man Mark. When Thomas regained consciousness and opened his eyes, he realized he was in a hospital room. He saw the hospital gown he was wearing and he could smell the antiseptics lingering in the air. He tilted his head to the side and saw old man Mark sitting beside him in a chair slowly nodding off. ¡°Mr. Mark.¡± Thomas¡¯s voice woke up the old man with a startle and he looked at the boy lying on the bed. ¡°Oh my god! Tommy, you woke up. Hold on I¡¯ll get the doctor.¡± He rushed outside to find the doctor. He returned shortly afterward and behind him came a man in his late forties wearing a doctor''s coat. ¡°Hello Thomas. I''m Doctor Phillips.¡± The man introduced himself. Thomas nodded to him. ¡°You were brought in unconscious and we did a workup of your blood and did an MRI and it isn''t good... Son, you have stage 3 brain cancer and it''s progressing quickly. We need to start treatment right away.¡± Thomas couldn''t hear anything else. His whole body went numb. He felt as if his whole world was breaking apart. ¡°How bad is it?¡± He asked with a low voice. ¡°It''s really serious. Even with treatment, I am afraid you won''t have much time.¡± The doctor replied with a serious tone. Seeing the distraught look on the boy, the doctor decided to give him some time to digest the news. ¡°I''ll give you two some time. I¡¯ll be in my office if you need me.¡± Said the doctor and he left the room. ¡°Tommy, I called your parents. They¡¯re flying over. They¡¯ll be here tomorrow. You¡¯re gonna get through this.¡± Old man Mark said holding Tommy¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡­.I don¡¯t¡­¡± Thomas didn¡¯t know what to say or even think. He felt like he was suffocating. All he could hear was the heart that was pounding in his chest. ¡°I need some air.¡± He said while slowly getting up. ¡°Tommy. I¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Mark. I need a moment. I¡¯d like some time alone now¡­ Please.¡± Old man Mark looked at him with concern and then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± He slowly left the room. Thomas went to a window and looked outside. It was nighttime. And yet the outside was still buzzing with activity. Tears slowly fell down from his eyes. But he didn¡¯t make a single sound. He spent the next few minutes just standing there and looking outside with tears running down his face. He then slowly looked at himself and then around the room. He saw his school uniform folded on a nearby table. ¡°Screw this. I¡¯m not staying here.¡± He felt angry and ripped off the gown he was wearing. ¡°I gotta get outta here.¡± He quickly put on his school uniform and left the room. When Mark saw him leaving in his uniform he was bewildered. ¡°Tommy where are you going?¡± He asked. ¡°Out for a walk.¡± That was the only reply he got. Mark got up from his chair ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. You need to stay here.¡± Thomas didn¡¯t reply and took off running. He reached the entrance of the hospital and quickly left the place. He didn¡¯t know where he was running to. After a few minutes, he reached what looked like a park. He slowed down and came near a bench. Thomas sat down and felt his whole body quivering. Since it was nighttime there wasn¡¯t anybody around. He started whimpering and cried again. This time small sobs started coming out. Thomas sat there crying for some time. He was in denial but it soon turned to anger. "Damn it, Damn it, DAMN IT." He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Damn it Thomas! Get a grip! Don''t let this be your end." He shouted to himself. He quieted down soon after and slowly calmed himself. He was startled when he felt water drops slowly falling on his face. He realized it was starting to rain. Just as he was about to get up from his bench he saw a shadow moving in between the two trees in front of him. In any other circumstances he wouldn¡¯t have cared but this time, curiosity got the better of him and he started walking slowly towards the two trees. He looked down and saw a fat black cat with golden eyes. Thomas felt as if the eyes of the cat were shining in the dark night. Strong winds started blowing and the rain was getting heavier and heavier by the second. It was as if a giant storm had engulfed the city. Both the boy and cat were staring at each other as the rain continued to pour down on them. Thomas didn¡¯t know why or for what reason but he decided to pick up the black cat and go home. He didn¡¯t know why but when he looked into its eyes he felt as if he was being judged by something far more intelligent than him. He went near the chubby black cat and gently picked it up and slowly started walking and went to the nearest street to call a cab. As he was standing there by the side of the road, soaked in the heavy rain, he suddenly heard a small explosion. He looked and saw scraps of a tire flying everywhere and a car out of control speeding toward him. ¡°Oh no!¡± His eyes widened and before he could even move to get out of the way, the car was right in front of him. The cat in his arms jumped away right before the car sent him flying. He flew back a good 10 ft in the air before touching the pavement. He tumbled a few times on the ground and came to a stop. He could feel the blood flowing out of him and his consciousness slowly fading away. The last thing he saw was the black cat coming towards him and touching his hand with its paw and its golden eyes peering into his own. --------------- Am I alive or dead? What is this place? How long have I been here? Then I heard a voice in my head [You have obtained the right to become a player. Do you accept?] Become a player? Accept? What¡¯s happening to me? What does it matter¡­ I¡¯ll be dead soon anyway. [Your time remaining is limited. Should you refuse, your heart will stop in 3 seconds. Do you accept?] Whether or not this was a hallucination, Thomas was certain of one thing. His impending death. [2 Seconds] At this point, Thomas gave himself up to resignation. He wanted to live. To have a second chance at the life that was taken from him. [1 Second] I WANNA LIVE. I ACCEPT. He couldn¡¯t move his lips and utter those words but he screamed them in his mind. And then a voice answered. [Welcome, Player] Suddenly something started to change. ¡®Wait a minute. What¡¯s this feeling? It''s as if I¡¯m in a dream and trying desperately to open my eyes. Come on wake up. Damn it WAKE UP.¡¯ Suddenly my eyes opened in a snap. The first thing I saw was a blue box floating in front of me. You have slept in a bed. HP, CP and SP have been fully restored. What the F*ck? I looked around in a daze and found that I was lying on a bed in a room that was definitely not mine. When I saw a window at the end of the room, I stood up from my bed and went to look. The view that greeted me was something I couldn¡¯t prepare for. Four majestic faces adorned a mountain with the sun slowly rising from behind. I quickly realized that what I was looking at, was in fact the Hokage Mountain. I did a double take and then... ¡°WHAT THE F*CK?¡± That was my first reaction after realizing that I was in the Naruto universe. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author¡¯s Notes: Ok. A few things first. English is my second language. So please forgive any minute grammatical mistakes you might see. Second: I plan on completing this story. I will see it to the end. Reading a good story and then seeing it not be updated is disheartening. The next thing is, I haven¡¯t decided on a pairing for the main character. And even if I do decide, it won¡¯t be for a long while. And before you ask, No. This story won¡¯t have a harem. Your reviews, ideas, criticism and thoughts are welcome. They will be a great motivator for me to keep going and improve my writing. Chapter 2 – Waking up as Daichi Hekima Thomas POV. "This is¡­ This can''t be real. I have to be dreaming or something." As I looked at the Hokage mountain and then to the rest of the leaf village, I could hear my breathing quicken. My heart started pounding in my chest. My hands trembling from the realization that I had somehow been reborn into a fictional world. A world filled with dangers as well as opportunities. ¡°What the hell? Why, how, who?¡± Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. ¡°Ok. Calm down, Thomas. No need to panic.¡± And then I remembered all the threats that would plague the world. Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Madara, Zetsu, Kaguya and beyond. ¡°Ok. Small reason to panic.¡± As I was standing there near the window freaking out, a calmness suddenly washed over me. I felt as if everything would be alright. ¡°Wow. What was that?.¡± I brought my hand to my chest and felt my beating heart. The heart that was rapidly beating earlier, was now in a calm state. ¡°OK man, pull yourself together. Think this through. What¡¯s the last thing you remember?" I asked myself. I went through my memories searching for answers. ¡°I remember now. Old man Mark. Hospital. My incurable disease. The park. The cat and then the car that rammed into me.¡± As the memories of my death flashed in my mind, I couldn''t help becoming a little sad. ¡°Ok, if I was in an accident shouldn''t I be in the hospital right now? Or am I hallucinating and I''m really in a coma and this is my brain¡¯s way of helping me cope? Ok think. What else happened?¡± Then the memories of the black void rushed to the forefront of my mind. I sucked in a deep cold breath of air as I recalled the moments I spent in the darkness, and of the voice that spoke to me. ¡°I remember someone saying I was selected¡­ and to accept. What was the last thing they said?¡± Then I suddenly recalled the last words spoken by that mysterious voice. ¡°Welcome player¡± Those words quietly left my lips. I suddenly looked towards the bed and then remembered the blue box notification that was in front of me. It had disappeared but I could clearly recall what was written inside the box. ¡°You have slept in a bed. HP, CP and SP have been fully restored.¡± I quietly said to myself. ¡®That''s definitely what I saw. I¡¯ve only seen that happen to one person. And that too in a comic. The gamer. Wait a minute, if that notification appeared in front of me, does that make me a gamer?¡¯ ¡°That can¡¯t be. It''s impossib¡­¡­¡± I suddenly stopped and looked outside. I saw the village that woke up and the increasingly bustling street. And then I looked to the Hokage mountain. My eyes carefully observing every inch of the four faces. I put my hands on the window sill and felt the texture of the worn-out wood against my skin. Then I pinched my cheeks with both hands. ¡±OW¡± ¡®I definitely feel pain. Feels all too real.¡¯ I recalled everything that happened to me a second time. After letting out a deep breath I came to a conclusion. ¡°This is either a hallucination and I''m in a coma¡­ or this is my second chance. All the evidence points me to the latter. and I want to believe it as such... Then the calmness that washed over me earlier must be the ability ''Gamers mind''. The skill to keep calm in all situations. Then is it possible that I have the gamer''s body as well? Need to confirm later.¡± After coming to the realization that this was most probably my second chance, a smile slowly bloomed on my face. ¡°In the Naruto world with a gamer ability, huh. This will definitely be interesting. But what should be my goal?¡± As I pondered on this question an image of Naruto and Sasuke fighting in the final Valley at their strongest appeared. It excited me to know that someone with the right tools could become that strong in this world. But at the same time I also remembered the dangers and threats hiding in the shadows. Both threats from inside the village and outside. ¡°My first and most important priority is to survive this kill or be killed world. If anyone finds out about my origin or memories or my gamer''s body then I''ll end up in prison, dead or worse¡­ On an experiment table. Definitely can''t let that happen." "Alright. I need information first. Then training and increasing my strength. When I''m ready I''ll stand at the top of this era. And make the whole world know my name. That¡¯s gonna be another of my goals. And I definitely have the best tool with me. I¡¯m gonna give it my all and reach the top. Sorry Naruto, Sasuke. But I¡¯ll be taking the spot of the world''s strongest from you guys.¡± I was excited and was going to open the gamer status page but before I could, I heard a voice and several knocks on the door to my room. ¡°Daichi, are you awake in there?¡± Since I¡¯m the only one in the room then that means Daichi must be my name in this world. ¡°Yes, I''m awake.¡± I quickly answered. The door opened and a brown-haired boy in his late teens came to a stop in front of me. He had a round face, slim build and light brown eyes and was wearing a smile on his face. "Have you only gotten up just now? You haven''t even changed. Don''t you know how special today is?¡± He asked me in a teasing voice. Suddenly without warning a blue box appeared in front of me. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuous observation, a skill to find target''s information, ''Observe'' has been created.] I was taken aback and dumbly said. "What?." ¡®Is there something special about today?. Damn it. I have no idea what''s going on. I just got here.¡¯ Although I was keeping a relatively calm face, I was slightly panicking on the inside. Having just gotten the observe skill, I decided the teen in front of me would be my first target. ¡®Observe¡¯. [LV. 30][Jozu Kenta] [He helps at the orphanage from time to time to help out Miss Aiko. He is fond of you.] Putting a bewildered look on my face, which wasn''t that difficult considering the whole situation, I replied. ¡°Umm Noo¡­?¡± He could clearly see the confusion that was evident on my face. ¡°Don''t tell me you forgot your own birthday. Or are you just playing with me?¡± He asked me with a mock suspicious look on his face. ¡°Come on. You need to get ready. The head Matron wants to see you. I think she has a surprise for you.¡± He said with a smirk. Quest Created - ¡®Report to the Head Matron.¡¯ The Matron of the orphanage wants to see you for something important. Freshen up and get to her office before time runs out. (10:00 mins.) Rewards: Rep increases with Matron Aiko 150 Exp 1st Quest Completion Bonus Exp New Title Failure: Rep decreases with Matron Aiko New Title Accept (Y/N) I was startled by the quest box that appeared but quickly got a hold of myself and read through the contents. After reading it thoroughly I accepted the quest immediately. Putting a smile on my face I replied. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be ready in a few minutes. Tell her I''ll be down shortly.¡± ¡°Alright. Be quick.¡± He turned around and started walking. ¡°Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Daichi.¡± That was the last thing he said before closing the door. The moment the door closed, the smile left my face. ¡°Oh man! That was close. Who am I? Where am I? I need info on who I am and what year of the timeline I¡¯m in.¡± Just as I was fretting over these questions a system message appeared in a blue box. [SYSTEM MESSAGE] [ Memories of the previous life of your soul which were locked have now been unlocked. Memories of your current life and your unlocked ones are being merged¡­. Merging complete. Good luck, Player. New memories came to the forefront of my mind. Hmm, these must be the memories of this body before I inhabited it. No, based on what I understand from the system message my soul is the same as that of my previous life and the memories of that life were just temporarily sealed. I''m the same person as before. Or at least my soul is. "Well it''s a good thing to know I''m not some soul parasite that just took over an innocent kids body." ¡®So my name¡¯s Daichi Hekima. I am now 5 years old. My parents died in the nine tails attack. That¡¯s a bummer. Currently living in an orphanage. And today is my birthday - March 28. And the kid who just came was called Jozu. A genin who helps out here. And the matron is a woman in her late fifties named Aiko.¡¯ ¡°Hmm. Ok, guess that''s the when and where and I''ve already deduced the how. Guess that will have to do for now. Better get ready and get down there before the timer runs out. Having the gamers mind definitely comes in handy. Otherwise, I''d be freaking out right now." As I freshened up and was getting out of my sleepwear, my mind pondered on why the matron would call me so early in the morning today. ¡®Whatever it is, I have to be ready.¡¯ I thought to myself. Putting on some fresh clothes I stepped out of the room and headed for the office. As I went to the office I experienced a sense of Deja Vu. I was walking down the hall for the first time but it felt as if I''ve walked them my whole life. A surreal experience. As I reached the door to the matron''s office, I prepared myself for what''s to come. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I knocked on the door 3 times. "Come in." The old voice of the matron. My new memories told me. Opening the door I entered the room and saw Matron Aiko sitting behind a desk with a calm and gentle face. I saw an old man sitting opposite to her with an equally calm but serious face looking me over. I walked a few steps, stopped, and looked around the room. It was a modest one with a shelf half filled with books and some scrolls and a few trinkets. I saw several photos of the kids and staff that were here at the orphanage. I stopped looking around and looked directly at Aiko. "You wanted to see me miss Aiko?" "Yes, little Daichi. I''m glad you came quickly. There is someone here I''d like you to meet. This is Kensei Yasaji. He''s interested in adopting you." Hearing those words I looked toward the man and scrutinized him. He had shaggy black hair, a small scar on his left cheek and another running vertically across his right eye. He had a strong build for someone his age but I can see the cane he uses to walk. The most noticeable feature about him was his left leg. Or lack thereof. He uses a pegleg as a prosthesis to walk around. Chapter 3 – New Beginnings Normal P.O.V Suddenly several notification boxes appeared, startling Daichi. Quest ¡®Report to the head Matron¡¯ Completed. Rewards: Rep increases with Matron Aiko. 150 Exp. 1st Quest Completion Bonus Exp. 500 Exp New Title: Capable Child. (This title will boost Exp rewards by 15% ) You have leveled up. You have leveled up. Skill Observe¡¯s level has risen by one. For the second time that day, Daichi was taken aback and dumbly said. "What?¡±. ''I knew he''d be surprised but I didn''t think he''d be this surprised.'' Aiko thought to herself looking at Daichi''s shocked face. The old man Kensei Yasaji was looking at the boy and a slight upward curl of his lips could be seen. Thanks to the gamer¡¯s mind skill, Daichi regained his calm face quickly and looked at the old man and then at the matron. He used the ''observe'' skill on the old man but didn''t get any new information. [??] [Kensei Yasaji] ??? He turned to look at the Matron and he saw the level and a small description about her. [LV. 47] [Aiko Hikara] [She is a chunin who served the leaf village for 11 years and then served as a medic in the hospital for 7 more. After retiring she used her funds to build the orphanage where she currently resides as its head Matron. She loves kids and cares deeply for them. She thinks you''re a sweet kid and wants the best for you.] Daichi quickly read through the description and he felt he had a better understanding of the woman. "So Daichi, what do you say?" When he heard Miss Aiko''s question he looked back at the old man. ''I could see Miss Aiko''s level and some info on her but I don''t have anything on the old man.'' ''That means he''s definitely above level 47 and definitely a shinobi. But what kind of a man is he?. Someone laidback or serious? Or is he someone ruthless and manipulative and with less than kind intentions? The last one seemed less likely since Aiko''s allowing this guy to adopt me... Well, only one way to find out. What I''m about to do is stupid and has risks but at least it''ll give me an idea as to who I''m dealing with.'' All of these thoughts flashed through Daichi''s mind in a couple of seconds. Steeling his heart, he made a choice. "You know old man, with that pegleg, if you wear an eye patch you''d make a scary-looking pirate." He said with a smile on his face. ''Let''s see how this guy responds. Will he take my words as an insult or laugh it off? Or maybe neither and stay expressionless.?'' He noticed Aiko''s face sporting a shocked expression out of the corner of his eye. "Daichi! That was very rude. Apologize." She exclaimed. Daichi was still looking at the old man''s face with a small smile. Suddenly the old man¡¯s face had a large grin and he burst out laughing. "Ha! Boy, you''re not the first person to tell me that. Even I think I''d make a decent pirate with my face. In fact, the ladies would definitely fall for my ruggedly handsome looks." He said in a merry tone. Aiko was taken aback and then slowly a small smile bloomed on her face. ''For a moment I thought Kensei would be offended but I''m happy to be proven wrong in this instance.'' "So kid what do you say.? Wanna come live with me.?" Kensei asked me with a wide grin. "Sure." Daichi replied with an equally wide grin on his face. "Well I am glad you two are happy. Daichi, why don''t you go upstairs and grab your things. Kensei-san and I will be waiting here." "Ok." He nodded and left the room. ¡°You were right. He¡¯s smart.¡± Kensei said after Daichi left the room. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s much more intelligent than the other kids here.¡± Aiko agreed and added her thoughts. ¡°Tell me something? This adoption... Is this just about Hotaru or is there something more?¡± She had a serious expression on her face as asked this question. Kensei looked at Aiko and had a smirk on his face. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just a nice guy and want to give the kid a home.!?¡± The matron slightly narrowed her eyes. ¡°A nice guy? You and I both know that¡¯s not true. The only reason I agreed to this adoption is because we¡¯ve known each other for over two decades. Now tell me. Why now? Why him?¡± The smile left Kensei¡¯s face and he closed his eyes for a moment. The masked face of someone who rescued him during a mission long ago came to his mind. ¡°Let''s just say that¡­ I¡¯m here to honor a promise.¡± Daichi''s P.O.V On my way up, a lot of thoughts crossed my mind. Even though Aiko posed the adoption choice as mine, I knew it really wasn''t. If every orphan had that choice I doubt many would get adopted. But the three main reasons why I decided to accept the offer so readily was because And the third and most important reason There are definitely cons to this as well. He could find out about my gamer body and its abnormalities and report it to the Hokage. He could be a retired root agent and looking to recruit new talents for Danzo''s army. Or something else entirely. All risks I will have to take. But the pros definitely outweigh the cons. So this was a decision that wasn''t hard to make. Due to making a logical and smart decision, you have obtained +1 WIS A new blue dialogue box appeared. Other than my hands and shoulders slightly twitching I made no outward reaction. I was starting to get used to the notifications popping up in front of me without warning. ¡®An unexpected but not unwelcome surprise. So this also means I can increase my stat points by not just leveling up huh.! Alright! I¡¯ve waited long enough. Time to check out my status page.¡¯ ¡°Status¡± I quietly muttered. A new window appeared containing my information. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child Level : 3 (0/1000) HP : 195 CP : 155 SP : 100 Primary Stats Strength - 5 Vitality - 4 Dexterity - 3 Agility - 4 Intelligence - 10 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 8 Special Stats - Locked (To see the special stats at least one of them must be unlocked. Unlocking these stats requires certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods.) Stat Points - 25 Ryo - 0 ¡®Everything looks standard except for two stats. My intelligence is highest with wisdom coming in second. Hmm¡­ It must be due to my previous life. 17 Years worth of maturity and intelligence and logical decision-making capabilities. I guess it¡¯s only natural that my Intelligence and wisdom are higher than the rest. And what the heck are these locked special stats? No. Not right now. I¡¯ll do a more thorough research on my gamer¡¯s ability later in my own room at the old man¡¯s home.¡¯ I thought to myself and closed the status page. I quickly reached my room and started packing the few belongings I had in a bag. It wasn''t much. Just a few pairs of dresses and a few books. As I put what little I owned into the bag my mind went to my previous life. ¡®Mom, Dad¡­ What are they feeling right now? What a stupid question. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re heartbroken right now. And my brothers Alex and Simon¡­ I won¡¯t get to see any of them again.¡¯ As the faces of my family came to my mind, tears welled up in my eyes and before I went into a hysteria the gamers mind activated and calmed me down. I rubbed my eyes and took a few deep breaths and got my emotions under control. ¡®I can¡¯t wallow in sadness or self pity. I have to move on. Mom, Dad, Alex, Simon¡­ I won¡¯t forget you. But I¡¯m going to move on. I have to¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to live a good and happy life. Please do the same. I hope you guys will be ok¡­¡¯ I sighed and quickly finished packing and when I stepped outside the room I saw Jozu standing nearby. I used ''observe'' on him immediately for the second time that day. [LV. 30][Jozu Kenta] [He is a genin who doesn''t have much talent but has a good heart. He failed the chunin exams three times and decided to stay genin and do minimum risk missions. He helps out at the orphanage from time to time to help out Miss Aiko. He is fond of you.] ¡®Hmm. More information than the first time. Must be because my ¡®Observe¡¯ has leveled up. Ok, the first thing I gotta do is level up ¡®Observe¡¯ as much as I can as fast as I can.¡¯ I mulled. "I heard the good news. Although I''m sad to see you leave, I am truly happy for you." He said with a sad smile. Jozu was the one I had memories of the most. He taught the ''previous Daichi'' to read and write and told him all kinds of stories that made him laugh. He was like an older brother. Well at least to the ''previous Daichi'' anyway. Still, I couldn''t help but feel a small attachment to him. I went to him and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you. For everything." He hugged me back just as tightly. After a few seconds, he let go and quickly wiped the few tears he had at the corner of his eyes. "This is way too sappy. Real men don''t cry. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Go on. Better not keep Miss Aiko waiting." He said with a big smile patting my back. I smiled nodding at him and then made my way to the matron''s office. Both Kensei and Aiko were waiting for me at the door of the office. Aiko had a gentle smile on her face and asked. "Are you ready Daichi?." I nodded and then bowed. "Thank you for taking care of me all these years, Miss Aiko. I''ll never forget you." The gratitude in my voice was clear. This was a woman who spent her life serving this village as a shinobi. And then healing others as a medic. And now she spends her days looking after, and genuinely caring for children who have no one. I may not know her personally, but this woman deserves my utmost respect. Aiko placed a hand on my shoulder. "Happy birthday Daichi. This is a new beginning for you. So make the most of it." I looked at her and nodded, then turned to the old man. We both nodded at each other and slowly made our way out of the orphanage. As I set foot outside, excitement, anxiety, giddiness and all kinds of other emotions welled up in my heart. Like Miss Aiko said. This is my new beginning and this is also my second chance. I am not going to waste it. I am gonna give it my all. Get ready world. Here I come. Chapter 4 – Shi Fang’s Restaurant Daichi¡¯s POV I felt the warm rays of the sun on my body. The cool morning breeze gently blowing around me. I was so excited I had a small skip in my step. As I looked around I saw trees of different shapes and sizes and various plants of all colors adorning the sides of the road. This village was mesmerizing. There was no pollution in the air here or the screeching noises of the many vehicles that I was accustomed to back in my old world. With every breath of air, it felt like strength was flowing into my body. As I was walking forward I realized that the orphanage was situated at the outskirts of the leaf village. I took a look back to take in the sight of the building. It was different from the one I remember watching in the story. So this must be another orphanage in the village. I remember reading in the description that this orphanage was built by Aiko with her funds and she was the one running it. Quest Created - ¡®Scout out the village.¡¯ Explore and find out more about the village. Find the different buildings and places in the village (0/7). Time limit: 7 Days. Rewards: 1000 Exp Rep increases with Leaf Village citizens. Complete Quest in 3 days. (New Title) (Bonus) Failure: Rep decreases with Leaf Village citizens. Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji. Accept (Y/N) I was slightly surprised by a new quest appearing so soon but quickly accepted after reading the contents. I won¡¯t say no to more exp and with my knowledge and the time limit of 7 days, it would be easy for me to complete it. I looked towards the old man who was walking beside me with a small smile. "So where to?" I asked. He had a grin when he answered. "Why don''t we get some breakfast. I know a place that sells some of the most delicious foods in the village." I gave him a nod and looked ahead. He had a serene expression as his left hand used the cane to help him take each step and his right hand folded behind his back. The old man walked slowly but had a measured gait. I walked beside him looking all around me. What the old man didn''t know was that I was using my ability ''Observe'' on everything that I set my eyes on. ''Observe'' [Oak tree] A tall oak tree that was planted 33 years ago and is home to various species of birds and rodents. It is 72 feet in height and 8 feet in width. The branches reach up to 105 feet in length. It is a healthy tree and has strong and durable wood, excellent for furniture and carpentry work. The wood of this tree has a small resistance to water. ''Observe'' [Small Stone] A hard earthen substance that came from a large rock. Mainly used in walls and foundational works. ''Observe'' [Squirrel] HP: 18 CP: 8 A flying squirrel from the species of squirrels. It is four years old. They are not capable of flight like birds but they can glide from one tree to another using their wing-like membrane that stretches from wrist to ankles. Skill Observe¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Observe¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Observe¡¯s level has risen by one. As I was using ''observe'' on everything that crossed my path, the level of the skill increased several times. As I kept walking towards the center of the village I noticed buildings of all shapes and sizes and various colors. The leaf village was a mixture of nature and city. The trees and various plants intermingled with the different buildings gave this village an elegant natural beauty. I saw more and more people walking down the streets. People opening their shops for business. I even saw a few ninjas jumping on rooftops and disappearing as quickly as I saw them. I saw some teenagers in chunin vests walking past me. I looked around and at everything in wonder. Like a country bumpkin who just entered the big city. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a few women were looking at me and giggling at my expression. I felt a blush slowly starting to appear on my face. "It''s breathtaking isn''t it?¡± The old man asked me. "Very." I replied. The old man stopped in front of a small store and motioned me to come inside. I read the small sign hanging on top of the store. ''Shi Fang''s Restaurant.'' As soon as I stepped in I could smell the fragrance of different foods lingering in the air. It was a small, simple restaurant. Only a few people were dining inside at the moment. Even though the restaurant was simple it was neat and tidy. With an area of, little over 17 square meters and around a dozen sets of tables and chairs, it was indeed a small restaurant. You have found a restaurant. Quest progression (1/7) I glanced at the blue notification box and slightly smiled and dismissed it. Happy at the small completion of the quest, I followed Kensei to a seat. The old man went to a table at the corner and took a seat while I took the opposite chair. Suddenly a young man walked out of the kitchen and headed for us. He had a slim figure and fair skin. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail with a small wool rope. I quickly used ''observe'' on him. [ LV.19] [ Shi Fang] Age: 20 HP: 2738. CP: 2023 [Shi Fang is the owner of Shi Fang''s Restaurant. Even though he trained in the shinobi academy for a few years his dream was to become a chef like his father. He dropped out during the 3rd year of the academy to pursue his dream. 2 years ago he inherited the restaurant from his father after he proved himself as a capable chef and owner. He secretly trains his body and senses to improve his cooking speed and skills.] Third Person POV "Good morning Kensei-san. It''s been a while. How have you been my friend?" He asked in a jovial tone. "I''m Good little Shi. How''s business.?" "The usual. Things won''t get hectic until noon. So I''m free for a while. I''m currently looking for ideas on a new dish." "Oh? What kind of a dish?" The old man asked curiously. He knew that all the dishes here were made by Shi and they were all delicious. "That''s a surprise." That was the only reply he got. The young owner then turned his head and looked to Daichi and asked politely "And who might you be kid?" "I''m Daichi Hekima." The boy said with a smile. "I decided to adopt him. So now he''s my grandson." Kensei added. Rep increases with Shi Fang Shi was surprised and then smiled. "Good for you old man. Guess you won''t be so lonely in that house anymore. Now then, what will you two be having?" "We''ll have two plates of Rainbow dumplings." "Coming right up." Shi left and disappeared into the kitchen. "I could smell the fragrance of several foods when I entered this place. So I''m guessing this ''Rainbow dumplings'' is gonna be delicious huh." Daichi asked, looking at Shi¡¯s retreating figure. "It is. This place may look small but I''ve eaten some of the most delicious foods in my life at this place." Kensei had a small grin when he said those words. Hearing his reply Daichi got excited to try the dish and was waiting eagerly for it. ¡°We have a few minutes before he comes back. So let''s have a chat.¡± Kensei¡¯s smile disappeared as he said those words. He was calm and collected with no emotions showing on his face. Daichi was only slightly surprised at the sudden change in atmosphere. Even though he smiled and was putting on a cheerful face all this time, he was cautious and had never let his guard down. He knew this was a shinobi village and he had to be extremely careful with every move he made. He knew from the start, the person adopting him could potentially be an enemy. Until he had the strength to protect himself from most threats, he would tread cautiously. This was something Daichi decided after his meeting with Kensei in the orphanage. Without even realizing it, Daichi¡¯s body instinctively shifted into a defensive posture and the smile and cheerful expression disappeared. He maintained a neutral face just like the old man sitting opposite to him. About 30 seconds passed by, with neither of them making a sound or movement. Each of them looking at the other with expressionless faces. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to see.¡± Kensei said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Daichi was confused. ¡®What does he mean by that? What did he see?¡¯ Daichi was only pondering these questions for a few seconds before the answer hit him. He suddenly looked at his clenched hands and the defensive posture his body was in. His eyes widened as he found the answer. He didn¡¯t react in the way a normal 5 year old would. Daichi quickly realized that the old man figured out he was no ordinary child, with the way he schooled his face and his body¡¯s fight or flight response. ¡®He realized I¡¯m more than the average kid based on my reaction just now. But what triggered him to test me? I doubt he knows about my Gamer ability or its abnormalities. But if he thinks I¡¯m some kind of a spy or a threat and decides to interrogate me or report me, I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ ¡®I have to find out how much he knows and what he thinks I am. I can''t tell him who I really am but playing dumb won¡¯t help me either. And if I lie it would only get me in trouble. It''s best to do this straight forward.¡¯ Daichi quickly looked back to the old man and asked in a serious voice. ¡°How long have you known?¡± Kensei looked at the child in front of him and answered. ¡°I see you¡¯re choosing the direct approach. Good. That¡¯s my style too. So how long have I known that you are much smarter and perceptive than a kid your age has any right to be? Isn¡¯t that your question?¡± Kensei asked with a smirk. Daichi looked at him and slowly nodded. ¡°Since our first meeting. When Aiko told you about the adoption, you had a certain look on your face and a glint in your eyes. Something I''ve seen on many shinobi who are deep in enemy territories. It was only for a split second so I doubt Aiko saw it. But I''ve been a shinobi for most of my life. So when I saw that calculating glint in your eyes, I instantly recognized it.¡± ¡°The eyes of someone finding himself in an unknown situation, and deciding to take a risk after weighing the pros and cons and to figure out the variables. Which in this case is me. And right now your body''s reaction to what you perceive as a possible potential threat. The way you reacted to my words. All of that tells me all I need to know." Daichi was freaking out inside his head. ''Holy crap. Holy crap. This guy is way too perceptive. I knew I might be caught one day but not on my first day here before lunch. Oh man, what do I do?'' As Daichi was panicking a sudden calmness washed over him and he was able to quickly regain control of his emotions and thoughts. ''Thank you gamer''s mind''. Chapter 5 – Ambitions Kensei was watching young Daichi''s face intently. He saw the myriads of emotions and expressions flashing across his face. Kensei sighed to himself. ''This kid is smart and intelligent, and perceptive far beyond his age, but he is a total newbie when it comes to controlling his facial expression and emotions.'' Kensei was a bit surprised at how quickly Daichi went from panicking to suddenly keeping a calm face. But he didn''t think much of it. He asked with a smug tone. "You wanted to see how I''d react, didn''t you? Isn''t that why you said I''d make a good pirate? Am I right?" Daichi was surprised even more. He didn''t think the old man would figure him out so quickly. He nodded his head. "Yes." That was the only answer he gave. "So what now?" Daichi asked cautiously. "When I woke up this morning I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be adopting a genius." Kensei said. Confusion ran across Daichi''s face. "Genius? What are you talking about?" "Kid. Let''s not beat around the bush. We both know you''re much smarter than those your age. You''re keen and perceptive and have a maturity that''s not seen in a 5-year-old. Well, most 5-year-olds anyway." Kensei said as he recalled the faces of the handful of geniuses he had met over his lifetime. And the smile was back on his face. Daichi was listening to him with the same calm expression but he was relieved inside. ''Oh thank god. He thinks I''m a genius and not a spy. I can work with that. But I need to know why he adopted me. What he wants from me. Lets see if this old man is willing to give me the answers.'' "I have two questions. Will you answer me honestly?" Daichi asked politely. "Go ahead." Kensei nodded. "Why did you adopt me?" Kensei''s face turned slightly solemn and had a sad smile on his face. He sighed and answered. "You remind me of my son. His name was Hotaru. He was killed in the nine tails attack 5 years ago. He and I had a... strained relationship and over the years we drifted apart. When I saw you a week ago with Aiko buying groceries, it looked like I was looking at a young Hotaru. You have such a resemblance to him, I thought you might be his son." "But judging from your expression, I''m not, am I?" Daichi asked. "No. I had Aiko run a blood test. You''re not his son¡­. Listen Daichi, you may not be his son but I''ve decided to adopt you nonetheless. I know we may not be related by blood but from now on I am your grandpa. And I expect you to call me as such." "So your reason for taking me in is because I have a resemblance to your long-dead son!?" Daichi then smirked innocently and continued. "Are you sure it''s not because you''re getting old and you need someone to take care of you?" "Ha. I''m still in my 60''s brat. It''ll be a couple dozen more years before I would need anyone to take care of me." The tense atmosphere between the two instantly disappeared. Kensei said with a laugh. Then he said, "He was smart and cheeky just like you. While not a prodigy he was definitely above his peers. So you see it''s not just your looks that resembles him. Now you know why I chose you." Daichi nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you for giving me a home¡­ Now for my second question. Why did you decide to test me just now?" "I''ve seen orphaned children lead a difficult life. They are extremely cautious towards new people. They are also a bit smarter and more mature than the children of their age. But I doubt they''d be capable of assessing the advantages and disadvantages of an unknown situation and make hard, smart decisions. Especially when they only have a limited amount of information. And to do it all in the span of a few seconds while keeping a cool face? Very few kids can do that. So I wanted to see which one you were. A cautious slightly more mature child or a genuine genius." "Come on. What makes you think I''m a genius?" "A gut feeling. Besides you don''t talk like a regular kid, do you? For me it feels as if I''m talking to an adult." He said with a smirk plastered on his face. Daichi didn¡¯t answer the rhetorical question. Just then a tantalizing aroma filled their nostrils and they automatically looked towards the kitchen. They saw Shi Fang holding two bowls heading towards them. He reached their table and placed the food in front of them. Daichi quickly used ''Observe'' on his food. ''Observe'' [Rainbow Dumplings] A delicious breakfast dish made by Shi Fang. The inside of the dumpling has seven layers of vegetables and meat. The ingredients used to make this dish are all of high quality. Shi Fang uses a special method to cook this dish to ensure that the ingredients retain some of their chakra and most of their vitality. 1 Dumpling Restores 15 HP and 9 CP. Daichi was incredulous after reading that description. ''Holyshit. This thing can restore 15 HP and 9 CP. If that''s the case, in my current state just 14 of these things and I''ll be in full health. I definitely need to check out my inventory and find out if It can preserve food. If It can, I am definitely buying a couple hundred of these for a rainy day.'' Two white glass bowls with 3 white dumplings each and some soup poured and chopped onions sprinkled over it. The white and glossy ''Rainbow Dumplings'' were not radiating rainbow colors despite its name. These dumplings were smooth and translucent, and the fillings inside could almost be seen. From the outside, there seemed to be a faint amount of fragrance enveloping the fillings and made the dumpling appear extremely tantalizing. "Enjoy." Shi said and then walked away. "Alright. Why don''t we table our discussion until after we''ve had our stomachs filled?! Let''s dig in. You''re going to love this place after you''ve had a taste of these dumplings." Kensei said. Daichi didn''t need any more encouragement and he quickly took the chopsticks, picked up a dumpling, and placed it in his mouth. As soon as he bit into the dumpling he could feel a soft fragrant smell filling his mouth. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the blissful moment for a few seconds. "Mmmm. Delicious." He couldn''t help but say those words. Both Daichi and Kensei enjoyed the food and ate at a comfortable slow pace. They ate the 3 dumplings and finished the soup in about 10 minutes. Both of them were completely satisfied with their breakfast. "Happy?" Kensei asked the boy. "Yes. I definitely have to come back here." Daichi replied. "Now then, shall we continue our chat.?" Daichi simply nodded to Kensei''s question. "I want you to think long and hard before you answer this question... What do you want to be in the future?" Kensei asked in a serious tone. Daichi paused at the question and was about to immediately reply, ''a shinobi.'' But he stopped himself and thought about it a bit more. ''What I want huh. I want to become the strongest, so I''m definitely going to be a ninja¡­ but is that all I really want? I''m in a world full of possibilities and unknowns. And I bet there are a lot more interesting things out there that the story didn''t cover. I have the gamer''s ability. The best tool for any situation. So theoretically nothing should be impossible for me. I could learn about all sorts of things.'' As Daichi was having these thoughts, he looked toward the empty glass bowl in front of him. After thinking for a few more seconds he made a decision and he had his answer. Daichi looked at the old man and had a resolute face and gave him his answer. "I am going to be a shinobi. Not just any shinobi, but the world''s strongest. But that''s not all I want. I want to visit all sorts of places. Travel the world. Experience all sorts of things. Try new things. But what I want the most is to not have any regrets." Kensei heard Daichi¡¯s answer and had an understandable expression. ''A free spirit.'' "Daichi. I''ve been a shinobi for over four decades. The years and experiences have taught me that the world isn''t black and white. There will be people who will oppose your goals, both outside the village and within, and become your enemy simply because you might become a threat to them. To make your dreams come true and live the way you want, you have to be strong. Stronger than most. If not all. That journey will be extremely difficult. Do you really want that?" Kensei asked in a serious tone. "Yes. I''m prepared. I won''t back down from any challenge that comes my way." Daichi replied without a second''s hesitation and with absolute resolve. Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji Seeing the look on Daichi''s face Kensei understood the boy was serious. And he knew the boy understood the challenges that would face him. ''A strong heart indeed''. He had a large grin broadening on his old face. The boy¡¯s ambition reminded him of his own when he was a youth. At that moment Kensei decided he was going to help the boy achieve his dreams. But before he started training the boy, Kensei decided he was going to see just how strong-willed the boy was. ¡°If you want to become the strongest then you¡¯re gonna need some intense training. Right now you¡¯re 5. I¡¯ll let you join the academy next year. So that means we have a year to train and get you to the same level as the clan kids. Now just because you said you wanted to be the strongest doesn''t mean you¡¯ll become one. I want to see your resolve when your body feels like it''s on fire. Prove to me within the next month that you can do more than just talk big. If I¡¯m convinced then I¡¯ll start your training.¡± Hearing the old man¡¯s challenge lit a fire inside him. He wanted to prove to Kensei that he could do it. A new quest suddenly popped up. Quest Created - ¡®Get ahead of your peers¡¯ Prove to Kensei Yasaji that you have what it takes to stand at the top of this world. Convince him to start training you within the month. And then train hard and prepare for the academy. Time limit: 12 Months 3 days. Conditions: Increase your level to 13 by the time you join the academy Learn Beginner Taijutsu and increase it to LV.15 Learn Basic Chakra Control Technique and increase it to LV.15 Increase your Basic Body Conditioning to LV.15 Learn Beginner Shuriken Jutsu and increase it to LV.15 Learn 1 E-Rank Ninjutsu or more (0/1) Find out your Chakra Nature. Unlock any 2 special stats. Rewards: 1500 Exp, +1 Level +3 To all awakened stat points +1 LV. to all Skills +12 Stat Points Rep increases with everyone. Rep massively increases with Kensei Yasaji. New Title Special Reward Failure: -2 Levels Rep decreases with The leaf village citizens. Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji. Rep decreases with Academy Teachers. Rep decrease with the ¡®Rookie 9¡¯. New Title Accept (Y/N) After reading through the quest Daichi became excited. He immediately accepted it and was determined to complete it. Right after he accepted the quest, a new one popped up. But the quest box only had a few lines with no reward or failure. Daichi was surprised and confused at the second new quest. Quest Created - ¡®Path to the strongest (LOCKED)¡¯ This quest can only be opened by successfully completing the quest ¡®Get ahead of your peers¡¯. Failure to open this quest will significantly increase your chances of meeting death within the next 7 years and certain death within 9 years. Well, that''s not ominous at all.¡¯ Daichi thought sarcastically. Chapter 6 – New Home Daichi and Kensei stepped out of the restaurant after paying the bill and headed in a new direction. ¡°Why don''t we get you some new clothes? I can tell those hand me downs are not really your type. Come on.¡± Both the old man and young boy walked leisurely. Kensei had a serene smile as he watched young Daichi take in the different sights. Daichi was looking around everywhere in wonder and using his observe skill on everything. His ¡¯Observe¡¯ has leveled up even further and after checking out the level of several shinobi that passed by him, he came to a conclusion. ¡®Hmm¡­ So I can see the level of someone up to 45 levels above mine. And the higher the level the less information. I can''t read the level or stats of any of the shinobi wearing a chunin vest. Does that mean most chunin are above level 48? The highest levels I¡¯ve read until now are Miss Aiko with level 47 and another teenager that just passed by with level 48.¡¯ ¡®But his description said he was someone who¡¯s been a genin for 6 years. But Aiko¡¯s description said she was a chunin... So that means there might be people with stats way beyond what their level shows.¡¯ ¡®Thinking about it, that makes sense. Rock Lee with his gates opened would have his physical stats boosted much further than someone of his same level. Ok I definitely shouldn''t underestimate anyone, even if they are the same level or even a few below me.¡¯ Due to making a logical and smart decision, you have obtained +1 WIS. ¡®Huh. So it agrees with me. Wait, is this system alive? Are you alive?¡¯ Daichi shouted in his mind. After several seconds of silence and no reply, Daichi felt like a fool for thinking the system could talk back and answer his questions like a person could. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Daichi was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Kensei speak. They were in front of a clothing store that was designed with several colors. One could see the different types of outfits in the store from the road through the glass window at the front. The name of the store was ¡®Hinshitsu.¡¯ Kensei opened the door of the shop and it rang a bell. He stepped inside followed by Daichi. As soon as he stepped inside a notification appeared. You have found a clothing outlet. Quest progression (2/7) ¡®Nice. Only 5 more to go for the next level.¡¯ As they went inside a girl in her late teens greeted them. She was wearing a dress that made her look elegant and beautiful. She had brunette hair that was tied in a bun and was wearing pink lipstick. She had a slender figure and had a beautiful smile on her face. ¡°Hello. Welcome to Hinshitsu. My name is Ichika. How can I help you today?¡± ''Observe'' [LV. 8][Ichika Kentaro] Age: 18 HP: 812. CP:188 [Ichika Kentaro is the daughter of Massimo Kentaro. She is currently an employee of the clothing store Hinshitsu. She is a single woman with aspirations of owning her own designer clothing line in the future. She is an average person with no other noticeable aspects.] Daichi used ¡®observe¡¯ and the system showed no interesting facts about the girl. However that didn''t mean he would be impolite when talking to her. "Hello young one, we''re here to buy some clothes for my grandson." Kensei said with a smile. She looked at Kensei and then at Daichi. She had a cute smile. "Aww what an adorable grandson. Follow me." She turned around and led them to a section of the store that sold children''s clothes. "What color do you like?" She asked. "Green and maybe something in black and red." Daichi replied. She had a tape and took Daichi''s measurements and went to get him a few options. Kensei sat in a nearby chair watching the boy. He still remembered the answer the boy gave him. His ambition resonated with Kensei. He closed his eyes and began to reminisce about his past. He didn''t know how much time had passed as the memories came and went, but was brought to the present when someone tapped his shoulder. He opened his eyes. He saw Daichi in a new outfit. The kid was wearing a light green shirt with black trousers. "So how do I look?" Daichi wanted to know Kensei''s opinion. "Good. They suit you." He got up from his chair and paid the bill and both of them left. "Let''s go home." Kensei said as he started walking in the direction of his house. Daichi followed him. After about a 15 minute walk they reached a large gate. There was a 2 storey house beyond it, situated inside a modest compound surrounded by tall trees. There was a garden in the front with various flowers of all colors growing, but most of them were withered or dying. There was also weed growing amongst them. Kensei placed his right hand on the gate on a specific design and pushed a tiny amount of chakra. The gate opened on its own, neither too fast nor too slow. After they both walked past the gate, it slowly closed on its own. "Wow. That''s cool. How did it do that?" Daichi asked. The old man had a smirk when he heard the question. He replied "An elegant but simple sealing jutsu. If you plan on becoming the strongest then it''s a branch of jutsu you''re gonna have to study." When Daichi heard it, he was excited. He could imagine all the possibilities with sealing jutsus once he mastered it. Both of them went inside the house. Daichi noted that it was modeled after a traditional Japanese house. It had wooden verandas circling all around with sliding doors. The floor was covered in tatami mats. When he stepped into the room he noted that it had minimal furniture. Quite different from his apartment in his old life. Both of them stepped into the living room. "Welcome to your new home." Kensei said happily. "Thanks Gramps." Daichi replied. "That''s the first time you''ve acknowledged me as your grandfather." "It is, isn''t it? I''m gonna stick with it." "Although I do prefer you call me grandpa." "Hmm" Daichi mulled for a few seconds and gave a reply. " Naw. I like ''Gramps'' much more." "Cheeky brat." Both of them had a smirk. "Come on. I''ll show you to your room." Kensei led Daichi upstairs to another room. He slid open the door. It was a simple room with a bed, a table and chair, a full length mirror and an empty shelf. A small closet and a bathroom attached to it. And a window that showed the back of the house. All in all, a comfortable room to live in for someone like Daichi. "Hmm. It''s almost noon. Get settled and come down in an hour. I''ll have something to eat by then. Oh and¡­ Happy Birthday kid." He said with a gentle smile and went downstairs leaving the boy alone. Daichi got inside and closed the door behind him as he contemplated his situation. He realized the absurdity of the whole thing. Reborn into a fictional world and getting adopted on the same day. He realized that the gamers mind was keeping him from freaking out. He once again reminded himself that this was his second chance and a way forward. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and let it out after a few seconds. When he opened his eyes he had a metaphorical fire lit in them. "Let''s begin." He quickly unpacked his belongings and arranged them. Everything was quickly done in a few minutes. He was ready to find out more about his gamer ability. "First things first. Let me check out my stats " ''Status''. He said in his mind. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child Level : 3 (0/1000) HP : 195 CP : 155 SP : 100 Primary Stats Strength - 5 Vitality - 4 Dexterity - 3 Agility - 4 Intelligence - 10 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 9 Special Stats - Locked (To see the special stats at least one of them must be unlocked. Unlocking these stats require certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods.) Stat Points - 25 Ryo - 0 ''Alright. I only need to think of the options and it appears. Excellent.'' ''Hmm. Wisdom increased by 2. Need to find a way to unlock the special stats quickly. I expected the health and chakra bars at the top. But what''s the third? SP. Does it stand for stamina points? Hmm. That must be it. I have 25 points. So I must have had 15 stat points at the beginning and 5 points with each level up.¡­ I think¡­ Need to check just how many points I get from each level up.¡¯ ¡®Since I can increase stat points by training, I won''t spend them now since they will be difficult to increase when they reach a high enough number and even if I do, it won''t be for the next few days. But before I spend any stat points I need to figure out what exactly my stats do to my body and what exactly they increase.'' Daichi looked at the 7 different stats. ''Alright the strength stat is pretty obvious, it increases the strength of the body. I''m assuming vitality would increase my health points and stamina points.¡¯ ¡®I am pretty sure that agility stat is the one that increases speed so dexterity must help me with something else. Chakra stat increases the chakra points. So does increasing intelligence stat just gives me more intelligence or does it do more? Maybe a photographic memory?¡¯ ¡®Questions for later. And finally wisdom. I already know this is the stat that helps me with making better decisions. I remember that in the original gamer story, logical and smarter decisions gave stat points to intelligence.¡¯ ¡®But mine was allocated to wisdom stat. It seems my gamer ability is a bit different from the one Han had. So more wisdom equals smarter decisions. Hmm... This might help me in games like shogi or go or chess... Do they even have chess in this world?? Again, questions for later. Alright, next up Inventory.'' ''Inventory'' A box with empty slots appeared before Daichi. He had a lot of things to experiment on with the inventory skill. He wanted to know if he could store living creatures and if time was frozen inside the storage dimension. Right now the box showed nothing but empty slots. Daichi took an outfit and brought them on top of the window and watched it disappear. Knowing that it was going to happen and watching it happen were two different things. He took them out of his inventory to see what it felt like and put them back in again. He decided he needed to buy a few things to do more experiments and see the limitations of the inventory ability. ''Let''s see¡­ What¡¯s next?'' Chapter 7- Training 01 "All right. Next up ''skills''." ''Skills'' Gamer''s Mind - Passive (LV.MAX) : Gamer''s Mind is one of the skills granted to the player by the system. It allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows a peaceful state of mind. This skill also provides Immunity to mental disorders. Gamer''s Mind is a skill that''s already obtained and maxed. Gamer''s Body - Passive (LV.MAX) : Gamer''s Body is one of the skills granted to the player by the system. While this skill grants a body that allows the user to live the real world like a game, it has certain limitations. Cuts and bruises will be healed based on the physical stats of the user. User receives minimal physical damage from blunt force attacks, only pain for a few seconds and a loss of HP. But piercing and stabbing attacks have a limited effect on the gamer''s body. Sleeping in a bed restores HP, CP, SP. The Gamer''s Body is a passive skill that is already obtained and maxed. Gaia¡¯s Blessing - Passive (LV.MAX) : The great God Gaia has blessed you and bestowed on you a special ability. Gaia¡¯s blessing will ensure that you will always be strong and healthy in your lifetime. Temporary Effect: Gives the soul a new healthy body. Permanent Effect: All diseases, poisons and negative status effects are healed. Sleeping increases regeneration. Sleeping in a bed increases regeneration several fold. Observe - Active (LV.9 (53%)) : A skill to find the target''s information. Observe is obtained through continuous observation. Higher level of the skill reveals more information about the target. ''I expected the first two skills and ''Observe'', but what''s the 3rd one? Gaia''s blessing? Is that how I got a new body? Seems to be a one-time thing. But that permanent effect on the other hand, that''s definitely a great blessing. Guess I won''t have to worry about terminal illnesses or poison experts.'' As Daichi was reading the skills he did a double take. His eyes stopped at the gamer''s body skill and he read every line carefully. ¡®Receives minimal damage from blunt force attacks but stabbing and piercing attacks have limited effects?? Does that mean if someone pierced my internal organs, they would be damaged?? Could those injuries be permanent?¡¯ ¡®No. No... Based on what I understand, Gaia''s permanent blessing would counteract all negative status effects and heal damaged organs. But that''s one question I''m not eager to confirm the answer to. Still¡­ This could be a blessing in disguise. If people saw me get stabbed and see no bleeding or any external injuries they would definitely get suspicious.¡¯ ¡®The last thing I want is to end up as a test subject for dissection on an operating table under the scalpels of several doctors or worse, Orochimaru.'' After going through everything one more time, Daichi closed all the notification boxes and went to the window in his room. He could see the back of the home. There was a koi pond along with several wooden training stumps. Some of the stumps had targets painted on them. ''Guess I''ll be able to practice my shuriken and kunai throwing skills here.'' And in another corner there were rocks of various shapes and sizes. ''Maybe I can use those for weight training.'' Time flew by and after about an hour he went down to meet the old man. When he got down, he saw Kensei bringing the food. They ate in a comfortable silence and enjoyed the meal. When they finished, Daichi took the bowl from the old man and went to the kitchen to wash it. After washing the second dish he got a new skill. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuous dishwashing, a skill to wash and clean dishes, ''Dish washing'' has been created.] Dishwashing - Passive (LV.1): A skill obtained through continuous dishwashing. With more mastery you can clean any dirty spots with more speed. Effects : +5% increase in speed. ''Just as I thought. I can obtain new skills with certain repetitive actions.'' When he got done, he went back to find his grandpa. Kensei was waiting for him in the living room. He said, "Come, I''ll show you the rest of the house." The house had a room dedicated for training and sparring. It was a wide area with a tall stump in the corner. There was also a library filled with books and scrolls of all sizes. When Daichi saw it his eyes widened in excitement. ''All that knowledge.'' "I see you like my library." Kensei said, understanding Daichi''s thirst for knowledge. "All the knowledge I have acquired throughout my career is recorded and stored here. For now I''ll let you take the basics but after you''ve proven yourself to me, I''ll let you have them all depending on your progress." "Thanks Gramps. I won''t let you down." They left and went outside. "This house has some basic defenses. It tells me if anyone unexpected arrives among other things. I''ve added your chakra to the seal as well." "I definitely gotta learn how to do that." "In time." Kensei then looked over to the garden. He had a melancholic expression on his face. "My wife planted those flowers. She built a beautiful garden in memory of my son. But now watching those flowers wither away and the whole place in such disarray....¡± Kensei sighed to himself. Just then a new quest appeared. Quest Created - ¡®Take care of the Garden¡¯ The garden that was built by Kensei¡¯s wife is in rough condition. Pull the weeds, fertilize the soil, water the plants and make the garden beautiful once again. Conditions: Plant fresh seeds. Water the plants (4 times a week) Fertilize the soil (Once every 3 - 4 weeks) Weed the Garden (Once a week) Rewards: 300 Exp (Weekly) Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji Failure: Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji Accept (Y/N) ¡®After reading the quest there is no way I¡¯m rejecting it. By the end of the year that''s almost 15000 exp. This quest alone would definitely increase my level several times.¡¯ Daichi accepted the quest but didn¡¯t tell the old man. He wanted to surprise him. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s take a look around the back.¡± Putting a small smile on, Kensei started walking. There was a medium-sized koi pond and several shuriken target stumps lined. ¡°You can train your shurikenjutsu here and someday in the future, advanced chakra control techniques¡­ So what do you think?¡± ¡°It''s perfect. Let''s get started. I wanna start training right now.¡± Kensei smiled at the reply and sat down on the wooden veranda. ¡°Do some light stretches. That way you don¡¯t pull your muscles. Then start running around the compound. As I understand you¡¯ve never had any training in your life, have you?¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Then it''s important we find the current limits of your body. And then increase that limit day by day. Show me that determination and willpower.¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t you worry gramps. You¡¯re not gonna be disappointed.¡± Daichi started doing some light stretches to loosen up and get used to his new body. After about 20 minutes a new notification appeared. Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +1 DEX ''So stretching exercises increase the dexterity points huh. Good to know. Control of body and senses¡­ Hmm¡­ I''ll have to look into that.'' Daichi was feeling small amounts of pain all over his body. But he endured it. After about a minute the pain he was feeling disappeared. "Now that you''re all limbered up, take 10 laps around the compound." Quest Created - ¡®Complete 10 laps¡¯ Run 10 laps around the compound before the time runs out. Time limit 20:00 minutes. Conditions: Complete the run in 20:00 minutes. Complete the run in 15:00 minutes. (Bonus) Complete the run in 10:00 minutes. (Bonus) Rewards: +200 Exp +400 Exp (Bonus) +800 Exp (Bonus) Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. Failure: Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji Accept (Y/N) Daichi quickly accepted the quest, opened up his status window and started running. But he kept his speed low. His speed was between jogging and sprinting. He wanted to see how long he could keep this up. He knew that with his current stats, completing the bonus parts of the quest would be very difficult if not impossible. He didn''t want to run faster and exhaust himself quickly. So he kept a steady pace intent on completing the quest and ignored its bonus parts. As he kept running, he saw his stamina points slowly decrease. He also saw several notification boxes popping up. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Watching the notification boxes appear and inform him of his stat growth only made him more motivated. He kept running at a steady pace. As he completed each lap he was getting more and more tired and his breathing became heavier. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI After about 17 minutes Daichi completed 10 laps around the house. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was breathing heavily. His legs felt like jelly. He saw that his stamina points were in the single digit. Daichi took a walk around the house one more time to calm himself down. Quest ¡®Complete 10 laps.¡¯ Completed. Rewards: +230 Exp. Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. ''Strange. I thought the reward was +200Exp.'' As Daichi was pondering on this question it suddenly hit him. ''The title ¡®capable child.¡¯ It increases the exp reward by 15%.'' "So¡­ how.. Did I do?" Even though he knew the answer he asked, still breathing through his mouth but not as heavily. "You just ran 2.5 km in 17 minutes and 15 seconds. Not bad for a 5 year old with no previous training. But we definitely have our work cut out for us. Now go sit under the tree beside the pond. Try and meditate. Meditation helps in focusing the mind and rejuvenating the body." Daichi went to the tree and sat under its shade. He sat cross legged and closed his eyes. He kept his eyes closed and concentrated on his breathing. After a couple of minutes his mind became distracted with several thoughts, but he once again concentrated on his breathing. With each breath he could feel his body relaxing. This time he was able to concentrate for about 10 minutes before he became distracted again. He took a deep breath and let it out and once again focused on his breathing. This time he stayed that way as he felt his body once again in a relaxed state. His heart was beating in a calm manner and the pains he had all disappeared. He didn''t even open his eyes when a new notification appeared. He just focused on his breathing and listened to the sounds of his heartbeat. Chapter 8 – Training 02 – Unlocking a Special Stat. "Daichi. Wake up, it''s time." Those words from Kensei brought Daichi back from his meditative state. Daichi nodded at the old man and was about to get up but he saw several notification boxes in front of him. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously focusing on your breathing, and entering a calm state, a skill to enter the meditative state, ''Meditate'' has been created.] Meditate - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through continuously focusing on breathing and avoiding distractions. Helps the user enter a calm meditative state. Increases the regeneration of the body. Effects : +2% to base HP regeneration per minute. +2% to base CP regeneration per minute. +2% to base SP regeneration per minute. Skill ¡®Meditate¡¯s level has risen by one. Meditate - Active(LV. 2(34%)): A skill obtained through continuously focusing on breathing and avoiding distractions. Helps the user enter a calm meditative state. Increases the regeneration of the body. Effects : +3% to base HP regeneration per minute. +3% to base CP regeneration per minute. +3% to base SP regeneration per minute. As Daichi read the notifications he couldn''t help but feel a little smile appear on his face. ''I''m definitely gonna abuse the hell out of this meditation skill.'' He looked to his stamina points bar and found that it had regenerated to 73 points and was slowly but steadily increasing. "Alright. Now let''s test the strength of your body. Since we''re just starting how about we take things small. 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and 50 squats should do." Quest Created - ¡®Complete the exercises¡¯ Complete 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, and 50 squats before the time runs out. Time limit 30:00 minutes. Conditions: Complete the exercise in 30:00 minutes. Complete the exercise in 20:00 minutes. (Bonus) Complete the exercise in 10:00 minutes. (Bonus) Rewards: Skill: Basic Body conditioning. +300 Exp +600 Exp (Bonus) +1000 Exp (Bonus) Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. Failure: New Title. Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji Accept (Y/N) Daichi didn''t say a word as he heard his Gramps talk. He accepted his next quest and got down and started doing push ups first. He had the status page opened in front of him. As he completed the 8th push up the blue translucent notification box appeared. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR Daichi just looked at it and kept going. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR It appeared again when he was almost done with his 1st set of the 3 exercises. His stamina points have been reduced to 51. Taking a deep breath, Daichi got into position for the sit-ups. Laying on his back with his legs bent and feet firmly on the ground for stability and his hands locked behind his head, he started his next set. He curled up his upper body all the way to his knees. ''One, two, three¡­'' Daichi started counting in his head as he completed each round. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR By the time he was done two strength stat increase notification boxes were visible. He felt like every part of his body was torn. Especially his torso and arms. But after a minute the pain went away. Daichi saw that his stamina points decreased to 20. And that only a little over 12 minutes were remaining for him to complete the last exercise. He quickly got into position and started the last set. Standing with his feet wide apart, his chest up, he pushed his hips back into a sitting position. He started counting in his head as he went back up each time. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Daichi was slightly surprised when he saw that it was his agility and not strength that increased. But he quickly realized that this exercise strengthens the leg muscles and improves lower body mobility. As he kept completing each round of squats he realized that different exercises increase different stats. ¡®It seems running increases vitality and agility and stretching exercises increase dexterity. And it looks like my upper body training improves my strength. Fascinating!¡¯ Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI By the time he completed the set his stat went up one more time. Daichi noticed that his SP only had 2 more points left. Quest ¡®Complete the exercises.¡¯ Completed. Rewards: Skill: Basic Body conditioning. +345 Exp. Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. "Well done Daichi. Above average. Acceptable. But definitely needs work. How are you feeling?" Kensei asked, smiling. "My legs... feel like they''re on fire. Other than that...peachy." Daichi gave a cheeky reply as he took deep breaths. Kensei smirked when he heard the answer. He liked the kid''s spitfire attitude. Basic Body Conditioning - Passive (LV. 1): This skill gives the user¡¯s body an increase in strength, speed, vitality and stamina through training. Effects: +1% to Damage inflicted. +1% to Movement speed. +1% to Physical stat growth. -1% to Damage taken. Daichi was happy he was able to complete the exercise within the time limit. Even though he couldn''t complete the bonus parts of the quest he received a new skill and some exp. He knew this new skill would increase his stat growth speed over time and every exp got him closer to the next level. As he looked at the remaining stamina points, he got curious. He wanted to know what would happen if all his stamina got depleted. So he decided to run a lap around the compound to find out. Daichi started to slowly jog and then he picked up the pace. It was extremely difficult for him to run. His limbs felt like they were made of lead but he kept going. A few minutes later his stamina points reached zero. Suddenly for the first time a red notification box appeared. Your SP has reached zero. You have reached a special condition. Special stat Stamina is opened. +1 STAMINA Since one of the special stats is unlocked you can view the special stat list. This stat increases the stamina points of the player. You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. You have leveled up. Despite being out of breath and struggling to stand, Daichi couldn''t help but have a wide grin on his face. Suddenly most of the fatigue left his body and he felt rejuvenated. He had an idea as to what happened. But he needed to confirm it. With a broad smile he opened up his status page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child Level : 4 (150/1325) HP : 315/315 CP : 215/215 SP : 85/170 Primary Stats Strength - 9 Vitality - 6 Dexterity - 4 Agility - 8 Intelligence - 10 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 9 Special Stats - (Unlocking these stats requires certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods. Stat points cannot be allocated to these stats.) Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 2 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma (LOCKED) Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 30 Ryo - 0 Daichi chuckled. ¡®So every time I level up I get half my stamina points. It looks like my primary stats won¡¯t go up with each level up but special stats do. And every level up rewards me with 5 stat points. I¡¯ll need to think this through.¡¯ To see the physical representation of his efforts and to watch them grow was a great motivator for him. He didn¡¯t want to stop. One could say he became slightly addicted to training and watching his stat and points increase. He started running at a much faster pace and completed the lap around the house quickly. He didn¡¯t say anything to the old man and simply went under the tree to meditate. Kensei had a strange look on his face as he watched Daichi meditate. ¡®Is it just me or did his chakra increase?... Increasing one¡¯s chakra is not something that can be done in a few minutes with an hour of training. And yet¡­ It feels like his chakra capacity has increased by a small margin¡­¡¯ ¡®Or maybe old age is catching up to me. Guess I really am rusty if I can¡¯t even assess the chakra capacity of a kid fresh into training.¡¯ Kensei sighed to himself. He was content with just sitting there watching his new adopted grandson train himself. Daichi meditated for about 2 hours. His SP bar was fully regenerated. His ''meditate'' skill went up another level. He stood up and did some stretching exercises. He remembered watching different types of them in his previous life. As he got his body limbered up again he got a notification informing him of his increased dexterity. Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +1 DEX He ran 10 laps around the house but this time he went at a faster pace than before. There was no quest this time but he was able to complete the run in 14 minutes and he was nowhere near as tired as the first time. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT During the run, he was able to increase his agility and vitality stat by 1 point each. He quickly got down to complete the next 50 rounds of push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Around the time of completion¡­ Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI He got another stat point in strength and agility. And his ''Basic Body conditioning'' skill also leveled up. As his SP got below five he got a notification showing a growth in stamina. +1 Stamina Daichi got under the tree and sat in the meditative pose for the third time that day. By the time he was done the sun had begun to set. He felt refreshed and happy at his progress on his first day. He got up and went to sit near Kensei. "You''ve certainly exceeded my expectations." Kensei said with a smile. Rep increased with Kensei Yasaji. "Thanks Gramps." Both of them sat in comfortable silence as they watched the last rays of the sun disappear. They got up after a few minutes and went inside. The old man had someone deliver their dinner by evening. They ate and Kensei shared some stories of his time as a shinobi. Both of them retired to their rooms shortly after. Daichi had a lot on his mind and there were a lot of things he had to confirm regarding his abilities. As he walked upstairs to his room he looked at his fists and slowly clenched them. He could feel the strength coursing through them. ''In one day I was able to increase my strength by this much. Even though it''s a small margin, this was still achieved within the span of a day. Moving forward I know increasing my stats will become difficult but if I keep with it I can definitely stand at top.'' Daichi slid open the door and went inside his room. Chapter 9 – Exploring the village Daichi went to his room and freshened up. He changed into his sleepwear and got on the bed. He thought about the events of the day. He was still a bit confused on why Kensei thought he was a genius. As he pondered on this question for some more time, the answer came to him. ''From my perspective, I''m someone who got placed into an unfamiliar territory and is trying to stay undercover. So when someone accuses me of hiding my intentions, I would think that they would think I was a spy or something equally dangerous. But from their perspective I¡¯m just an orphan child who grew up in Leaf village all his life.¡¯ ¡®They would attribute my suspicious behavior to paranoia or trust issues... Probably¡­ I think. Still, this puts me at ease a bit. There are a lot of things I wanna do tomorrow but first lemme check out how much my stats have improved.¡¯ ''Status'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child Level : 4 (150/1325) HP : 355 CP : 230 SP : 200 Primary Stats Strength - 10 Vitality - 7 Dexterity - 5 Agility - 10 Intelligence - 10 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 9 Special Stats - (Unlocking these stats requires certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods. Stat points cannot be allocated to these stats.) Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 3 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma (LOCKED) Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 30 Ryo - 0 ''Wow. My HP went up by 160 points. So that means my HP points are definitely linked to strength, vitality and maybe stamina. Hmm¡­ Need more data to figure out how much each stat increases my HP, CP and SP. I got 3 stats that reached 10 and the lowest one is chakra.¡¯ ¡®Need to unlock chakra next. But I''ll have to read up on chakra theory books and how to safely awaken them. I''ll do that tomorrow. After I unlock my chakra I can increase its points with meditation and leaf concentration exercise. Hmm. Looks like I can''t increase the special stats with points. So that means they most probably can be increased through training or other methods. Need to figure out a way to unlock them as fast as I can. Alright¡­ Next ''Skills.'' ¡®Skills'' Temporary Effect: Gives the soul a new healthy body. Permanent Effect: All diseases, poisons and negative status effects are healed. Sleeping increases regeneration. Sleeping in a bed increases regeneration severalfold. Effects: +5% increase in speed Effects : +4% to base HP regeneration per minute. +4% to base CP regeneration per minute. +4% to base SP regeneration per minute. Effects: +2% Increase to Damage inflicted. +2% Increase to Movement speed. +2% Increase to Physical stat growth. -2% Decrease to Damage taken. ''Hmm. ''Observe'' is on the verge of reaching level 10. And meditate and Basic body conditioning have increased by 1. I still have a lot to do. Need to buy some things to experiment and find out the full potential of Inventory. And I need to start on the gardening quest tomorrow. Let''s see¡­ What else?... Ofcourse. Basic Taijutsu and Shuriken jutsu.¡¯ ¡®After that, once I increase my chakra control and capacity with the leaf concentration exercise, I''ll look into Genjutsu. I''ll save the E rank ninjutsu for after that. Since my gamer''s body is a bit different I''ll have to figure out its limitations.¡¯ ¡®I got 1 month to impress the old man and another 11 to get ahead of my classmates. Lots of work ahead of me but if I work smart I can definitely push the advantages of having the gamers ability to the max.'' For the first time in a long time Daichi was truly happy and looking forward to a new day. He slowly closed his eyes and went to sleep as he dreamed of what his future would be like. Daichi woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and the rays of the morning sun shining through the window. You have slept in a bed. HP, CP and SP have been fully restored. Those words were the first thing that greeted him. He got up from his bed and went to the window. He took in the beautiful sights in front of him. After standing there for a couple of minutes and enjoying the beauties of nature, Daichi went to the bathroom and freshened up. After putting on a new set of clothes he went down to greet Kensei. As he got down he saw the old man eating a few dumplings and reading a book. "Good morning gramps." "Morning kid. I had someone deliver those Rainbow dumplings a few minutes ago. So eat them while they''re fresh and hot." Daichi nodded and went to eat his breakfast. He finished the dumplings in a couple of minutes and then went near his grandfather. "So what are your plans for today?" Kensei asked, his eyes still on the book. "I want to explore the village more. And maybe buy a few things." Daichi replied. "What about you?" He asked. "I''ll be here reading my book. It''s a fascinating read. And there''s 2000 Ryo''s inside that box. It''s yours. Spend it wisely." Kensei said, pointing to a nearby red box on a table. "I will. Thanks gramps. I''m gonna head out to the library first and then check out a few other places. So I''ll be a little late." "Make sure to get home before night falls." Kensei said, looking up from his book. Quest Created - ¡®Don¡¯t be late.¡¯ Explore the village but return home by 6 pm. Rewards: +100 Exp Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. Failure: -100 Exp. Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji Accept (Y/N) Daichi accepted the quest without hesitation. "I''ll be back by evening. By the way, do you want me to bring you anything?" "No need. I''ve already bought everything we need for the week." Daichi nodded to his grandfather and went out. Daichi was excited for 2 reasons. One. He wanted to explore and see more of the leaf village. And two, he wanted to complete his quest. ''Alright. What to do first?... Gonna need to buy a few things to test out my inventory. And I need to start on my gardening quest but I don''t know much about gardening, so a book on that would be nice. Hmm¡­ Now that I think about it, a book on cooking would be good too. If I can learn to cook dishes that restores my HP and CP, it would be a great boon. Need to unlock my chakra. So I definitely have to go to the library and read a few books on that.¡¯ ¡®No wait. The old man must have Chakra theory books in his personal library. What I need right now is information. I have to find out if there are any changes to the history and events. I need to confirm whether this is the canon timeline or if I''m living in some alternate universe.'' Daichi made up his mind and decided to head towards the library. He walked around taking in the sights. A few minutes later he saw a small book stall on the side of the road. It was a small store sandwiched between two apartment buildings. He decided to check it out. He saw an old man with gray hair sitting on a stool at the front. ''Observe'' [LV. 22][Khan] Age: 55 HP: 2947 CP: 1320 [Khan is a former reserve genin. He spent most of his career completing menial missions. He was injured during a scouting mission in the 3rd world war which sent him to retirement. He now spends his time as the owner of Khan''s book store. He is also a secret informant of Jiraiya. He has 2 sons.] As Daichi read the description he did a double take. ''I didn''t think I would come into contact with anyone related to the Sannin so soon. Can''t make any mistakes. Gotta act my age and keep cool.'' As he reached the store a new notification appeared. You have found a book stall. Quest progression. (3/7) "Hello sir. Good morning." Daichi said in a calm voice. "Morning. What can I get you boy?" Khan asked. "I''m looking for a good cookbook with lots of recipes. And a book on gardening. Do you have any of those?" Daichi asked politely. "Of course. Hold on." With those words Khan stood up and searched through the stacks of books piled up. Shortly after, he returned with two books. "Here. I think these two should help." Khan handed Daichi the two books. ''Observe'' [Cooking for Beginners] A leaf cookbook for beginners. Contains several modern and classic recipes made easy. This cookbook includes a comprehensive guide to kitchen essentials, prep and cooking techniques, 100+ tasty recipes. This cookbook simplifies complex cooking techniques which makes it perfect for beginners. ''Observe'' [A Gardener''s Guide] This guide will introduce you to the fundamentals of horticulture whether you are an amateur or a seasoned gardener. It covers every aspect of creating, managing and working in an organic garden. This book is excellent for beginners who are looking to build their own garden. After looking over the description of the two books Daichi was satisfied. He flipped open a few pages and glossed over them. After a minute he closed the book and said "These will do. How much?" "350 Ryo" Came the reply. Daichi paid the amount and was about to leave but he saw a few bags and different types of sunglasses hanging at the back of the store. One particular type of sunglass caught his eye. It was round, with black tinted shades and a green frame. That glass reminded Daichi of the steampunk type glasses. He also decided to buy a black backpack to keep his books. After having Khan bring him the two things he paid an additional 180 Ryo and left the store. ''Observe'' [Black sunglasses] These sunglasses are uniquely stylish and can enhance the wearer''s aesthetic appeal with ease. The craftsman who made these glasses was said to have been inspired by a retro futuristic science fiction novel that depicts technology never-before-seen in this world. This is a medium size sunglass with stylish green frames and round shades. ''Observe'' [Black backpack] An item that is commonly used by travelers and students. A simple frameless backpack with above average aesthetic design. This is made of cotton fabric and coated with wax. Although this backpack has excellent waterproofing it cannot withstand all abrasions. He put the books in the bag and put on his new sunglasses. The main reason he bought a sunglass was to make sure no one saw the movements of his eyes. Daichi didn''t want people to know that he was reading something that was invisible to them. If someone perceptive saw Daichi reading the notification boxes or the quest contents (which are invisible to them), they would either think he was crazy, attention seeking or had some kind of special ability. None of which could be good for him. This way he could reduce the risk of someone finding out about his powers. This was his thought. He continued his walk to the library. He asked for directions a couple of times and after 30 minutes he finally reached his destination. Chapter 10 – Library And Ichiraku Ramen After about half an hour of walking and asking for directions Daichi finally reached his destination. A tall building stood in front of him. Beside it''s entrance doors stood the words ¡®Leaf Village Library.¡¯ ''Based on the geography, the library is almost in the middle of this village. A public library accessible to all villagers. Just what I need right now. Alright. First thing to do is read up on history. Make sure there are no unexpected surprises. I''m not sure if there is a restricted section in this place¡­ I''ll just check out what''s public.'' Making up his mind, Daichi went into the library. The moment he went inside a notification appeared. You have found Leaf village Library. Quest progression. (4/7) Dismissing the notification he observed the place. The building had 3 floors with several shelves on each one. He could see several tables and chairs and saw a few people reading or taking notes. And at the front of the library there was an old lady sitting behind a desk reading a book giggling to herself. [??] [Fujiko Kaya] ??? Daichi couldn''t get any information after using ''observe'' on the woman but he could make a few guesses. ''This woman looks like she''s over 50 years old. I don''t recognize her from the story so she must not be that important but judging from the fact that I can''t see her level or information, she must be high chunin or Jonin. In hindsight that should''ve been obvious. The village wouldn''t keep someone weak in charge of their information. Although since this is public I doubt I''d find anything dangerous or classified here. '' As the library had several sections dedicated to many subjects, Daichi decided to ask the librarian the location of the history books. She pointed to a shelf in the corner and resumed her reading. Daichi came upon a small shelf filled with books of various sizes. He looked at the titles of each book. After a minute he took several books, went to a nearby table and started reading. He found a book that depicted the founding of the village and the different clans that joined shortly after. Although there was some information that Daichi knew from his past life that was not included in the book, there was some that he didn''t know. But they were mostly common knowledge and unimportant. Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +1 INT While reading the books he got a stat point in Intelligence. He read through several books as the hours passed by. From the first world war to the third world war and to the nine tails attack. He also read about the several clans that reside in the village. After reading all the books he found interesting, he had an understanding of the time period he''s in and a solid knowledge about the leaf village. ''Hmm. There doesn''t seem to be any major changes to the story. The history is the same as the one in the story. So everything is the same until now but since I''m a wrinkle in the time the changes should start to take place from this point forward. But I don''t plan on doing anything big so the timeline should stay relatively the same. Right now my biggest advantage is my future knowledge.¡¯ ¡®According to these books the leaf village was formed around 70 years ago. And the Ninetails attack was 5 years ago. Then based on my memories the Uchiha clan gets annihilated almost 3 years from now. And since I''m joining the academy next year there''s a chance I''m in Sasuke'' year group. Unless I¡¯m mistaken Sasuke joined the academy 2 years before the massacre¡­¡¯ ¡®The Uchiha massacre huh. Should I tell someone¡­ No. The events are already in motion. Nothing I do will change that. And if I do anything, it will only bring attention to me. Obito, Danzo, the Hokage, Itachi¡­ All of them are dangerous. But the most dangerous one is Black Zetsu. He keeps an eye on everything. Definitely can''t get on his radar. Not till I''m ready anyway.¡¯ ¡®And even in the 1 million possibility that I somehow prevent the clan massacre, that will affect who Orochimaru will target. He most probably will go after Sasuke even if the clan were alive since he''s Itachi'' brother and has a lot of potential but he will definitely switch targets if he can''t get to him. Not to mention the ripple effects of the Uchiha clan being alive¡­ Just thinking about all this gives me a headache.¡¯ Daichi thought long and hard about the choices he''s going to make and came to a hard decision. ''My first and most important priority should be my life and my survival. I''m not going to jeopardize that¡­ It may seem selfish but I already had one life taken away from me before it could truly begin. I won¡¯t let that happen again.¡¯ ¡®I''m truly sorry Sasuke. I''m not gonna do anything or say anything that puts me at risk... It seems the destruction of your clan is truly inevitable. Maybe one day I''ll make this up to you.'' ''Now I understand where the phrase ignorance is bliss comes from. Having knowledge of the future is a blessing but at the same time it''s also a curse. Even though I''m in no way responsible for the horror that''s going to happen I still feel like shit for not doing anything.'' Daichi sighed to himself and shook his head slightly. ''I need to clear my head.'' He took a look at the clock. ''It''s past noon. I''ve spent almost 5 hours here. Time to go.'' As he started sorting the books back in their places he thought about what he should do next. ''Need to complete the quest ''Explore the village'' as soon as possible. And I need to start on that gardening quest too. I''m starting to feel a little hungry. Hmm¡­ I''ll head to Ichiraku Ramen first. Have some of that delicious ramen. Then I''ll head to the Hokage Rock and take in the view.¡¯ ¡®My last stop will be the Yamanaka flower shop and I''ll buy the flower seeds and fertilizers¡­. I can''t waste time by blindly going in any direction. And asking people for directions will take a little longer than I want. I need a map.'' Daichi went to the librarian. She was reading a book and lightly giggling. Looking at the cover Daichi could make out the name of the book. ''Icha Icha''. ¡®Of all the people I run into¡­Still¡­¡¯ ''A woman of culture. Respect.'' Daichi mentally saluted. "Hello Miss." The old lady looked up from her book. She had a small blush on her face. "What is it?" "Do you have a map of the village you could sell me?" "Why do you need a map?" She asked more out of boredom and a slight curiosity. "I wanna visit the ¡®Hokage Mountain¡¯ and the Yamanaka flower shop. I also hear there''s a tasty ramen stand somewhere. But I''ll be wasting a lot of time trying to find the places if I don''t have any idea of where I''m going." Daichi replied. "So I need a map. Got one?" She looked at Daichi for a few seconds and then nodded her head. She took out a map that showed the several important places of the village. There were several famous landmarks and buildings marked on the map. "That will be 100 Ryo." Handing out the money, Daichi took the map and left the library. There were several locations marked on the map. Location of clan compounds, famous landmarks, historical and important buildings, and famous shops. His first stop. Ichiraku Ramen. Looking at the map he had a good idea of where he was and following the directions marked in the map it didn''t take him too long to reach the place. In front of him stood a small unassuming store but it''s one of the most iconic places in this world. At least in his perspective. You have found Ichiraku Ramen restaurant. Quest progression. (5/7) ''Ichiraku Ramen. I can''t...believe it.'' Daichi couldn''t help but chuckle to himself at that. ''This is so surreal. Well time to see just how tasty the ramen really is.'' He stood there on the road for a few seconds taking in the view and then slowly went inside. He took a seat and waited. He saw a couple of people eating ramen on the other side. A few seconds later a man who looked to be in his mid 40s came from the kitchen and looked towards Daichi with a smile. ''Observe'' [ LV.12] [Teuchi] Age: 43 HP: 1255. CP: 287 [Teuchi is the owner of Ichiraku Ramen Restaurant and a ramen chef. He is a kind and jovial man who started making ramen in his early teenage years. He devoted his life to making great ramen and years later opened the Ichiraku Ramen restaurant. He has a daughter named Ayame. He has a slightly good impression of you.] "Hello young man. Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen. My name is Teuchi. What can I get you today?" "Hello sir. My name is Daichi. I heard your ramen tastes delicious. So I''m really eager to try it out." Daichi said politely. Rep slightly increases with Teuchi. Teuchi beamed at the praise. He was happy whenever someone praised his ramen shop. "I''ll make sure not to disappoint you young man. So what will you be having? Any preferences?" Daichi already had an answer to that question. The first ramen he was going to try would definitely be that one. "One bowl of Miso ramen with pork please." "One bowl of Miso ramen with pork coming up. Please wait." With that Teuchi went back to the kitchen to prepare the ramen. Daichi sat quietly thinking about his circumstances and got lost in his thoughts. Everything that was happening still felt almost impossible to him. After about 15 minutes Teuchi returned with a bowl of ramen in his hands. He placed it in front of the young boy. "Here''s your ramen. Enjoy." With that he left. ¡®Observe¡¯ [Miso Ramen with pork] [A delicious ramen dish made by Teuchi. Miso ramen seasoned with miso paste. It has a nutty, umami-rich flavor that increases the taste of the soup base. The broth is made from pork bones, several vegetables and seasonings. This ramen has 6 slices of perfectly cooked pork belly, one boiled egg, noodles, and additional toppings like Green onions, Naruto(fish cake) and Menma(preserved bamboo shoots). One bowl of ramen restores 11 HP and 4 CP.] Skill Observe''s level has risen by one. Daichi dismissed the notification and was admiring the food. ¡®This looks absolutely delicious. Smells really great too.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± Picking up the chopsticks, Daichi slowly started eating the ramen. ''I can understand why Naruto would come here every chance he gets. This is really tasty.'' "So how does it taste?" Teuchi asked with a knowing smile. Daichi swallowed and answered "Absolutely wonderful. The guy who said your ramen tastes good was underselling. This is really delicious." Daichi praised the old chef. Rep increases with Teuchi. "Glad you like it." With that Teuchi went back to the kitchen with a happy smile. And Daichi resumed his eating. He slowly ate the noodles and pork and savored the broth. He wanted to enjoy the first ramen he had at this place. After about 20 minutes he was done. He chatted with Teuchi about the various Ramen dishes he served. Then paid the bill and left the place with a promise to come back and try each one. ''I''m so happy right now.'' Daichi had a silly smile on his face as he slowly walked. "Alright. Now that I''m full, next stop, Hokage Mountain." Daichi took out the map from his bag and looked at the fastest route to the Hokage mountain. As he was carefully looking at the map a blue box appeared in front of him. [You have acquired a map and successfully reached one of the destinations marked on the map. Conditions for activating ''Mini-map'' reached. Future maps and locations visited will automatically be added to Mini-map.] As Daichi looked over and dismissed the box, a holographic round map appeared on the right bottom side of his vision. He was marked as a green dot and based on his movements and change in directions, the map would adjust its position. Every other person on the map was marked white. Daichi had a small rush of information coming to his mind. He had now memorized every route and location on the map. After the information flow subsided a smile came to his face and a single thought ran through his mind. ''I really do love the gamer ability.'' Chapter 11 – Hokage Monument Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. With the standard map of the Leaf village memorized and Daichi''s location and directions showing in real-time as a holographic map, reaching the Hokage mountain was easy. As he reached the base of the mountain he could see the Academy building. It was the place where Daichi would be learning about being a shinobi starting next year. As he neared the building several blue notification boxes appeared. You have found The Academy. Quest progression (6/7) You have found The Hokage Monument. Quest progression (7/7) Quest ¡®Scout out the village.¡¯ Completed. Rewards: 1150 Exp Rep increases with Leaf Village citizens. New Title: Explorer. (This title gives the ability to locate hidden Dungeons and Dungeons keys. Increases chances of finding various hidden locations by 35%) ''Yes. I thought I would have to go to the Yamanaka flower shop to complete the quest but I''m not going to complain if my tasks get easier. Hmm, since the Academy is a special location just finding the place must have been enough for the quest to progress.'' Daichi could see the stairs that lead to the top of the Hokage monument. ''Since I''m here I might as well go to the top and take a look.'' He slowly climbed the stairs. Since it was somewhat of a long trip, by the time he reached the top he got a small increase in one of his stats. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT He stood on top of the first Hokage''s head, took off his exotic sunglasses and looked at the village. What he saw took his breath away. A giant magnificent village perfectly blended with nature was staring back at him. Only now did he understand how truly big the village was. ''Kishi-san created something truly beautiful. And it became a reality.'' Daichi was mesmerized by the sight. He could see the giant wall surrounding the village. Giving it a sense of security. He could see the different ninjas going about their way. The houses and shops of all shapes and sorts. The village that holds the title of the strongest and most prosperous among the great 5. He suddenly realized he was standing atop where legends once stood. ''This is where the first hokage Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha made history. 2 children of opposite sides unexpectedly met and became friends. The loss of their loved ones forced them to break the chains of their clan ideology.¡¯ ¡®They dreamed of a place where people could be safe and enjoy peace. And they became strong enough to make that dream a reality. They set their differences aside and together founded the hidden leaf village. For a short time they found the peace they so desperately searched for.¡¯ ¡®The first trained the third and the disciple of the third trained the fourth. Some mistakes were made along the way by all the four hokages¡­ But whatever they did, they did in the belief that it would protect their home.¡¯ ¡®Even Madara, for all his faults and arrogance, all he wanted was to protect his clan. Even the current plan he''s put in place, no matter how foolish, misguided or cruel, is in the notion that it would bring peace to the world.'' Daichi stood there looking over the village in a daze. His mind flashed through all the memories he had of this place as Daichi and as Thomas. Of living in this village and interacting with the people in it and reading about an amazing story and the sacrifices the characters in it made. He thought about the 11 clan kids currently living a carefree life but would one day stand strong to defend the village and the world against the coming threats. And most of all the blue eyed protagonist who despite all the hate and suffering he endured became the protector of not only the village but this entire world. Without even realizing it a few small tears dropped from the corner of his eyes. A small smile came to his face as he closed his eyes.. ''I was arrogant. I''ve been given a second chance and an ability that would help me become strong. But that made me arrogant. I felt like I was the center of the universe but I have to remember that I''m not. Not only that, on some small level I still regarded the people here as characters from a comic book. I didn''t take them as seriously as I should.¡¯ ¡®This place, the people living in it. This entire world, they are real. Just as real as I am.¡¯ ¡®This is my story and I''ll do my best to stand at the top, but¡­ I should remind myself that I''m not the only one living in this world. This is their story too.¡¯ Once Daichi opened his eyes he slowly let out a breath. His mind became clear and refreshed. The arrogance that he didn''t even know existed inside him vanished. A new notification box appeared in front of him. Due to having a brief enlightenment, you have obtained +1 WIS "Are you alright young one?" At that moment Daichi heard someone behind him and he was slightly startled. When he turned around his eyes widened as he stared at the man. For in front of him stood one of the most important and influential person in the world. "Third Hokage." His voice barely above a whisper but was heard by the two. -------------¡ª-------------------------------- A few minutes ago. The Hokage''s office. The third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was looking over the reports of several Genin and Chunin teams currently active. In his hands held the file of one of his talented ninjas, Iruka Umino. He read the history of the young teenager, his capabilities, progress and his skills. It always filled his heart with pride to see the young stand on their own feet and prosper. He imagined the day when he too would hand over the hat to someone capable and strong once more. After reading over everything a second time, he placed the file down and took the next one. The next folder he took was a thick one. When he opened it his heart became heavy. The photo of a stoic boy who hasn''t even become a teenager was on it. ''It seems Fugaku is serious about pushing his son into becoming a Chunin as soon as possible.'' He looked at the somewhat thick file of Itachi Uchiha. The request for entering Itachi into the Chunin exams was in front of him. ''The relationship between the village and the Uchiha clan has not been good. Not since the attack. They have been one of the backbones of this village since its founding and yet things have turned out like this. I have to mend the hate between the clan and the people of the village. Before it''s too late. Or I fear for what''s to come.'' He stood from his chair and walked to the window of his office. Looking out he couldn''t help but sigh sadly. ''Minato¡­ why did you have to leave so soon.'' He thought about the missions the young Uchiha has completed since becoming a genin. ''He is a talented child. He had the abilities to graduate in less than a year. A genius beyond measure. But just because a child is capable and able to graduate early, does that mean they should?¡¯ ¡®All the violence, ugliness and cruelty of this world¡­ Itachi graduated in a single year and became a ninja from an early age. He had to watch his teammates die on the mission and he was forced to take lives. What does it do to someone like him. What would he turn into?'' His thoughts brought to mind the face of another genius. One he personally nurtured and loved and became one of his greatest regrets. He sighed again. ''I''m getting too tired for this¡­. I need to get some fresh air. I''ll take a walk. Maybe visit Naruto and see how he''s doing.'' He slightly flared his chakra in a particular pattern. A ninja wearing a mask with the pattern of a bull appeared kneeling. "I''ll be heading out for a while. Reschedule the remaining appointments I have today for tomorrow." "Yes lord Hokage." Came the reply. Hiruzen Sarutobi walked out the office and slowly walked out the building. The people who saw him greeted him with smiles. And the ninjas bowed in respect. He stood near the entrance of the ninja academy and looked ahead, lost in thought. ''A new batch of students is going to join the academy soon. I need to make a decision regarding the graduation age soon.'' He mind raced about all the things he had to do. He looked up to the first two faces on the mountain. He looked at the second face. ''Tobirama sensei¡­ I have an idea as to what your response would be to the Uchiha situation. But¡­ Hashirama sensei...'' He looked at the face of the first ''I wonder¡­ how would you solve this problem?'' Without even realizing it his feet took him to the top of the mountain. As he stood there he saw a young boy no older than 5 or 6 years old in his estimate standing on top of the first Hokage''s head and looking a little melancholic. The Hokage could feel the agitation of his tiny chakra reserves. ''A civilian child who has yet to learn to consciously use his chakra.'' He saw a few tears rolling down the cheek and the child closing his eyes. He was about to go over to console the young child but in just a few moments Hiruzen could feel the chakra that was agitated a few seconds ago become calm. He was astonished. ''A young child with this much control over his emotions. I have only seen a rare few.'' When he saw the child open his eyes he was once again shocked. He could see the wisdom of someone beyond their age in those eyes. His curiosity got the best of him. He had to know who this child was. He went near the boy and asked. "Are you alright young one?" He was slightly amused to see the startled reaction of the child. The boy turned around and when the child saw him, his eyes widened in surprise and the Hokage could see recognition in those eyes. "Third Hokage." The boy spoke in a small voice. Chapter 12 – Hiruzen and Daichi Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi quickly calmed down. ''Thank you Gamer''s Mind.'' He immediately bowed and respectfully greeted the Hokage. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Third Hokage." He straightened and looked at the old kage. ''Observe.'' [??] [Hiruzen Sarutobi] (Hokage) ??? Daichi wasn''t surprised his ¡®observe¡¯ didn¡¯t reveal anything. ''The third Hokage! Holds the title ''God of Shinobi'', ''The professor'', and more. A powerful kage even in his old age. Need to be careful with what I say.'' All of these thoughts flashed by in an instant. Hiruzen chucked. "My¡­ What a polite child." He had a gentle expression on his face. "Are you alright young one? Why were you crying?" Daichi was surprised to hear the question. "Crying?" He brought his hands to his cheeks. He could feel the remnants of tears on his fingers. ''He didn''t even realize it.'' Hiruzen wanted to know what would make a young child feel such a strong emotion. "It''s nothing lord Hokage. I was just thinking about some things." Daichi replied not wanting to give away anything. ''I need to be cautious.'' "That must have been some pretty deep thoughts." Hiruzen walked forward and stood next to him. Both of them looked at the village. "What do you see?" He asked after a few seconds of silence. Although the question was simple, Daichi knew it was anything but. He was quiet for a few seconds and gathered his thoughts. He could give the normal answer. The one expected of a child his age. Suddenly an idea came to his mind. A crazy wild idea that if it worked would help him immensely. After a few seconds of contemplation he made a choice. He was going to take a giant gamble. If it succeeded, it would help him through the years to come. If it didn''t¡­ he didn''t even want to think about that. With steely resolve in his choice, he replied in four words. "Peace, harmony and sacrifice." ''Definitely not an ordinary child.'' "Tell me more. What do those words mean to you?" The aging leader was curious about the mentality of the child near him. Hearing the question Daichi slowly took a breath and after a moment let it out. He wanted to be absolutely sure and careful of the words he was going to say. "I read about some of the history of the time before the founding of the village. The warring era. A time when everyone fought each other with no mercy. Anyone who wasn''t one of them was considered an enemy and would be killed. Even children." Daichi paused for a moment and continued. "But all of that changed when the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan put aside their differences and joined together to form the village. A safe place where their descendants could grow up without fear of death. A place where people could call home and their children could grow up happily. The world followed their example and peace was achieved.¡± Taking a short pause, Daichi continued. ¡°Then when several clans all over the land, who wanted to experience that peace joined the village, and each clan working together with the singular goal of protecting the village, it brought harmony." The Hokage turned to look at the child. His face gave away nothing as he listened. "And finally... Sacrifice...The ninjas giving their lives in battle to preserve the peace and safety of the village. Like the first, second and fourth kages did." Daichi turned to look at the kage. "That is what I see when I look at the village". Hiruzen was expressionless as he listened to Daichi''s words. He was scrutinizing the boy''s chakra throughout the conversation. He couldn''t detect a single chakra fluctuation that indicated the child was lying. Otherwise he would¡¯ve thought the boy was just saying these words to gain his favor or trying to manipulate him using his ideology. But when Daichi looked him in the eyes, he was sure of it. ''This child. He''s not lying. And moreover he understands and embodies the philosophies of the first.'' Rep massively increased with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Rep increased with Genma Shiranui. Rep increased with Raido Namiashi. Rep increased with Iwashi Tatami. Due to making a clever and calculated decision, you have obtained +1 WIS Daichi didn¡¯t even look at the notifications that appeared. He looked straight at the Hokage with a serene expression. When Hiruzen asked the question earlier he didn''t expect a childish reply but he also didn''t think he would get such a profound answer from the child. He was shocked. ''It feels like I''m looking at a young Itachi all over again.'' "Hahahahaha¡­¡­" For the first time in a long time Hiruzen let out a hearty laugh. Daichi was a bit flabbergasted as he looked at the laughing old man. "Umm¡­ lord Hokage..?" He didn''t get an answer. Hiruzen had a grin on his face as he stopped laughing. "What is your name?" "Daichi Hekima." "What do you want to be in the future?" At this question Daichi grew a grin that matched the kage. "I''m gonna be a ninja." "Are you joining this year?" Hiruzen asked. "No. Next year." Was the reply. Both of them had a smile and turned to look towards the village. Both of them standing in comfortable silence. Thinking about the conversation. "The first hokage was someone who thought the same. It was his philosophy. Peace through cooperation. It was a lesson he passed down to me, to his clan and to the village.¡± Hiruzen didn¡¯t say anything more. At that moment he made an important decision regarding the future of the village. ¡®Itachi had a kind, innocent and gentle heart but this world took that from him before he could even reach puberty. I won''t let that happen again.¡¯ As Daichi looked on he suddenly remembered the things he had to do and buy. And the simple quest he had to complete. ¡°Lord hokage, I promised my grandfather I would get home soon. May I be excused?¡± Hiruzen smiled. ¡°Yes. Get home safely Daichi.¡± He watched Daichi leave with a smile on his face. ¡°Genma.¡± He called out. A shinobi wearing the standard Jonin uniform appeared behind him. He was one of the hokage guards tasked with watching and protecting him all day. ¡°What do you make of him?¡± The old man asked, wanting to know his shinobi¡¯s impression of the boy. ¡°He is¡­ unusual. Based on his chakra, he¡¯s definitely a civilian. But his control over his emotions is better than the average adult who doesn¡¯t have any training. But I couldn¡¯t detect any deception in his words. And he doesn''t speak like a child his age. It''s the way he spoke about the topic. To me it felt as if I was listening to an adult.¡± Genma took a pause and then continued. ¡°And it seems he can understand complex concepts that would baffle even some. There is a great possibility he could be a genius. But it would depend on his performance in the academy to determine that.¡± Hiruzen nodded to the assessment. ¡°Find out everything you can about the boy. I want that information within 24 hours.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± With those words Genma vanished. ¡®If the next generation is anything like him, then when the time comes for me to depart this world I¡¯ll be happy knowing that the village will be in good hands¡­ Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll go see Naruto and take him out for some ramen.¡¯ With that the Hokage started making his way to Naruto¡¯s home. Daichi got down the steps and reached the base of the mountain. He took a look back at the mountain faces, put on his sunglasses and then turned around and walked. His next destination was the Yamanaka flower store. His mind running a mile a minute. Going through every word and every instance of the conversation he just had with the most powerful person currently in the village. Daichi only now dismissed the several notifications that were in front of him. ''I can''t believe it worked! I was able to gain his attention in a good way. Now when I join the academy I won''t have to hold back much. I won''t show everything but I''ll definitely take the top spot every year by a good margin. And if any unsavory characters like Danzo comes after me, the Hokage would be more motivated than usual to shield me.¡¯ ¡®After all, in his eyes I just became a promising talent that holds the values and ideals of him and his teachers. He mistook my mental maturity for genius talent. The same mistake Kensei made. One of the many perks of having a child body I suppose. People rarely take you as a threat.¡¯ Daichi was cunning. Every move he made, every word he spoke, since the instant he recognised the kage was careful and calculated. The WIS stat increase proved it to him. Daichi knew the old kage had a kind heart and a soft spot for children so he used that information to his advantage. After that conversation he will be more than curious. He''ll definitely send someone to investigate me. Probably one of the guards following him. I wasn''t expecting the Hokage''s platoon to be there but it''s alright. They''ll start with the orphanage and Aiko.¡¯ ''But I don''t think there will be a problem. Based on the memories I have of before my awakening, I was still smart. Maybe not genius level. But I definitely learned things at a much faster rate than the other children. And Aiko has a good opinion of me. And since I only got adopted yesterday I doubt they''d bother the old man.¡¯ ¡®There is also a chance they''ll trace my steps to the library. No¡­ They definitely will do it. And they''ll find the books I''ve read.'' Daichi thought about the gamble he just took and the reasons for doing it. ''If I didn''t have the gamer''s mind to keep my emotions in check, I don''t think I could have pulled it off. And I wouldn''t even have tried it. He''s a sensor shinobi, from what I can remember. And a good one at that. So I needed a calm mind to make this work and I did tell him the truth.¡¯ ¡®I just didn''t tell him the whole truth. But nor did I lie to him.'' He walked the road looking all around him. The people. Both ninjas and civilians. He saw the smiles on their faces as they chatted with their friends, families, neighbors, teammates. He looked at the team of Gennin that passed him by. ''Every word I said was what I truly believed about the village. But the last part. Sacrifice. I know the ninjas of this village are willing to give their lives to protect this place. Well¡­ most of them anyway.¡¯ ¡®But that''s not the case for me. I''m not going to sacrifice my life for this village. But I couldn''t tell him that. He just assumed it would be something I would definitely do based on my words.¡¯ ¡®This is my second chance. I want to be a little selfish. Is that so wrong? I want to live a long life. Enjoy everything this world has to offer. There is a good chance that when I''m strong enough and dealt with the coming threats, I''ll leave this village and travel the world. But until that day comes I¡¯ll need as much protection as I can get. What I did¡­ it was necessary. But I hope this won''t have any negative consequences in the future.'' There was one more reason he made this move. But he wasn''t sure if it would work. No longer thinking about the matter, Daichi kept walking. He wanted to see his progress and see how far he''d come. He opened his Status and skill page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 4 (1300/1325) HP : 355 CP : 230 SP : 210 Primary Stats Strength - 10 Vitality - 8 Dexterity - 5 Agility - 10 Intelligence - 11 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 11 Special Stats Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 3 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma (LOCKED) Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Note - (Unlocking Special stats requires certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods. Stat points cannot be allocated to these stats.) Stat Points - 30 Ryo - 1300 Skills Temporary Effect: Gives the soul a new healthy body. Permanent Effect: All diseases, poisons and negative status effects are healed. Sleeping increases regeneration. Sleeping in a bed increases regeneration several fold. Effects: +5% increase in speed Effects : +4% to HP regeneration per minute. +4% to CP regeneration per minute. +4% to SP regeneration per minute. Effects: +2% to Damage inflicted. +2% to Movement speed. +2% to Physical stat growth. -2% to Damage taken. After reading everything he closed the panels and kept on walking. Daichi didn''t know it at the time, but one of the three guards took an interest in him. He was looking forward to seeing how Daichi would perform in the Academy. And he would one day become one of Daichi''s two Jonin instructors. But that is a story long into the future. Chapter 13 – Yamanaka Flowers Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Leaf Village Streets. As Daichi was walking down the road he took out the horticulture guide book he bought earlier. He started going through the book. It not only had instructions on how to grow and maintain a healthy garden but also information on several kinds of flowers, how to grow them, their uses, and what they represent. Since this was his first personal project he wanted to make this memorable. He wanted to start from scratch. Daichi was planning on buying the seeds of a few plants and growing them and then expanding. Daichi remembers seeing the remnants of the flower Lilies in the garden. He decided that would be one of the flowers he would buy. As he looked through the different flora that are native to this land, two caught his attention. The first plant was Daffodil. The flower that symbolizes rebirth and new beginning. Daichi felt that this flower perfectly represented him. Someone who was reborn and was given a new beginning. The second one that caught his attention was Agrimony. The flowering plant that belongs in the family of Roses. This flower represents gratitude and thankfulness. A flower, the young boy decided, would be dedicated to the old man. By the time he was done skimming through the book he had reached the shop. He entered and looked around. There were a few women buying flower bouquets from the counter at the time. And a couple others who were admiring the displays and having a debate on which one to buy. Daichi took a moment to look around the store. On his right side there were potted plants of all shapes and sizes. Flowers of all decorative nature were displayed in an orderly fashion. To his left he saw a glass shelf and in it several flowers of various attractive colors were arranged. ¡®The glass shelf must be for temperature control.¡¯ Daichi deduced. He then looked towards the front. He wasn''t all that surprised to see that the man in charge of the counter was Inoichi Yamanaka. Head of the Yamanaka clan and father of Ino. After the women at the counter left, Daichi walked forward towards the man. [??][Inoichi Yamanaka] [???] ''Observe'' skill revealed nothing. ''This is starting to get irritating. I need to get to at least level 25 soon. Then I''ll be able to see the information on someone up to level 70.'' Daichi was a little frustrated with the constant lack of information he was recently shown. But he didn''t show any of that expression on his face. "Hello little man. Welcome to Yamanaka flowers. How can I help you?" Inoichi was a little surprised to see the kid, as young children often don''t come to buy flowers alone. But regardless he was polite since he would be a customer and greeted the child. Daichi slightly bowed and then straightened. "Hello sir. I would like to buy seeds for 3 flowering plants and some fertilizers." "Oh. Have you decided on which ones you want.?" "Yes. Lilies, Daffodils and Agrimony." "Hmm. I think we have some seeds for those. Let me check. " With those words Inoichi went through the several boxes on the shelf and after a couple of minutes found what he was looking for. He also took a small bag of fertilizers and brought it to the counter. "Here they are. That will be 500 Ryo." Daichi paid the money and took the seed packets and placed them in his backpack. He took the fertilizer bag and thanked the clan head and left the store. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the same time in Aiko''s orphanage. "Hello Miss Aiko. It''s been a long time. How have you been?" Genma asked the orphanage matron. They were in Aiko''s office catching up. Aiko had, on a few occasions, healed Genma when she was working as a medic for the village. So they had some familiarity with each other. "I have been well, Genma. It''s been a long time. If memory serves me right, the last time I saw you was when you were just starting out as a chunin, wasn''t it. Now look at you. All grown up and a Jonin. How cute." Aiko smiled lightly, teasing him. Genma had a smile and a slight almost imperceptible blush on his face. When he was young he had a small crush on Aiko. So when she mentioned his chunin days he couldn''t help but become a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and lightly laughed. "So Genma, not that I mind but what brings you here?" "Ahh¡­ Well... I''m actually looking for some information. On a child that was recently here." "Oh. And who might that be?" Aiko was curious. "His name is Daichi Hekima. Records at the archive show he was assigned to this orphanage. So if you could show me the file I''d really appreciate it." Genma had a polite tone and smile on his face the entire time. Aiko too had a smile on her face but she was cautious inside. Even though he phrased it as a request she knew it definitely wasn''t. She knew that if Genma was personally interested in Daichi, he wouldn''t ask for the boy''s file like this as there were some restrictions and procedures to follow before seeing them. But since he asked so directly, ''This must be for the Hokage. But why would he need Daichi''s files? He was only gone two days ago. What did he do that caught lord Hokage''s attention?'' she deduced. "Hold on, I''ll get them for you." She stood from her chair and walked to the filing cabinet. Opening and after looking through some folders, she found the one that was marked with Daichi''s name. She took it out and handed it to Genma. "Here it is¡­. Can I ask?...Is he alright? Is there any trouble or something?" Aiko was concerned. Daichi was one of her favorite children. "No no. Nothing like that. I just wanted to check his background information and learn a bit about him. Nothing more than curiosity." The Jonin said nothing more as he started reading the file. He went through the few pages quickly. After about 5 minutes he asked. "Can I take this with me?" "Sure." Aiko nodded. "Do you need anything else?" "Yes. What can you tell me about him?" He asked. "What do you want to know?" Genma now had a slightly serious expression. "Everything." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After exiting the flower shop Daichi went to a pet store to get a mouse and then to a general shop to buy various miscellaneous items. He wanted to test the capabilities of his inventory ability. Once he got everything he wanted he headed straight to home. It was only 4 in the afternoon but Daichi didn''t want to delay any longer. He wanted to reach home and conduct his tests and start on his pending quests as soon as possible. He took out the horticulture guide book and started reading up on the proper ways to plant and germinate the seeds he bought. Within half an hour he reached home. He closed his book and put it in his bag. He saw his grandpa standing at the front feeding a few birds in a nearby tree. "Welcome home Daichi. How was your day?" He asked while a little bird was pecking food off his hand. "It was interesting. I went to the library. Read up on a lot of stuff. Ate some delicious ramen. Bought a few things. Oh! And I also met the Hokage." Daichi said nonchalantly. When Kensei heard that, he was surprised. He didn''t think the boy would meet the Hokage on his first trip alone through the village. He was curious but he didn''t ask what they talked about. "What''s with the sunglasses and fertilizers?" "The sunglasses because I thought they look cool and fertilizers because I wanted to grow that garden you showed me." Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. "Oh." Kensei said nothing else. When he was done feeding the birds both of them entered their home. Quest ¡®Don¡¯t be late'' completed. Rewards: +115 Exp Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. You have leveled up. ''Yes. Finally, Level 5. Lets see my status page. Status.'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 5 (90/1700) HP : 375 CP : 230 SP : 225 Primary Stats Strength - 10 Vitality - 8 Dexterity - 5 Agility - 10 Intelligence - 11 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 11 Special Stats Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 4 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma (LOCKED) Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Note - (Unlocking Special stats requires certain actions or reaching specific conditions. Different stats are unlocked with different methods. Stat points cannot be allocated to these stats.) Stat Points - 35 Ryo - 400 ''Hmm¡­ So my wisdom and intelligence comes first with strength second and the weakest is chakra. I gotta get to work on that first thing tomorrow. ¡® ¡®Since level up increases special stats I need to unlock those quickly. The sooner the better. But the problem is I don''t have any concrete ideas on how to do that. Need to come up with some theories.¡¯ ¡®35 stat points huh. Yeah. I''m definitely not spending any of that any time soon. Unless I''m mistaken stat points get harder and harder to increase with training the bigger they are. So I''ll be saving my points for a rainy day. And considering the monsters that roam this world I should be prepared for a flood.¡¯ ¡®I''m getting low on cash. Hope quests or dungeon run rewards some cash. I''m gonna need some untraceable cash in case of an emergency.'' ''Got a lot of things to do¡­ Well¡­ no one said it would be easy¡­ Alright Daichi. Just take it one step at a time. You can do this.'' Daichi went to his room to put away his things. He put the mice he bought in a cage and placed it near the table. Then he took the seed packets and fertilizer bag and went outside. He reached the garden that was overrun with weeds and insects. He started cleaning the place. After about 2 hours he got rid of everything. And since he spent the 2 hours doing physical tasks, Due to the continued physical labor, you have obtained +1 VIT He got a stat increase in vitality. Daichi was quite happy with his progress. He then fertilized the soil and planted the seeds. After watering the ground he suddenly got a new notification. Quest ¡®Take care of the Garden¡¯ is now ongoing. Rewards would be distributed at the end of the week. This Quest will expire after 6 years. Since he got a 1 point increase in his vitality stat Daichi wanted to see what it would do. ''Status'' He opened his status page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 5 (90/1700) HP : 390 CP : 230 SP : 235 Primary Stats Strength - 10 Vitality - 9 Dexterity - 5 Agility - 10 Intelligence - 11 Chakra - 3 Wisdom - 11 Special Stats Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 4 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma (LOCKED) Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 35 Ryo - 400 ''Hmm¡­ the last time I checked this, my HP was 375 and SP was 225. But now with one vitality point my HP and SP increased to 390 and 235. So each vitality point gives 15 health points and 10 stamina points. Not bad¡­.I need to figure out just how much the rest of the stats give. And exactly how the HP, CP, SP are calculated.'' By the time he was done with all the work the sun had set and night began. Daichi went to his room and got cleaned up and went downstairs. His grandfather had set the food on the table. Both of them ate and talked about various topics. When they were done Daichi took the dishes and cleaned them. Skill Dishwashing¡¯s level has risen by one. Happy with another skill increase Daichi went to his grandpa. "Can I take a look at some of the books from your library tomorrow?" He asked. "What sort of books are you looking for?" "Books on chakra. I want to understand and unlock my chakra." Daichi said. "Come with me." With those words Kensei went to his library. There were numerous books and scrolls with various titles and markings. Kensei went to a particular shelf and took out a few books. "These are books on chakra theory and control, hand seals and the anatomy of the human body. These three will do for now. Study them thoroughly. Once you''re done with them, place them back here. I will see your progress at the end of the month." With that Kensei gave Daichi 3 books. Since it was getting late, they both retired to their rooms. Daichi set the newly bought alarm clock to 6 am. He was excited about tomorrow. Chapter 14 – Inventory Skill and Chakra Unlocking Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Ring¡­¡­." The sound of an alarm clock rang throughout the room. Daichi opened his eyes. It was his 3rd day waking up in this world. He got up, turned off the alarm and got ready for the day. He went downstairs to meet his grandpa. He had his breakfast and went back to his room. There were two main things he had to do today. Testing the abilities of his Inventory skill and chakra unlocking. He took out all the things he bought yesterday. There were several pens of the same shape and size and a couple others that were different. 2 stopwatch timers of the same built. The book on horticulture and cooking, along with the several pairs of dresses he bought with his grandfather the first day. Finally he took out the small cage with the white mouse in it. "Ok. Time to see just what my inventory can do¡­ Inventory." He called out lightly. A small window with dozens of empty boxes appeared. The first test. He wanted to see if time moved differently in the inventory space. So he set the 2 stopwatch timers and stored one in his inventory while he set the other in front of him. It will take some time to see the results so he proceeded with the next test. He put 5 pens of the same color and shape. All from the same maker into the inventory. He saw that only one box was taken and saw a multiplier of 5 marked underneath the box. He then stored the remaining pens but since they were different colors and built they took up another two boxes. ''Hmm¡­. So even though they were the same items - pens, since they were different they took up different spaces. Probably the same for books and other stuff like scrolls or weapons.¡¯ ¡®I also should have several sets of clothes set and stored. For battle, camouflage, stealth, training and more¡­ '' Daichi then stored the books on horticulture and cooking in his inventory. Just as he suspected, they took up two boxes. Daichi was thoroughly testing the inventory skill because he only had 35 slots. He needed to know if the slots would increase with each level up. He wanted to make sure he had some slots free in case he needed to store something unexpectedly while at the same time he had all the necessary items he would need. Now time for his final and most important test. To see if his skill can hold anything living. He took the small mouse from the cage and tried to place it in his inventory slot. A red notification appeared. [Warning. Action Denied. Cannot store living creatures. Only exceptions are during special conditions.] He put the mouse back in the cage and read through the message again. ''So under special circumstances I can store living beings. Need to look into that later.'' For his final test he put two sets of clothes in two slots. ''Equip.'' His current outfit changed to the one he imagined instantly. And then he thought about taking the pen and it appeared in his right hand. When he thought about his inventory he could see a subspace with all the stored items. It seems he could directly equip clothes and other items from his inventory. ''It seems I will be able to equip weapons and armor in an instant. A very useful ability indeed.'' Daichi went through various tests he deemed necessary and was happy with the outcomes. Around 30 minutes had passed. It was time to find out the results of the first test. He wanted to see if there was a time difference between the real world and inventory. He took the stop watch out to see the time. He was shocked when he saw the time. "It''s the same time as when I stored it inside. Right down to the second. According to this, no time had passed from when I put it in the slot till I took it out. So time in that subspace is frozen." Daichi was very excited. ''A very powerful ability. I can store foods all freshly prepared and they will stay like that as long as it''s inside. Looks like I won''t have to worry about going hungry or thirsty if I ever end up in an unknown terrain.'' Daichi''s test with the Inventory came to an end. It was finally time for him to unlock his chakra and train in it. Kensei gave him 3 books yesterday. One on chakra control and theory, one that explains about hand seals and their purposes and the last one showing the details of the human body. The reason Kensei gave the book on human anatomy was so he could figure out just how smart Daichi was and if he could even comprehend a small portion of such a vast subject. If he succeeded then Kensei would make sure Daichi would learn some basic medical techniques too. But Daichi didn''t know any of this. Daichi closed the door to his room. He had forgone exercise this morning because he wanted to be in the best shape when he unlocked his chakra. Daichi took the book on chakra theory and control. He already had an understanding of what chakra was but that understanding came from his previous life. So he couldn''t be sure what was doable and what wasn''t. He was going to read the entire book to make sure he understood everything so he wouldn''t mess up when he trained with his chakra. For the next several hours Daichi read through every sentence in the book, committing them to memory. Only after reading the book did he understand that he only had the bare minimum knowledge about chakra. He had gained a far more understanding of the energy he was going to use when he was done with the first book. The book contained several theories on chakra. How to control them, increase the chakra pool, and efficiently use them. It describes several control exercises for beginners. By the time he was done reading the book he got several new notifications. Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +3 INT You have understood the basics of chakra and thus gained [Chakra Manipulation ]. Would you like to learn this skill? (Y/N) Not only did he get 3 INT stat points but also a new skill. He was very happy and accepted without hesitation. Chakra Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.1): This skill allows the user to manipulate their own chakra depending on their chakra proficiency. Daichi now understood how to unlock and use his chakra. He sat in a meditative pose and concentrated. He meditated for some time and then brought his hands to form the Ram seal. He concentrated inwards for some time and suddenly he could feel it. In his belly he could feel a warm energy just waiting to be unleashed. Although it was a small amount. Daichi mentally commanded the chakra to move and he suddenly felt a rush of energy filling his entire body. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands as if seeing them for the first time. At that moment several new notification boxes appeared. You have actively used chakra for the first time. You have gained the skills [Lesser chakra affinity] and [Lesser chakra regeneration]. Note: Increasing both of the above skills passively increases the level of Chakra manipulation skill. Lesser chakra affinity - Passive (LV.1): This skill slightly increases the user''s talent and ability to use chakra more efficiently. Effects: +5% growth rate of Chakra stat. +5% Strength increase to all chakra based skills. +5% Defense increase against chakra based attacks. +10% increase to maximum CP. -5% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Lesser chakra regeneration - Passive/Active (LV.1): This skill gives the user the ability to regenerate chakra at a slightly faster pace. Effects: Regeneration Increased by 5% of base CP per minute. +5% growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 10%. Due to continued chakra training, you have obtained +1 CHK Daichi started moving his chakra throughout his body. It was an arduous task given that he only just began, but he kept going. When his CP almost reached zero his CHK increased again. Due to continued chakra training, you have obtained +1 CHK He was going to wait for his chakra to regenerate at the normal rate so he could understand how long it took. He was going to read the other two books as he waited. He took the one on Hand seals and began reading¡­ As he read the book and understood new information, Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +1 INT. His INT stat kept soaring. By the time he completely read the book a new skill appeared. You have understood the basics of hand seals and thus have gained [Minor Jutsu Creation] skill. Would you like to learn this skill? (Y/N) "BOOYAH. I''m so happy right now. Of course I wanna learn it." Minor Jutsu Creation - Active (LV.1): This skill increases the user''s understanding, talent and ability to create new Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. When creating new jutsu: Effects: +3% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. +3% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -3% Less CP requirements for new Jutsu created. "Oh man. I''m gonna abuse the hell outta this skill." Daichi was excited about his latest skill. He had seen many forms of powers and techniques in many stories in his last life. He wanted to recreate some of them when the time came. ''My CP is fully restored. Time to exercise my chakra. I wanna feel it moving through every limb.'' Daichi sat down and focused. He started moving his chakra from his belly to his arms and then to his legs and back. His chakra was small in quantity and since it was his first day of training it was slow to reach the various parts of his body. But as time passed his control over his chakra got better and better. Due to continued chakra training, you have obtained +1 CHK. Skill Lesser chakra affinity¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Manipulation¡¯s level has risen by one. As he kept training his skill and stats increased. Once his CP bar was below 20% he rested and decided to take and finish the final book. The book on Human anatomy. It was complicated and even with his advantage he didn''t understand most of it at first. Daichi mainly focused on two things. 1. The chakra pathways system and ways that chakra interact with the organs. 2. The senses and how they function. He read the chapters again and again and sometimes even took the first two books to clarify some doubts that formed. As he kept reading and understanding the anatomy his INT stat was rapidly rising. Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +3 INT. Skill Lesser chakra regeneration¡¯s level has risen by one. His INT stat had increased by 3 points by the time he stopped reading the book. And the regeneration skill level also increased. He wasn''t even finished with a 5th of the book and yet he was able to increase his intelligence by such a wide margin. "Learning new and advanced information is definitely the best way to improve INT stat. It will take me at least a couple weeks to truly understand and finish the entire book¡­ I can''t believe I''m looking forward to studying." He slightly chuckled to himself. ¡®Knock knock knock¡¯. There were several knocks on the door. "Daichi, you in there?" It was the sound of his grandfather. "Coming." Daichi put the book on the table and opened the door. "It''s almost supper time kiddo. Come on. You don''t want to miss dinner like you did lunch." Kensei looked at him with a knowing smile. "What? I spent the whole day here?" Daichi was surprised. He didn''t even notice the time passing. It was only then he looked at the window and noticed the sun was setting. Kensei smiled. He knew the kid would be busy reading the books and might get lost in it. He suspected as much when he didn''t show up for lunch. Since Daichi was studying he didn''t want to disturb him as well. It was only then when taking a closer look at Daichi that Kensei noticed something peculiar. ''No way. His chakra level has increased. Definitely much greater than before.'' He had to know what happened. "Daichi, did you do any chakra training today?" Kensei asked in a neutral tone, not giving anything away. "Um." Daichi nodded. "I read the two books on chakra theory and hand seals. I was able to unlock my chakra and move it around my body. But not by much." When Kensei heard this he kept a neutral face and in a calm tone congratulated him. "Well done. Now come on. Dinner is getting cold." Both of them went down to eat their food. Both of them, thinking about different things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 15 – Hiruzen’s Thoughts and Kensei’s Suspicions Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage office. That evening. Genma gave the Hokage a folder containing all the relevant information on Daichi Hekima. From his time of birth to now. Hiruzen opened the file and flipped through the pages. Quickly reading every line. ''Born on March 28 the same year as the attack. But it says here that''s not his real birthdate. It was assigned by Aiko Hikara when he was in the orphanage. Still, his 5th birthday was 2 days ago¡­ Same day he got adopted I see¡­ The one who adopted him is¡­'' The Hokage was shocked when he read the name. Kensei Yasaji. ¡®Kensei !? Why would he adopt a child now?¡¯ Looking at Daichi''s photo again another face came to his mind. ''I see. The boy''s resemblance to Kensei''s late son is amazing. No wonder he adopted him.'' The Hokage read through the file. Then asked for Genma''s personal report. "Tell me what you''ve found out." "As you know, during the attack 5 years ago there were many children that became orphans." "A dark day." Hiruzen sadly sighed. It was also the day he lost his beloved wife, his successor and many other shinobi and villagers. "Daichi was one of them. During the 2nd day of rescue operations after the attack, a chunin found a child buried beneath a lot of rubble and concrete. The child didn''t look like he was breathing but when the chunin took him in her arms he suddenly started crying. They called it a miracle that he survived." Genma said. "The chunin who rescued the boy, it was Aiko, wasn''t it." Hiruzen asked even though he knew. Genma nodded. He continued. "She retired shortly before the attack and after the incident she quickly got to building her orphanage. She''s the one who gave him his name.¡± ¡°And since some of the records sections were destroyed in the attack and he looked about 6 months old she gave him his name and marked March 28th as his birthday." ''Daichi. Meaning ¡®from the earth¡¯ and ¡®wisdom¡¯. A fitting name indeed.'' Hiruzen mused. "He has exceptional learning capabilities. Miss Aiko said he learned at a much faster rate than the other children. Based on what she said, his interests lay in books and knowledge.¡± ¡°A polite smart child who hasn''t caused any problems other than the occasional small harmless pranks on his friends. That''s her impression of the boy. And during his stay in the orphanage the only times he left its premises was with Miss Aiko to buy groceries or other such items and that too on a handful of occasions." Hiruzen nodded and motioned to continue. "Two days ago he was adopted by Kensei Yasaji. A retired Jonin. Miss Aiko said that Kensei thought Daichi might be his grandson so she ran a blood test. It turned out to be false. But he still decided to go through with the adoption." "That''s because Daichi has a strong resemblance to Kensei''s late son. During their later years both him and his son became estranged. Perhaps he wanted to make up for that and felt adopting Daichi would accomplish it. That''s probably why." Hiruzen added. Hiruzen then thought about the strained relation he currently had with his son. ¡®Oh Biwako. I wish you were here. You would know how to solve this.¡¯ ¡°Continue.¡± The old kage motioned with his head. "Yesterday morning Daichi left his new home and went to several places in the village. I retraced his steps and found he went to a bookstore first. He bought books on gardening and cooking. Then he headed to the Leaf public library." Now Hiruzen got interested. He wanted to know what books Daichi read there. "I was able to find the books he took. He spent almost 5 hours reading through the founding of the village, the various clans, and books on the warring era period." Genma stopped. ''So a child no older than 5 really did comprehend the bloody history, the birth and significance of the village and the importance of its existence on his own¡­ unbelievable.'' The Hokage''s mind replayed the meeting with the small boy and his words still resounded in his ears. "Go on." He said. "He bought a map and then went straight to Ichiraku Ramen and then to the Hokage monument. After that he went to the Yamanaka flowers to buy some seeds and fertilizers. Most probably for his garden." "So that''s why he bought the gardening book. And since he bought a cookbook, he would most probably try to learn cooking as well." "Then he went to buy some common everyday items from the nearby shops and went home." Genma concluded his report. Hiruzen nodded and dismissed Genma. ''Why am I thinking so much about one child who hasn''t even been to the academy?'' He sighed. Although Hiruzen asked himself this question he knew the answer. It was because this boy reminded him of Itachi, Minato and also Orochimaru. He didn''t want to see another child with great potential lead a life with heavy burdens or be taken before his time or worse¡­. Go down the wrong path and become the enemy. The third Hokage made a decision. "Hawk. Assemble the council along with the clan heads for a meeting. Immediately." The shadow of an anbu disappeared from Hiruzen''s periphery. Hiruzen made some important choices and chief among them was the change in the age of the academy graduation. ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kensei¡¯s House During Dinner. Both Kensei and Daichi were at the opposite ends of the table and slowly eating their food. Both thinking about various things. Although on the outside Kensei was calm on the inside he was astonished. Never in his life did he meet a kid that on his own, without any outside guidance learned to use his chakra. That too on his first day. ''He was able to understand the theory and how to apply it. His intelligence and growth rate is unprecedented. And not only that, it''s not just the fact that he learned to use chakra but that it has increased. A small marginal increase but still a noticeable one non the less.¡¯ ¡®Now that I think about it, this isn''t the first time something like this happened. During the first day of training I noticed a small increase in his reserves. But I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. Now I''m sure. His body is somehow able to increase his reserves at a much faster rate than the normal person.¡¯ ¡®This kid''s body is definitely abnormal. But this could also be a great advantage¡­ And with his intelligence he could reach heights even beyond my expectations. And when It comes to talents, is it possible? Could this child be in the same league as the fourth Hokage?'' Kensei closed his eyes and thought about the achievements of the late fourth Hokage. ''I suppose only time will tell.'' Then a small smile came to his face. ''If this is his improvement in the first 3 days I can''t wait to see how much he will improve by the end of the month. I thought I had come up with an adequate training schedule for the next 11 months but it seems I''ll have to revise those plans¡­¡¯ ¡®Impress me boy. Show me just how much potential you have.¡¯ Kensei ate calmly but mentally cheered Daichi on. At this time Daichi was thinking about making a training plan for the month. He wanted to improve his skills and learn some chakra control exercises as well as increasing his chakra volume. Since he just got a skill that would help him with creating Justus, increasing his reserves would definitely be a priority. Suddenly¡­. Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. Daichi was a little surprised. He wasn''t sure what impressed the old man but he would take it. ''I need to learn the leaf concentration technique tomorrow and increase its level. I also have to focus on my body''s stats and improve my body conditioning skill.¡¯ ¡®And I need to figure out how to unlock the special stats. Hmm¡­ The clue to unlocking the stats are in their names. I''ve already unlocked one and put in motion the events that could unlock another¡­. Or at least I hope it will work. If not, I''ll have to save it for another time. That particular special stat isn''t my priority right now.¡¯ ¡®Chakra is like a muscle. As long as I use up my chakra and exhaust it by the time I go to bed I''ll increase the chakra stat and lesser chakra affinity skill. An increase in this skill is an increase in chakra growth rate. It will also force the passive regeneration skill to increase in level.'' Daichi quickly finished his meal and thought about how he would spend the next 4 weeks training. He took the dishes as usual and washed them. Increasing the dishwashing skill level. He bid his grandfather goodnight and went upstairs to his room. He put on some sleepwear and got on his bed, planning his training schedule for the coming days. Out of nowhere a red notification box appeared. You were able to successfully convince someone of much greater strength to make an important choice or a life changing decision through your words or actions. You have reached the special condition needed to unlock Charisma stat. +1 CHARISMA This stat improves the player¡¯s charm that can inspire devotion or loyalty in others and helps rally allies much easier. You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. Reading the system message Daichi was shocked. ''It worked. I can''t believe it worked. I was just trying out my luck. I didn''t actually think it would work.¡¯ ¡®Charisma. The ability to influence others through words or actions. At first I thought I would have to be like Naruto and make some loyal friends or something like that to awaken this stat. But when the Hokage came to talk to me, the idea to impress and maybe even slightly influence him suddenly came. It was a big risk, but looking at this result. WORTH IT.'' ''Now as for the remaining 5 locked stats¡­ I have some ideas on how to unlock them. Need to put those ideas to work soon. Persistence and Sense. Those are the next two I''m going to unlock.'' Now lemme take a look at my stats. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 5 (665/1700) HP : 405 CP : 319 SP : 250 Primary Stats Strength - 10 Vitality - 9 Dexterity - 5 Agility - 10 Intelligence - 18 Chakra - 6 Wisdom - 11 Special Stats Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 4 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 1 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 35 Ryo - 400 ''Not bad for a few days of work. But increasing stats will get more difficult the higher they go. So I''m not going to invest my points in any unless absolutely necessary. Training is the best way to improve them. Time to get some sleep. Gotta really push myself starting tomorrow.'' Chapter 16 – Chakra Control and Body Conditioning Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi got up just as the 6 am alarm went off. His body was getting acclimated to the routine. He completed the morning rituals and got ready for an intense training day. He only had a month to impress Kensei and he had to show some massive improvements from his first day. He put on his black sunglasses and went downstairs and saw his grandfather sitting outside meditating. "Morning kid." Kensei greeted him. "Morning Gramps. When did you get up?¡± "Half an hour before you did. So what''s your plan for today?" "I''m gonna be training the whole day. Chakra control exercises and some strength training." Daichi said. "Why are you wearing those glasses now?" Kensei was a little curious. "That''s because I really like them. And I decided I''m not going anywhere without them. Plus it makes me look cool." Daichi gave a cheeky reply. Kensei sighed. ''Kids today¡­'' He went back to meditating. Both of them were at the back of the house. Daichi went to a tree and picked a few leaves and then sat down. ''So he''s going to try the leaf concentration technique. Let''s see how long he can hold it.'' Kensei discreetly paid close attention to Daichi. Meanwhile Daichi sat down under the tree and calmed down. He concentrated and stopped thinking about unnecessary thoughts. Letting a few slow breaths in and out he looked at the leaf in his hand. And then he gently brought the leaf to his forehead. Daichi held the leaf against the center of his forehead and concentrated his chakra to that spot. He felt his chakra moving. Within moments the leaf stuck to his forehead and he let go of it. After a couple of seconds several notification boxes appeared. Their appearance distracted him and the leaf fell down but Daichi was happy. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously concentrating chakra to stick a leaf to your forehead, the skill ''Leaf concentration technique'' has been created.] Leaf concentration technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1):A skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to stick a leaf to a part of your body. A basic technique to help the user''s mind focus and Increase chakra control . Effects : +5% increase in chakra control. CP cost : 10/sec. -2% CP cost to chakra techniques. ''He managed to learn it quickly. But still¡­ compared to the civilian kids this might be good. But this is still average compared to the clan kids. Now that he''s learned it, the question is how long will he be able to hold it and how far can he increase it.'' Kensei was neither disappointed nor impressed. This result was normal when compared to kids born of shinobi parents. The difference in talent comes from how long he can keep this up and how quickly he can improve. Daichi was quickly calculating how long he could stick the leaf to him before his chakra ran out. ''Right now I have 319 CP. So with a 10 CP cost that gives me roughly 32 seconds till the leaf falls¡­ Half a minute Huh.¡¯ ¡®And this isn''t taking into account my chakra regeneration. Right now my chakra is regenerating 5CP per minute. Not considering the buff of lesser chakra regeneration skill.¡¯ ¡®But if I take into account my regen skill then I get roughly 20 CP per minute. And if I meditate, then that increases to roughly 36 per minute. So in my current state once I''m completely out of chakra it''ll take 9 minutes to refill my chakra.¡¯ ¡®I need to decrease the cost of the technique and improve my chakra volume.'' Daichi mentally closed the blue holographic boxes and returned to training. He took the leaf again and placed it on his forehead and concentrated. He continued for 30 seconds before his chakra ran out and the leaf fell. Skill Leaf concentration technique¡¯s level has risen by one. Due to continued chakra training, you have obtained +1 CHK He then entered the meditative state. He calmed his mind and focused on his chakra. Ignoring the system messages that occasionally popped up he continued to meditate. After about 10 minutes he opened his eyes. Skill Lesser chakra regeneration¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Meditate¡¯s level has risen by one. Now that his CP bar was full he took the leaf and repeated the control exercise. This time he was able to last roughly 43 seconds. Skill Leaf concentration technique¡¯s level has risen by one. Daichi decided it was time to switch training. He got up and started stretching. ¡°So you¡¯re starting your physical exercises huh¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± Kensei said to him. ¡°Yeah. I want to concentrate on both my chakra and body. I read that physical training after one has exhausted their chakra yields more results.¡± ¡°That''s true. Physical training increases one''s stamina and strength but if you¡¯re training while you have access to your full reserves it won¡¯t help you much. You¡¯ll definitely get stronger but not by a great margin. One has to train everyday for a long while to see significant results with training like that.¡± Daichi nodded, listening to his grandpa''s words. ¡°But if you train after you¡¯ve used up most of your chakra then the muscles will force your body to create more chakra. This in turn strengthens and expands your chakra coils. This type of training is more efficient but it will hurt. If you train using this method then by the end of the day, your body will feel like it''s on fire.¡± Kensei stopped and looked at the boy. ¡°Are you sure about this Daichi?¡± He was slightly concerned that the boy might be pushing too hard from the very beginning. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine gramps. I know the risks.¡± Daichi¡¯s confident voice stopped any protests from Kensei. Daichi had almost the same idea for his training and he had one secret advantage over everyone else. He was going to completely exhaust his chakra and stamina by doing control and physical training and then maximizing the meditative skill. ¡®With my Gamer''s Body I can heal and recover much faster than everybody else.¡¯ Once he was done with the stretches he got down to start his 50 set push ups¡­. As he reached the last of set, Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR His stat slightly increased. He changed positions and started a set of 50 squats. His agility stat also went up by 1 by the time he completed it. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Daichi slowly started to jog around the house. His stamina points were at the low end now. He was going to push his body and increase as many stats and skills as he could. +1 STAMINA Skill Basic Body conditioning¡¯s level has risen by one. Once both his CP and SP had fallen below 5 he went to the tree and sat down and meditated. By the time he was done almost an hour had passed since he started the morning training. ¡°Come on Daichi. Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± Kensei invited him to breakfast. He quickly ate the food and went back to training. There were many ideas in his head. How to improve on the leaf concentration technique and take it to the next level. It would be crucial to his growth. If his training ideas worked it would be a tremendous boost to his strength. He could even slightly increase the speed of his training. But he decided to take it one step at a time. He knew that without a strong foundation he wouldn''t be able to stand tall for long. So he made the choice to try those methods out once his stats got a little bit higher. He kept training non stop till 1 past noon. Alternating between chakra control and physical conditioning. He put himself through several variations of different exercises. And as a result, his different stats and skill have increased. Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +2 VIT Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +3 DEX Due to continued chakra training, you have obtained +2 CHK Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 STR Due to the continued physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI +3 STAMINA Skill Basic Body conditioning¡¯s level has risen by two. Skill Meditate¡¯s level has risen by two. Skill Lesser chakra affinity¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Lesser chakra regeneration¡¯s level has risen by three. Skill Chakra Manipulation¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Leaf concentration technique¡¯s level has risen by Two. Daichi looked at all the different notifications he ignored before piled up. Looking through them he couldn''t help but be happy. An incredible stat growth in the span of half a day. But he knew it wouldn''t be like this for long. Once his stats crossed a certain threshold it would be difficult to raise them by training alone. He would need to rely on level ups and stat points. ''Status.'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 5 (665/1700) HP : 510 CP : 437 SP : 350 Primary Stats Strength - 12 Vitality - 11 Dexterity - 8 Agility - 12 Intelligence - 18 Chakra - 9 Wisdom - 14 Special Stats Sense (LOCKED) Stamina - 8 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 1 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 35 Ryo - 400 ''Excellent. Only two stats in my primary are below 10. But I''ll get them to double digits in a day or two. Now let''s see how far my skills have leveled.'' ''Skill list.'' Daichi mentally commanded. Meditate - Active (LV. 5(94%)): A skill obtained through continuously focusing on breathing and avoiding distractions. Helps the user enter a calm meditative state. Increases the regeneration of the body. Effects : +10% to base HP regeneration per minute. +10% to base CP regeneration per minute. +10% to base SP regeneration per minute. Basic Body Conditioning - Passive (LV. 5(42%)): This skill gives the user¡¯s body an increase in strength, speed, vitality, and stamina through training. Effects: +8% to Damage inflicted. +8% to Movement speed. +8% to Physical stat growth. -8% to Damage taken. Lesser chakra affinity - (Passive/Active) (LV.3 (82%)): This skill increases the user''s talent and ability to use chakra more thoroughly. Effects : +6.5% growth rate of Chakra stat. +6.5% Strength increase to all chakra based skills. +6.5% Defense increase against chakra based attacks. +15% increase to maximum CP. -6.5% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Lesser chakra regeneration - Passive (LV.6 (33%)): This skill gives the user the ability to regenerate chakra at a slightly faster pace. Effects : Regeneration Increased by 12% of base CP per minute. +9% growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 18%. Chakra Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.4 (67%)): This skill allows the user to manipulate their own chakra depending on their chakra proficiency. Leaf concentration technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 5(20%)):A skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to stick a leaf to a part of your body. A basic technique to help the user''s mind focus and Increase chakra control. Effects : +20% increase in chakra control. CP cost : 6/sec. -10% CP cost to chakra techniques. ''Wow. Gamer''s ability is the ultimate cheat. But I have to keep grinding to bring out the max potential.'' "Grrr¡­¡­." Suddenly he heard the sound of his stomach growling. "Oh man. I''m so hungry right now. I didn''t even notice it when I was training." Daichi went to his room to get freshened up. After showering and putting on a new pair of clothes, he went downstairs. Kensei had already set the table for the two of them. The old man took a look at him and said "I see your training has been productive. You''ve certainly improved." "Yup. Gotta push myself and be ready. I plan on getting the number one spot at the academy." Daichi said with a confident smile. Kensei smirked. "Oh? You think you can beat all the others? It''ll be difficult. From what I know many children of the current clan heads will be enrolling next year. They will be an entirely different breed than the children of civilians and ordinary shinobis. You sure you''re up for the challenge?" "Yes." Daichi nodded. "I''m gonna work my butt off this year. I will definitely stand at the top." Kensei''s smirk slightly lessened and with a gentle smile he said. "Daichi. You know you don''t always have to train, right? There are other important things in life. You''re only 5. You can go play with kids your age. Enjoy life. You can train but if you overdo it, you''ll burn out." Daichi nodded. "I know Gramps. But the thing is¡­ I really like training. I like this feeling of getting stronger. Bit by bit, day by day. And the truth is¡­ kids my age kinda annoy me. I like this peaceful, quiet routine." Hearing this, Kensei couldn''t help but have a small laugh. Both of them sat down to eat. As Daichi was eating, he was making plans to open his special stats. He was going to try and unlock the sense stat next. He already had some ideas in mind. Chapter 17 – Special stat – Sense Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi ate thinking about how to awaken his ''sense'' stat. Based on how the previous two special stats were awakened he hypothesized that the key to unlocking all of them lies in their names. Right now his focus was on the ''sense'' stat. ¡®Sense. A faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus. The 5 main faculties of a living body are sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. This would be the case if this was a normal world but I have to take chakra into account.'' ''I was able to awaken the stamina stat when my SP got 0. And my charisma stat by impressing the Hokage. So the key to unlocking this is in the name of the stat.'' Daichi slowly ate his food thinking about this. Suddenly a thought came to his mind. He stopped eating and looked at his food. ''Sense of taste.'' He paused eating for a moment. He recalled the pieces of information he read in the human anatomy book he read yesterday. ''The tongue is a muscular organ in our mouth. With thousands of taste buds covering the surface. And taste buds contain taste receptor cells¡­ let''s see if I can stimulate these cells and make them more efficient.'' Daichi placed his chopsticks down and concentrated. While this was happening Kensei was watching him closely. He had an idea as to what Daichi was trying to accomplish so he didn''t disturb him. Daichi concentrated and moved a very small portion of his chakra to his mouth. Contrary to popular belief different parts of the tongue are not assigned different tastes. The tongue, upper esophagus, cheeks all have taste receptors. Daichi moved the small portion of his chakra to cover the whole inside of his mouth. Slowly infusing them into the tissues and then the cells. Daichi was very careful and only slowly completed the process. He didn''t want to make any mistakes. After a few minutes with chakra still coating his mouth, he took a bite of the food. The taste and texture he could feel certainty increased from before but not by much. Then Daichi slowly increased the chakra a bit more and tried again. This time when he took the food he could feel an explosion of taste. Daichi felt his eyes open wide. He had never tasted anything like this. It was as if a whole new world was opened to him. It felt like the food he ate before was masking it''s true flavors. He could feel every component inside the single bite. The various flavors that went into making it. All of it. A new notification came alerting him to the new skill he acquired. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully controlling and concentrating chakra to coat the inside of your mouth and improving your sense of taste, the skill ''Superior Tasting'' has been created.] Superior Tasting - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through concentrating chakra through the taste receptor cells of your mouth. At a higher level this skill can detect hidden ¡®tasteless¡¯ poisons as well as rare delicate flavors. Effects: +10% increase in Taste CP cost : 7/sec. "Incredible." ''I was a bit of a foodie in my previous life. Now with this skill I''ll be able to enjoy the delicious flavors of this world on a much greater scale than I thought.'' At this moment his grandfather''s voice woke him from his daydreaming. "I take it you''ve learned how to infuse chakra to increase your sense of taste?" Even though Kensei asked, he knew the answer. "Yeah. It''s amazing. I can taste all the ingredients that went into making this. The delicious texture of the meat and the perfectly cooked vegetables. All of it." Daichi exclaimed happily. "Yes it is. But it can also sometimes become a problem." Kensei said. Daichi was confused at that. "How?" "The foods I make here are from the ingredients I bought from ''Shi Fang''s'' store. And the ones I had brought here as takeout.. they are all from his restaurant as well. They make their own quality products that don''t have any added preservatives.¡± ¡°If I had bought food from another restaurant that was of a lower quality and you had used your chakra tasting then you would have tasted the oil and grease all the other small waste elements in the food and you wouldn''t have taken another bite." Daichi''s face turned a little green after hearing that. "Eww¡­" "Yes. That''s why we shinobi are more particular about our food. We have much more delicate senses than that of ordinary people. That, and we only eat out at places we trust and most of the time we don''t use chakra to enhance the taste." Kensei explained. "But we learn these types of techniques to survive the mission." The old man continued. "It''s the same for the other senses. Too much and it becomes a hindrance. Too little and it won''t be much use. So you need the perfect amount and ample control." Daichi, listening to him, nodded in understanding. Since the food here and at Shi Fang''s restaurant is good he planned on increasing the level of this skill. He finished his food and took the dishes to clean. After he was done he went outside and took a look around. Several trees of all sizes filled his view. He gazed all around him. He could hear the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind and the birds chirping. That was it. But Daichi wanted more. Just as he did with his tongue. He was going to improve his hearing. Kensei came out and sat on a chair. "Daichi! Improving the senses requires a delicate use of chakra and needs a good amount of control. So I''ll be here monitoring your chakra. You should proceed carefully. A ruptured eardrum is not a pretty feeling." Daichi nodded with a serious face. He sat down in the shade and breathed. Letting out a deep breath he closed his eyes and concentrated. ''Hearing. The ability to perceive sounds through the ear by detecting the vibrations through the air or other medium.'' ''These vibrations detected by the ear are then transduced to nerve impulses that are then perceived by the brain. The three main parts of the human ear are the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.'' Daichi recalled all the information he found in the book. Since the ear is even more of a delicate organ than the tongue, Daichi used even less chakra to start. His goal was to slowly increase the frequency of sounds he could perceive. He concentrated and delicately moved his chakra throughout the ear. Stimulating his auditory canal and auditory receptors. He slightly increased the chakra amount little by little. Kensei paid close attention to the boy as he used his chakra and brought it to his ears. ''It seems his control over his chakra is better than I thought. In just a short time his control had increased so much. Is it because he has low reserves to begin with or does it have to do anything with his abnormal body?'' Daichi started to pick up the sounds of his clothes moving in the wind. Even though he was still, the wind moved tiny parts of his clothes and they made small sounds that otherwise wouldn''t have been picked up. Daichi concentrated and slightly increased the chakra output again. This time he picked up new sounds while the ones he could hear became loud. He stilled and slightly decreased the level of chakra and stayed like that for some time to get used to it. He then started increasing the output and finally he succeeded. He heard the flapping of the wings of a bird several trees away. The sounds of water in the pond moving with the wind. The biggest sounds were the leaves. It was a bit difficult to control and get the perfect amount of chakra necessary to hear beyond normal but also not become too loud. But after several tries over a dozen minutes, he accomplished it. And when it happened he got the usual blue box notifying him of another successful new skill. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully controlling and concentrating chakra to the inside of your ear and improving your sense of hearing , the skill ''Superior Hearing'' has been created.] Superior Hearing - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through concentrating chakra through the auditory receptors of your ear. At a much higher level this skill can hear heartbeats, muscle contractions and even sounds of blood coursing through the body. Effects: +10% increase in Hearing CP cost : 12/sec. ''Wow. Sweet. I''ll be able to hear heartbeat, muscle movement and even blood circulation¡­. That''s wicked.'' Daichi was impressed with the skill. But it would only happen as he increased his level. ''Hmm¡­ The CP cost of this skill is higher than taste''s. So each sense has a different CP cost when created. Interesting¡­. "It seems you''ve succeeded. That''s impressive. But you should remember. Using too much chakra can overwhelm or even injure your delicate organs." Kensei was amazed that he got the technique down so quickly. Daichi nodded and got ready for the next sense. ''Alright. Time for the next one. Sense of smell.'' ''The human nose contains about 10 million smell receptors. These smell receptors are sensitive to odor molecules that travel through the air. There are hundreds of different receptors. Each for identifying different odors. So I have to use chakra to increase the efficiency of these receptors.'' Daichi took out a piece of chocolate candy from his pocket. He took it from the cabinet before coming outside. ''So he''s going for the sense of smell next huh? I have no doubt that learning to increase the sense of smell would be of great use to him. It''s an underrated technique but has plenty of use.'' Kensei thought as he looked at the boy. Daichi set the small candy a couple of meters from him. His goal was to be able to smell it from a small distance as a start. Then increase it. Daichi concentrated and started focusing his chakra. Similar to the methods before he started with a small amount and slowly and carefully brought his energy to his nose. He coated the back of his nasal cavity and used the chakra to enhance his smell. After a few tries he succeeded. He was able to get a whiff of the chocolate. He proceeded. He carefully increased the amount and let it flow through his nose in a controlled manner. The results spoke for themselves. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully controlling and infusing chakra inside your nostrils and improving your sense of smell , the skill ''Superior Smell'' has been created.] Superior Smell - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through infusing chakra through the receptors of your nose. At a much higher level this skill can smell metals and even pick up ¡®odorless¡¯ poisons. Effects: +10% increase in Smell. CP cost : 6/sec. After successfully completing enhancement of the third sense, Daichi started working on the 4th. The eyes. One of the most delicate organs in the body. "Daichi!" Just as he was about to start the old man called out. "The eyes are one of the most important aspects of a person. They are one of the most delicate and fragile organs in the human body. You need to be absolutely careful when kneading your chakra into them. If anything happens to them, then your goals and dreams would end before they even begin. Do you understand.?" Kensei was serious. He had seen several shinobi lose their eyes during the war and it would end their career and greatly affect their personal lives. He didn''t want Daichi to be overconfident and become careless. "I''ll be really careful and start slow." Daichi took his grandfather''s words to heart. Even though he had the skill Gaia''s Blessing, he didn''t want to take any chances. He recalled every information he read from the anatomy book. ''The eye. A sense organ that reacts to light. The cells in the retina are photoreceptor cells which are able to detect visible light and send information to the brain. The cone cells are the photoreceptor cells in the retina and they respond differently to different wavelengths of light. Thus responsible for color vision.'' Daichi recalled the images of the eye and information he studied yesterday. ''I need to be absolutely careful when I do this. One mistake and I could go blind, blow up my eye or maybe something even worse. If I didn''t have the gamer''s ability and absolute confidence that I would come out of this completely healed if anything happens then I definitely wouldn''t attempt this now. Especially at such an early stage.'' Daichi took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds to concentrate. Then opened them and looked around. He concentrated a very miniscule amount of chakra energy into both his eyes. He wanted to strengthen the photoreceptor and the eye as a whole. He could experience the change in vision in real time. As he focused his chakra to the optic nerves, Iris, lens, and slowly throughout the eye his vision dramatically changed. It strengthened and Daichi could see far beyond what he was able to before. The gamer''s ability worked in tandem with his intent and auto corrected any small mistakes that would have happened before they did. This took some more time than the others since Daichi took it slow. About half an hour later Daichi was standing looking around in wonder. Every detail he looked at was precise. From the smallest granules above the ground to the dust layer floating in the air, to the detailed feathers of the birds dozens of meters away. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully concentrating and infusing chakra inside your eyes and improving your sense of sight , the skill ''Superior Sight'' has been created.] Superior Sight - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through infusing chakra through the receptors of your eyes. At a much higher level this skill can see minute particles and even pick up on the smallest air displacements. Effects: +10% increase in Sight. CP cost : 10/sec. Suddenly a new notification appeared. Daichi was surprised and happy. Surprised because he thought he would have to attempt the same with the last main sense which was touch. And happy because it was a red notification box. Indicating he succeeded in unlocking another special stat. ---------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Chapter 18 – Completing the First Month Training Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. You have got in tune with 5 of the 6 major senses of the human body. You have reached a special condition. Special stat Sense is opened. You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. +1 SENSE. ¡®5? I''ve only awakened 4. So what''s the 5th?.... Ohh. Right!! Chakra must be the 5th. Since I''m living in a world where chakra is an essential aspect of the human body it''s considered as another major sense.¡¯ ¡®Whatever. It makes things easier. I''ll have to look into the last one as well. Sense of touch. But I don''t have nearly enough knowledge on the human body to complete that. Guess I''ll wait.'' Kensei was amazed as he looked at Daichi. ''To think he would learn those in a day¡­ His talent is incredible.'' He went back inside as Daichi started his physical training. Daichi looked at the sun. It was about 4 in the afternoon. He trained his body some more for another couple more hours and got an increase of 1 point in strength and vitality stats. He finished his training for the day and took a walk around the house. He was starting to enjoy the peaceful life here. He knew it wouldn''t last when he graduated but he was happy. He watched the fishes and the birds and enjoyed the view of nature. Daichi went to his garden and started watering the plants. The seeds showed signs of starting to sprout. He sat down near a tree and watched the sun set and its glorious orange rays slowly disappearing. Kensei was sitting at the back of the house as well. He was keenly watching Daichi. His mind had a whirlwind of thoughts. He knew that if Daichi kept training he would improve but not at such a rapid rate. ''The exercises that had him wheezing on his first day are now nothing. In just a few days his body acclimated to the stress and improved. His strength has definitely improved and so has his chakra. It''s more than double what he had when I met him.'' ''And it''s not just that. His talent is also unbelievable. He read the books I gave him and not only did he unlock his chakra but he learned to control and use it to strengthen his senses.'' Kensei compared the rate of progress Daichi had to himself at Daichi''s age. ''I''m strong and I was at the top amongst my peers but compared to this boy I might as well be ordinary. He must have some exceptional physical constitution for such a fast improvement. I''ve heard that the Senju''s had strong bodies and powerful chakra. Could this boy have Senju bloodline in his veins?'' ''Should I have him tested? Find out if he is from someone who is a descendant of the clan?'' Kensei immediately dismissed that idea. ''No. Whatever the case maybe, as far as the village is concerned, he is another ordinary orphan without any special lineage who got lucky enough to be adopted. But if I start making enquiries it would bring unwanted attention. And when they see just how talented he is, it could become problematic. Especially if Danzo takes notice. He will definitely try and take Daichi into the root forces.'' ''Daichi will be starting the academy next year. Should I tell him to hold back¡­ No. Let him decide what he wants to do. And if Danzo or anyone else starts to become a problem I''ll deal with them ... .After all, I still owe him for what he did to my leg.'' An unpleasant memory of a mission gone wrong came to his mind. Kensei slightly shook his head as if to get rid of the memory. He sighed. ''Daichi still has a year. And as long as I''m here Danzo won''t be able to get to him. And in the next 6 years I''ll train him and make him strong enough to escape even a Jonin if necessary.'' As the old retired shinobi thought about his past a figure suddenly came to his mind. A figure covered in black unidentifiable clothes and wearing a weird mask. ''By the time he graduates, I''ll have Daichi be ready to face the world and take on whatever it throws at him. With that you can consider my debt to you, paid¡­¡¯ ¡®Still I wonder... How did that man know about Daichi? What was his goal when he asked me to adopt the child all those years ago?... Maybe one day I''ll find out¡­'' Kensei looked at Daichi who sat in the shade and watched the last rays of the sun disappear. He got up. "Daichi Come on. Let''s get inside." He went inside followed by his grandson. Daichi went to take a bath while Kensei made dinner. After sometime both of them ate their food and went to bed. Daichi looked at his clock as he laid down on the bed. It was only a few minutes past nine. Even though he trained all day, Daichi wasn''t feeling tired at all. In fact he was more energetic than he had ever been. ''There are a lot of things I have to test. How long do I need to sleep for? I need to find the minimum time needed for full HP, CP, SP, restore. I also have to use chakra to enhance my last sense. But for that I need to learn more about the human body. So gotta complete that last book... Ok. What else?'' Daichi then pondered on his training methods. ''Need to increase training efficiency. Have to see if I can use meditate skill in tandem with leaf concentration exercise. Then try to do the leaf exercise while I''m training my body. That will improve its skill level and I''ll have more time. Time to get some reading done.'' Daichi took the book on human anatomy and started reading it. As time went by he got a 2 point increase in intelligence. After about 4 hours he placed the book down and went to sleep. Daichi spent the month training and improving on the skills he currently had. Since he wasn''t sure how to open the other special stats he decided to forego them for the moment and concentrated on increasing the current unlocked ones. He trained everyday and read different books every night before sleep. He found out that he only needed 5 hours of sleep for optimum performance. And the longest he could go without sleep was 36 hours before negative buffs started appearing. His stat improved quite a bit but after 2 weeks the growth started slowing down. He had a level up at the end of the 2nd week. Daichi would get simple quests like errand runs and cleaning the house. But he never complained. They were EXP sources and thus the source of his growth. Kensei marveled at Daichi''s training ethics. He was impressed with the kids'' determination. He understood that Daichi would definitely work hard and keep improving as time passed. Daichi didn''t leave the house except for when he had to complete errands or grocery runs. He decided he would visit the village and see the different places after the months training. He trained most of his skills and leveled them up. He trained everyday till he dropped and exhausted his chakra reserves. He wanted to build up his chakra volume. The only skill he hadn''t given a try yet was the Jutsu creation one. He figured he needed more information on chakra and hand seals and a greater chakra volume to make successful jutsus. Days went by in a blur. It was the last day of April and Daichi completed the training for the day. He opened his status page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 6 (1670/2150) HP : 750 CP : 714 SP : 555 Primary Stats Strength - 17 Vitality - 16 Dexterity - 12 Agility - 16 Intelligence - 22 Chakra - 16 Wisdom - 16 Special Stats Sense - 6 Stamina - 14 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 2 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 40 Ryo - 1500 ''Wow. In one month I was able to get so strong. None of my primary stats is less than 10. And I didn''t use a single stat point till now. I made a very good choice... 500 more exp and I''ll be able to get to level 7. My dexterity is the lowest. Got to find a way to improve that. With each increase in intelligence I can remember more details clearly. I can even remember some things I''ve forgotten about my past life. Hmm¡­ So increasing that does give perfect recall¡­ Will come in very handy when I have to learn complicated seals and medical treatments. Time to see my skill page.'' Temporary Effect: Gives the soul a new healthy body. Permanent Effect: All diseases, poisons and negative status effects are healed. Sleeping increases regeneration. Sleeping in a bed increases regeneration several fold. Effects: +16% increase in speed Effects : +17% to base HP regeneration per minute. +17% to base CP regeneration per minute. +17% to base SP regeneration per minute. Effects: +16% to Damage inflicted. +16% to Movement speed. +11% to Physical stat growth. -16% to Damage taken. Effects: +8.75% growth rate of Chakra stat. +12% Strength increase to all chakra based skills. +12% Defense increase against chakra based attacks. +20% increase to maximum CP. -8% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Effects: Regeneration Increased by 16% of base CP per minute. +11% growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 22%. Effects: +3% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. +3% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -3% Less CP requirements for new Jutsu created. Effects: +25% increase in chakra control. CP cost : 4/sec. -16% CP cost to chakra techniques. Effects: +15% increase in Taste CP cost : 5/sec. Effects: +17% increase in Hearing CP cost : 9.8/sec. Effects: +14% increase in Smell. CP cost : 4.2/sec. Effects: +16% increase in Sight. CP cost : 8.5/sec. ''Nice. All of them got a few more levels this month. Well... Except minor Jutsu creation. Need to start working on that soon. Other than that, great progress. Now time to find the old man and see what he has to say.'' The one month came to an end. He was excited to show Kensei his progress. Chapter 19 – Finding My First Dungeon Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei was feeding the fishes in the koi pond. This last month had truly surprised him. The surprise had more to do with his adopted grandson than anything else. He never complained, he never slacked off and everyday he trained till he dropped. But the fascinating thing was that he would be ready to go again the next day. His recuperating ability was abnormal. Everyday he watched his grandson push himself. He trained his chakra and Kensei could feel it increase by a small margin everyday. He felt pride. He wanted to teach Daichi everything he knew. All the skills and techniques he learned throughout his career, he wanted to pass on to the boy. From the first time he met him till now he studied Daichi. And he understood one fact. Daichi was a free bird. Sooner or later he would leave to see the world. Over the last month Daichi would ask him about the world beyond the village. The places he went. The people he met. Kensei was an adventurer in his heart but his duty shackled him to the village. He loved the village but if he was given a chance to do it all again he would make several different decisions. When Daichi spoke to him he could sense his desire to explore and see the world. He was going to let the boy have that shot. The one he never had. He sensed Daichi coming his way. "I see you''re done for the day." Kensei said smiling. "Yeah." After a few moments of silence Daichi spoke. "This is the last day of the month. So tell me Gramps. Are you impressed.?" He asked even though he knew his progress was being watched by his grandpa everyday. Kensei turned around. He looked at Daichi with a calm gaze. After a few moments of silence he answered. "Yes. I''ve been watching you every day for the last month and I''m convinced. You''ve far exceeded my expectations. You''re talent is beyond many. And only a few could match your drive to improve." Kensei had a wide grin on his face. "If you keep training at the current rate then by the time you join the academy next year I have no doubt you''ll be at the top amongst your peers. Starting the day after tomorrow we''ll start training for real. And I''ll teach you the standard academy Taijutsu and if you can then a couple of Ninjutsu as well." Current Quest - ¡®Get ahead of your peers¡¯ Updated. Daichi ignored the notification box that appeared. "Wait. Why the day after tomorrow?" Daichi was a bit confused but he figured the old man might have some plans. "Because you need to learn to take a break every once in a while. I''ve told this before Daichi, you have to stop once in a while and relax. Training yourself every hour of every day won''t help you. In fact, if you keep going like this, soon it''ll hinder your growth rather than help. Take a moment to enjoy the simple things in life. Tomorrow we''re taking the whole day off and going sightseeing." When he heard this Daichi took a deep breath and exhaled a few seconds later and recalled the last month. ''The old man''s right. I''ve been so caught up in training I didn''t even think about anything else. And if I keep this up for long I''ll burn out.'' Daichi thought about what to do to recharge and recover as it were. "It seems you got my point. Good. One of the best ways to keep ourselves sane and have a clear strong focus is to have a hobby. We all need one. Especially those in our profession. A hobby will help us relax, clear the mind and give us a new perspective when we need it." Kensei advised him. "Alright. I understand. I''ll think of something." Daichi replied. "It''s almost sundown. Let''s get inside." Kensei walked into the house. Daichi took one look at the setting sun and went inside. He got cleaned up and was at the table eating some food. He thought about what Kensei said. ''I already have a garden but that''s mostly because of the quest. What else do I really want to do? Something I could enjoy and not stress over...Hmm. I''ve always enjoyed cooking¡­Trying out new recipes and tasting exotic dishes. It seems my love for that carried over to this life.'' ''What else? I''ve always wanted to paint. The vibrant colors of all the comics I''ve read in my past life enthralled me. I''ve always wanted to draw like that. But I couldn''t do it. Or to be more precise I never gave it a shot after I failed a couple times. Now that I have the gamer ability I could definitely use it for that as well. Alright. Guess that''s decided.'' Putting the chopsticks down and swallowing the last bite of food, Daichi said. "I''ve decided to make cooking and painting as my hobby. I want to try out dishes I''ve never tasted and in time maybe create some great art work." Kensei nodded. "Those are excellent choices. You already have a cookbook don''t you. Then why don''t we get some painting equipment tomorrow." He said smiling. "Where are we going?" Daichi was curious about the little outing. "Wherever the road takes us. You''ve been cooped up here for a month, rarely leaving for anything else than to buy groceries, it''s about time you got some fresh air." The old man said. "Yeah. Guess you''re right." After they finished the food Daichi did the dishes and returned. "We leave at 8am. So get ready before then. Go get some sleep, kid." "Goodnight Gramps." "G''Night Kid." Both of them retired to their rooms and fell asleep soon after. The next morning Daichi woke up at 6 am sharp. Nowadays he doesn''t even need an alarm clock. He stretched his muscles and meditated for sometime and then got ready. He went downstairs and saw his grandfather was dressed for the trip as well. Both of them walked outside. Their first destination was Shi Fang''s restaurant. They walked a bit slow, comfortably enjoying the morning air and the warmth of the sun. They reached the restaurant and sat down. Kensei ordered the typical breakfast dishes. Some time later Shi Fang arrived with their food. On a large tray there were several small dishes. ''Observe''. [Asa Gohan] A traditional breakfast centered around a bowl of rice and accompanied by several small dishes. The rice used in this dish is white rice, steamed and served in a decorative bowl. Surrounded by Miso soup, grilled fish, pickled vegetable salads, natto. It acts as a starchy, nutritious, counterbalance for the tang, richness, and complexity of the accompanying dishes. Although there are several dishes, they are light, comfortable for the palate and easy to digest. A delicious morning breakfast created by Shi Fang. Eating the entire food restores 53 HP and 36 CP. ''Wow. This is impressive. The hp and cp restoration are over 3 times that of the rainbow dumplings. They look and smell so delicious¡­ Time to dig in.'' "Thank you for the meal." Daichi and Kensei took the chopsticks and ate slowly, enjoying each dish and savoring their taste. After about 20 minutes they were done. They chatted for a while with owner Shi and then left the restaurant. "So where are we going next Gramps?" "Have you seen Kiky¨­ castle?" Kensei asked. "No." "Then that will be our next stop." Both of them walked through the increasingly crowded streets. They reached Kiky¨­ castle shortly. Kensei explained the history of the castle during their walk. A castle built during the first Hokage''s period. When they reached the place Daichi was amazed. In front of him stood a giant castle with blue tiles and two fishes with light yellow green color adorning the rooftop. Daichi used the observe skill. ''Observe.'' [Kiky¨­ Castle] An old castle built during the first Hokage''s reign located in the eastern part of Konoha. It features two large ornamental tiles(shibi) set on both ends of the roof. The shibi is shaped like shachihoko. A mythical animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp. This castle once used to host dignitaries that came to the village. This was what Daichi''s ''observe'' showed him. Suddenly a new notification box appeared. [You have found a Key Dungeon. Retrieving the key to the dungeon¡­ Key to this dungeon has been placed in the inventory.] Daichi was surprised. He didn''t expect this at all¡­ He opened his inventory page. In there he saw a black key with exotic patterns all over it. He wanted to take it out and observe it but he suppressed the urge and decided he would do it in the confines of his room. Kensei was reminiscing about the history of the castle and didn''t notice Daichi''s reactions. They left and went to different places around Konoha. Kensei even took him to the park so Daichi can interact with other children his age. But Daichi wasn''t interested. Daichi was a bit envious at first, watching the kids play without a care in the world. But that emotion soon left him. He didn''t bother with the effort to make friends. He figured he would make some during his time in the academy. When it was noon Kensei took him to the Ichiraku Ramen store where they had their lunch. They spent the rest of the day visiting various places. Kensei showed Daichi where some of the clans were located. Then on their way back they bought some beginners painting supplies. By evening both of them returned home. Daichi was in his room looking at the dungeon Key he took out from his inventory. They key was black in color. ''Observe.'' [Kiky¨­ Castle dungeon Key.] With this key the player can enter the dungeon in the Kiky¨­ castle. This key can transport the player to its corresponding dungeon from anywhere. There was no more information. Daichi knew there had to be something more. He had an idea. He was going to use ''observe'' on the castle one more time. The next day Daichi woke up and went to the castle. He stood near it and used ''observe'' again. [You have found a key dungeon.] Key dungeon: Also called the Instant Dungeon. This is a one time use dungeon. The player can only enter the dungeon if he has the corresponding key. It can be activated from anywhere. Once activated the player cannot leave the dungeon without defeating the boss. There is no time limit to this dungeon. When the dungeon is complete it will return the player within 10 seconds of when he entered the dungeon in real world time. Whatever happens in the dungeon will not affect the real world. Daichi used ''observe'' on the key again. [Kiky¨­ Castle Dungeon Key.] With this key the player can enter the dungeon in the Kiky¨­ castle. This key can transport the player to its corresponding dungeon from anywhere. The color of the key shows the difficulty of the dungeon. Keys are divided into 5 colors based on the difficulty. Black keys - Opponents will be at least 30 levels above the player. Will meet certain death. Red keys - Opponents will be between 15 - 30 levels above the player. Extremely difficult dungeon. Yellow keys - Opponents will be between 5 - 15 levels above the player. Difficult dungeon. White keys - Opponents will have a Level gap of (+5 or -5) levels. Green keys - Opponents will be 5 levels less than the player. Easy dungeon. Daichi read through every word carefully. He felt like he now had an understanding of this dungeon. ''This is a black key. So that means my enemies here will certainly be at least level 36 and higher. Since there doesn''t seem to be any time limit, I can use this key when I''m good and ready. He decided to use the key when he passed Level 30. ''I need to find other dungeons. I''m sure there are many hidden in various locations. Looks like I''ll have to explore the village some more... But that will have to wait. Right now my priority should be to finish the quest for the academy. Once I''m done with that I''ll look into this.'' Daichi made the decision and left. Starting today Kensei was personally going to train him. He was ready. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapter 20 – One Year Training 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei and Daichi stood inside Kensei''s library. The old man was going through several books and scrolls. After a few minutes he took out 2 scrolls and a box of shuriken and kunai and handed them to Daichi. "These are scrolls on Taijutsu and shurikenjutsu. They''re just the basics. And once you''ve completely understood them, we''ll move on with the next one. This is the Leaf academy Taijutsu taught to the students. The clan children have their own styles and when students become genin their Sensei will teach them their own Taijutsu based on their aptitude.¡± ¡°For now I want you to spend the week learning and practicing the stances of the leaf academy style. Once your body is somewhat used to it we''ll spar. The next scroll is details on how to properly aim and throw your shuriken and kunai. Read it and practice. Let me see your progress after a week. We''ll take it from there." Kensei gave him the tools to improve himself and left. Quest Created - ¡®Learn and Improve¡¯ Learn the Leaf Academy Taijutsu and the basics of Shurikenjutsu and improve their skill. Time Limit: 7 Days. Conditions: Learn Leaf Academy Taijutsu and increase it to LV.3 Learn Beginner Shuriken jutsu and increase it to LV.3 Rewards: 1500 EXP Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. Failure: -1500 EXP Rep decrease with Kensei Yasaji. Daichi went outside and opened the Taijutsu scroll. He started reading and as time went by studied the different postures and body movements noted in the scroll. Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +1 INT ''Hmm¡­ Based on what I understand so far, this Taijutsu style can be used as a base for a variety of other advanced fighting styles. And this style teaches the students to efficiently use the most strength in their body with the minimum effort. Each posture and stance maximizes one''s stability and puts the most amount of power possible when attacking. This is definitely an excellent Taijutsu style for beginners.'' You have understood the basics of Leaf Academy Taijutsu style and thus gained [Leaf Academy Taijutsu]. Would you like to learn this skill? Daichi wasted no time and accepted. His mind was filled with knowledge on the taijutsu style as if he had been using it for years. Leaf Academy Taijutsu - Active(LV.1): A basic taijutsu style taught in the leaf academy. Increases the attack power and defense power. Effects: +5% Increase in attack power. +5% Increase in defense. +4% Increase in speed -5% Decrease in damage taken. He opened the 2nd scroll and started reading. After a while he gained the skill ''Shurikenjutsu''. Due to learning and understanding new information, you have obtained +1 INT ''This scroll details how to handle weapons, how to safely hold them and use them in combat. It even contains details on how to throw and what kind of wrist motions are involved for a good throw.'' Daichi spent some time reading the scroll and understanding every facet of it. You have understood the basics of Shurikenjutsu and thus gained [Shurikenjutsu]. Would you like to learn this skill? Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV.1): The skill to use shuriken or kunai usually as projectile weapons. Effects: +3.5% Increase in Accuracy. +4% Increase in damage dealt. By the time he learned the two skills it was almost noon. He ate some food and went right back to training. He spent the days going through different stances of the taijutsu and improving his Shurikenjutsu skill. By the third day he was able to improve the two skills to level 3. Quest ¡®Learn and Improve¡¯ Completed. Rewards: 1725 EXP Rep increases with Kensei Yasaji. You have leveled up. Daichi continued to train his skills. He spent the remaining 4 days of the week improving his taijutsu skill and shuriken skills. By the end of the 7th day he was able to increase them by another 2 levels. He also improved some of his stats and he noticed that his accuracy in Shurikenjutsu skill increases with increase in dexterity stat. Leaf Academy Taijutsu - Active(LV.5(22%)) Effects: +20% Increase in attack power. +20% Increase in defense. +15% Increase in speed -13.5% Decrease in damage taken. Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV.5(10.3%)) Effects: +20% Increase in accuracy. +20% Increase in damage dealt. Daichi spent the week training but he didn''t neglect his other quest or the simple side quests like shopping and running errands that popped up. And because of those quests he was able to quickly advance another level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daichi and Kensei stood facing each other. They were in the training dojo. Daichi read up on the traditional ninja sparring method for the academy students. So he knew the protocol. "Since this is your first time fighting someone we''ll start with something simple. We''ll only use taijutsu. I''ll defend and you can attack for the first 5 minutes. Then I''ll start going on the offensive. But I''ll only use one hand. Let''s see how long you can survive." Kensei said. Quest Created - ''Spar with Kensei Yasaji.¡¯ Survive your first spar. Conditions. Survive for 10 minutes. Survive for 15 minutes.(Bonus) Land a clean strike. (Bonus) Force Kensei to use both hands.(Bonus) Rewards: 500 Exp 750 Exp. (Bonus) +2 Level to Leaf Academy Taijutsu. (Bonus) +5 Stat points. (Bonus) Failure: Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji. -1 Level. Mentally accepting the quest, Daichi nodded at Kensei and both of them made the Seal of confrontation. Daichi got into the basic combat stance of the academy taijutsu. But Kensei simply stood watching him. Since this was the first time Daichi was fighting someone, especially a ninja, he was nervous. But in a few moments the gamers mind took effect and he calmed down. Kensei was internally surprised watching Daichi. ''He was nervous just a few seconds ago but he calmed down in an instant and now looks focused. Well then¡­ Let''s see how he does.'' After a few moments Daichi made the first move. He rushed towards kensei and threw a basic straightforward punch. Kensei blocked it with ease with his left hand. Daichi took a step back and moved to Kensei''s right side and attacked again. He started attacking with punches and kicks. Since this was his first fight Daichi was slow and unsure. But as the minutes went by he got used to the feeling and was more confident and sure of his attacks. Daichi fully concentrated on the fight. ''The old man is blocking every attack with ease. And it looks like he''s almost bored doing it.'' Kensei kept blocking all the attacks with his left hand while his right was folded behind him. He was expressionless as he blocked or deflected each and everyone of Daichi''s attacks. Since he was much faster than the boy he only needed one hand. He did so, to show the kid the gap and just how far he had to go. As Daichi became more focused he didn''t even think about the time or quest or anything else. There was only him and his opponent. Kensei noticed the gradual change in Daichi. ''He''s becoming more focused and sure of his attacks. It seems he''s learning to block out distracting thoughts and slowly gaining confidence when fighting someone. Good.'' Kensei remained expressionless but he was happy. ''It''s almost time.'' As Daichi was attacking Kensei, the old man deflected his punch and threw one of his own. It broke past Daichi''s guard and struck his torso pushing him back. -29 HP It was only then that Daichi realized that 5 minutes had passed. "I''m going to attack. Try and defend." Kensei said, rushing towards him. Adrenaline coursed through Daichi''s veins and he got into a defensive stance and concentrated on the old man''s movements. Kensei reached Daichi in mere moments and punched. Daichi blocked the attack but he felt his arm become slightly numb. -44 HP ''That had some serious strength. I can''t block many more attacks like that. Need to deflect them.'' Daichi thought. Kensei started attacking Daichi. The boy stood his ground and blocked or deflected the punches. Once he got used to the old man''s attacks Daichi pushed forward. He threw a kick that Kensei blocked with his leg. At that moment he aimed a punch to the old man''s torso but as he expected, it was blocked. At that moment Daichi grabbed hold of Kensei''s left arm, trapping it and threw a strong right punch to his chest. The speed of the fist was much faster than before. Kensei leaned to the left, easily dodging the punch. But at this moment there was a small smile on Daichi''s face. Still keeping the left arm trapped in his hold, Daichi slightly pivoted, jumped and threw a fast kick aiming at the old man¡¯s chest. Kensei saw the kick coming almost in slow motion. He thought of the several ways he could dodge or get free but he decided not to. Since this was Daichi''s first fight he wanted to give the boy a chance. So Kensei was forced to use his right hand to block the kick and tossed Daichi a few feet away. There was a smile on the old man''s face. "Not bad." Even though Daichi''s arms had bruises and he was covered in sweat and breathing heavily he had a wide grin on his face. Both of them got ready to attack and rushed at each other. Now that Kensei was using both hands it was considerably more difficult for Daichi even though the old man wasn''t fighting seriously. Daichi used his forearm to deflect a punch aimed at his forehead and threw one of his own which Kensei blocked. Daichi stood his ground, refusing to take a step back. There were several attacks that broke through his guard and landed on him but he didn''t care. He endured the pain and advanced. One step forward at a time. Daichi wanted to land at least one hit on Kensei. As the fight continued Daichi''s stamina was diminishing. But he saw an opportunity. As they were trading punches, Daichi suddenly grabbed and held on to both of Kensei''s arms. His fingers gripped hard and he swung himself upward to kick the old man in the upper body. Kensei raised his left leg to block one of the kicks but he couldn''t block the other which landed squarely on the chest. The moment his attack landed Daichi let go and jumped backwards and landed on unsteady feet and stumbled slightly. Daichi was panting and was exhausted. After taking a few breaths he stood on shaky legs and looked at the old man. Kensei was slightly rubbing his chest. The kick didn''t hurt in the least but that attack did surprise him a little. He could have counter attacked or deflected it, but that would mean using a bit more effort than needed. To use even such a small amount of force and effort to deal with a kid not even in the academy, his pride wouldn''t allow it. "Well done for your first spar. You''ve certainly learned the academy taijutsu style. Let''s end today''s spar." Kensei smiled. Both of them made the Seal of Reconciliation and then went to get themselves cleaned up. It was then that Daichi looked at the notifications that were piled up on the corner. Quest ¡®Spar with Kensei Yasai¡¯ Completed. You have survived for 17 minutes and 23 seconds. Rewards: 575 Exp 862.5 Exp. (Bonus) +2 Level to Leaf Academy Taijutsu. (Bonus) +5 Stat points. (Bonus) Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously taking damage and resisting, the skill ''Physical Endurance'' has been created.] Physical Endurance - Passive(LV.2(33%)): The durability of the body increases and damage taken is reduced. Effects: 6% Decrease in damage taken. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously attacking with a strong force, the skill ''Strong Hit'' has been created.] Strong Hit - Active(LV.1(58%)): An action to strike the target hard with a stronger force than usual. Effects: +10% Increase in critical rate. +10% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. +2.2% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 25per hit Daichi was happy with his improvement. More than that he was thrilled. He got to experience fighting a ninja and he himself felt so strong, replaying the fight in his mind. He realized it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins that had him so giddy. He looked at the numerous notification boxes and dismissed them after looking them over. He was happy with the new skills he acquired. He got to his room and got cleaned up. After a while both Daichi and his grandfather were sitting on the porch going through the spar. Kensei gave Daichi several pieces of advice and told him the different ways he could improve. Daichi understood that Kensei was holding back by a wide margin and this was only just the start. He didn''t let this victory get to his head. He reflected on the spar and found several ways he could have attacked better. "Train and think about it. We''ll have a spar every two weeks. This way you''ll have time to come up with new strategies and improve your strength." Daichi nodded to Kensei''s advice and looked at the setting sun. He checked his progress. ¡®Status¡¯ Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 8 (2162.5/3000) HP : 810 CP : 774 SP : 615 Primary Stats Strength - 19 Vitality - 16 Dexterity - 16 Agility - 17 Intelligence - 24 Chakra - 17 Wisdom - 16 Special Stats Sense - 8 Stamina - 17 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 4 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 55 Ryo - 1500 Looking at the increase in his stats made Daichi happy. He vowed to himself to work twice as hard and grow stronger with each day. Chapter 21 – One Year Training 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi thought about his fight with his grandfather. He noticed that throughout the fight Kensei maintained a cool expression and even when Daichi landed the kick on him at the end, he wasn''t all that surprised. Daichi reflected back to that moment and he went through every action he took during the fight. ''I still can''t read his level. So he''s obviously strong. After all that, he wasn''t even sweating or even slightly out of breath. Looking back now he definitely could see my attacks coming. And if he wanted to, he could have easily countered them. The old man was holding back a lot.¡¯ ¡®And his movements¡­ It was as if he knew to use the most energy and stamina conserving movements and still be able to deal the most damage. I have no doubt in my mind now¡­ That guy was definitely a Jonin. Maybe even Anbu. I''ll have to be careful.'' Daichi pondered on the best way to increase his strength in secret. That''s when he remembered the dungeon key in his inventory. ''That dungeon key was black so the opponents in the Kikyo castle dungeon are at least 30 levels above mine. But does it stay like that or do the mobs in the dungeon get stronger?? If they don''t then with time and enough level up that dungeon key could change from Black to red to yellow.'' ''At least that''s what I think¡­ If that''s the case then I need to find other easier dungeons first. But that''s not important right now. I''ll save the exploration to find dungeons for later. Right now I need to get back to training.'' Daichi spent the days training his body and improving his skills. But he also took his grandfather''s advice and took a day off every week to simply rest and relax. He took cooking as a hobby and tried it out. He learned the various ways to prepare the ingredients and learned several simple dishes. ''Mmm¡­ That smells delicious.'' Daichi was currently making a beef dish and after some time it was done. Daichi turned off the flame and started plating the dish. Skill Cooking''s level has risen by one. After making a couple of dishes a few days ago, he acquired the cooking skill. Cooking - Passive(LV.4(2%)): A skill that improves the taste and quality of your dish. The created dishes will restore your HP, CP, SP but it will vary depending on the dish created and the ingredients used. At a higher level you can create dishes that will greatly restore your HP, CP, SP and even improve your physical stats. Effects: +12% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. +7% Increase in plating technique. Due to cooking, his ''sense'' stat had improved by 2 points. He learned that by creating dishes with more difficulty than the last and learning to control the flame and time of cooking his ''sense'' stat would increase. Daichi also took the time to paint. Creating easy artworks from his previous life. As he created more artwork with various complexities his dexterity stat improved. In one month his painting alone increased that particular stat by 3. He also got the skill ''painting'' after he successfully completed 2 works. Painting - Passive(LV.3(44%): A skill that improves the aesthetic qualities and visual appeal of the artwork. At a higher level the user can create artwork painted or drawn in such a way that it creates an optical illusion that tricks the mind into believing that the 2d artwork they are viewing is in fact 3 dimensional. Effects: +13% Increase in visual appeal. +10% Increase of accuracy in painting. Daichi realized that most tasks even if it was non shinobi related would increase his stat points depending on the tasks he was completing. 3 weeks had passed by since Daichi''s first spar with Kensei. He improved his skills, had another level up and he had a second spar with Kensei a week ago. He was getting used to fighting and using the taijutsu techniques. It was the last day of May. The end of Daichi''s second month in this world. Currently he was in his backyard training. Daichi was running with a leaf stuck to his forehead. His leaf concentration technique has passed level 10. Now he was trying to combine physical training and chakra control exercises to increase efficiency. ''If I can keep my focus and keep the leaf on my forehead even during the workouts then I''ll be able to improve my chakra skill quicker. I need to strengthen and increase my chakra reserves. That should be my priority.'' Right now Daichi could only hold the leaf on his forehead while running for about 6 minutes. Daichi''s goal was to increase his concentration while performing several tasks. Once his chakra was completely exhausted he started working on different exercises. After about 4 hours of alternating between these tasks his strength, agility and chakra stat increased by 1. Daichi sat down under the tree and thought about his training. He wanted to improve his chakra capacity some more quickly and start learning and creating jutsus. Once his chakra was restored he took 5 leaves with his right hand and placed them on the fingertips of his left hand. Daichi wanted to create the chakra threads that the sand village''s puppeteers use. Or something similar to it. ''This is an underrated skill but it has its uses. Using chakra strings to use puppets is great and all but I feel like we could take it to a whole new level.'' Daichi mused thinking about the various ways he could use it. It is a simple jutsu but it could have wide applications if used in the correct manner. He concentrated the chakra to his fingertips and then coated the leaves with it. He turned his left hand upside down and saw that the leaves were stuck to his fingers. Daichi held like that for a few moments to get the feel of it. He could feel the slow but steady decrease in his reserves. He stopped sending chakra to every finger except his index. The 4 leaves floated down as no more chakra was holding them up. ''Alright. I''ll take it slow. One at a time.'' Daichi concentrated and slowly pushed the leaf on his index finger down with his chakra still coated and connected to it. He saw the leaf detach from his fingertip and float a few centimeters below. Gently waving in the air. He slowly recalled his chakra back and watched the leaf float back to his finger. He tried the process again but this time he increased the distance by double. Suddenly, as expected, several notifications popped up. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously focusing chakra to an object on your fingertips and manipulating them with your chakra, the skill ''Chakra Threads'' has been created.] Chakra Threads - Active(LV.1): A support skill that is mainly used by puppet users allowing them to control several puppets in battle. This technique can also be used to push or pull objects towards the user. They act as strings and can be attached to moving objects allowing the user control of their motion. But this requires proficiency in the technique. At higher levels chakra can be transferred or absorbed via the threads and even the chakra nature of the threads can be changed. Note: Chakra coated weapons can cut the strings. Effects: +5% Increase in thread control. +5% Increase in thread speed CP cost : 8/sec for single thread. ''Yes. A great skill with a variety of uses. I can use this to trip enemies or even deflect small projectile weapons coming my way. Or maybe even control the motion and path of my shuriken weapons. And according to this at a higher level I can change the nature of the Chakra of the string. I can already imagine a fire and lightning string raining hell on my enemies.'' ''I need to figure out what kind of a fighter I''m going to be. Am I someone who''s going to be like a Jack of all trades and master of none?... No thinking like that is limiting myself. Just because I will become proficient in many fields of ninja art one day doesn''t mean I can''t master several. But still¡­ What should be my strongest field?'' Daichi pondered on this question for some time. He already decided he would learn and become capable of creating and dispelling Genjutsu. But he had no desire to become a master in the art. ''Genjutsu has wide applications and with my perfect chakra control, it would be easy to create various illusion techniques¡­ But fighting with Genjutsu just isn''t appealing to me¡­Ok what else?'' The same went for sealing arts. He would one day learn sealing arts and would learn to create barriers and other such seals but dedicating his life and becoming a master in such an art was of no interest to him. Daichi didn''t want to go with the medic route as well based on the same excuse. ''The sealing art and medical field doesn''t interest me. At least not enough to dedicate my entire time to it. But there are two techniques in those two fields that I definitely want to learn. The fourth Hokage''s teleportation jutsu - The Flying Thunder God and I need to know if I can recreate Tsunade''s Creation Rebirth technique. But that jutsu doesn''t heal. Only speed up the creation of new cells¡­ At least that''s what I remember¡­ I need to create a super healing medical jutsu with the least negative side effects.'' He would certainly learn these different important fields but it would still only be till the point he was better than most. As Daichi thought it through he realized that his interests lay in Ninjutsu and then Taijutsu. But for him to fully go down this path he would have to increase his chakra reserves massively. ''I suppose it''s only natural. What kind of a person gets reincarnated into a world with superpowers and wouldn''t want to learn to shoot fireballs or create giant waves of water. Since I''m going to go down the Ninjutsu way, I might as well go all out. I need to master all five elements and then maybe learn to use yin and Yang chakra attacks. But for all that I need to increase my chakra volume.'' Daichi sighed thinking about the training ahead but he was happy. He was going to use every bit of his chakra everyday and stretch and strengthen his chakra coils. Daichi decided that when the time came to use his free stat points, a vast majority of it would go to his chakra and strength. He would save some for agility and dexterity. They would be the secondary stats he would prioritize after chakra and strength. ''The moment people figure out that my strength lies in Ninjutsu, they''ll try to counter me by using Taijutsu or Genjutsu. Since I have the Gamer''s Mind I''m not all that worried about Genjutsu. But I''ll have to train Taijutsu as well. They''ll be my secondary focus.'' When he trained his body Daichi would try to keep the gap difference between strength, agility and dexterity to a minimum. He wanted to maintain a perfect ratio between power, speed and flexibility of his body. It would help his taijutsu skill tremendously. Switching between offense, defense and evasion. Daichi let go of the chakra thread that was holding the leaf. He meditated and restored his reserves. He stood up and lightly stretched. He started running around the compound and once he reached his top speed he kept at it and tried to push more energy to go faster. He sprinted the whole time till his stamina was in the low single digits. He got a new skill by the time he was done. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously running at top speed, the skill ''Sprint'' has been created.] Sprint - Active(LV.1): A skill that gives the user a boost in speed, increasing the agility of the user. This boost in speed will run out when SP reaches less than 10. Effects: +5% Increase in running speed. SP cost : 120 SP per minute. Daichi cooled down after a few minutes and under the shade of the tree he opened his status page. Daichi looked at the stat and level increase. ''Just as I thought. The first two weeks, it was easy to increase my stat points through training but now it took almost 3 weeks to improve them. And not by much. Training for almost 3 weeks only made a difference of 2 or 3 points in each stat. Right now the lowest are vitality and wisdom. Wisdom would increase with games like shogi and go. But I''m not going to focus on that stat for the moment.'' ''Right now my concern is SP. Stamina points haven''t even crossed the 750 mark. Need to increase the vitality stat¡­. Should I use the free stat points?... No. Now is not the time. It''s getting difficult to increase them with training alone and if I add any more now it''ll be even more difficult. Need to think in terms of the long run.'' ''Time to see my skills'' Daichi opened the skill page and looked at the skills. Noting the rise in level and effects of the skills. It made him satisfied. ''Lets see¡­ What else remains to complete in my current quest?'' ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daichi¡¯s Status and Skills. ¡®Status¡¯ Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Civilian Age : 5 Title : Capable Child, Explorer Level : 9 (543/3500) HP : 915 CP : 896.7 SP : 720 Primary Stats Strength - 21 Vitality - 18 Dexterity - 19 Agility - 19 Intelligence - 28 Chakra - 20 Wisdom - 17 Special Stats Sense - 11 Stamina - 21 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 5 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 60 Ryo - 1500 ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------- ''Skill list'' 1.Gamer''s Mind - Passive (LV.MAX) Effects: +25% increase in speed Effects : +23.5% to base HP regeneration per minute. +23.5% to base CP regeneration per minute. +23.5% to base SP regeneration per minute. Effects: +22.8% Increase in Damage inflicted. +22% Increase in Movement speed. +13% Increase in Physical stat growth. -25% Decrease in Damage taken. Effects: +11.3% Growth rate of Chakra stat. +15.4% Strength increase to all chakra-based skills. +15% Defense increase against chakra-based attacks. +22% Increase to maximum CP. -8.1% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Effects: Regeneration Increased by 18% of base CP per minute. +14% growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 25%. Effects: +3% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. +3% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -3% Less CP requirements for new Jutsu created. Effects: +35% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 3/sec. -20% CP cost to chakra techniques. Effects: +25% Increase in taste CP cost : 3/sec. Effects: +25% Increase in hearing CP cost : 6/sec. Effects: +21% Increase in smell. CP cost : 3/sec. Effects: +23% Increase in sight. CP cost : 6.5/sec. Effects: +31.8% Increase in attack power. +30.6% Increase in defense. +26% Increase in speed -19.7% Decrease in damage taken. Effects: +30% Increase in accuracy. +30% Increase in damage dealt. Effects: -12.5% Decrease in damage taken. Effects: +15% Increase in critical rate. +17% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. +8% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 21.5 per hit. Effects: +16% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. +10% Increase in plating technique. Effects: +15% Increase in visual appeal. +12% Increase of accuracy in painting. Effects: +5% Increase in thread control. +5% Increase in thread speed CP cost : 8/sec for single thread. Effects: +5% Increase in running speed. SP cost : 120 SP per minute. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 22 – One Year Training 03 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi opened his current training quest. Current Quest - ¡®Get ahead of your peers¡¯ Train hard and prepare for the academy. Become stronger than everyone in your generation. The path to the strongest begins here. Time limit: 10 Months Conditions: Increase your level to 13 by the time you join the academy Learn Beginner Taijutsu and increase it to LV.15 Learn Basic Chakra Control Technique and increase it to LV.15 Increase your Basic Body Conditioning to LV.15 Learn Beginner Shuriken Jutsu and increase it to LV.15 Learn 1 E-Rank Ninjutsu or more (0/1) Find out your Chakra Nature. Unlock any 2 special stats. Rewards: 1500 Exp, +1 Level +3 To all awakened stat points +1 LV. to all Skills +12 Stat Points Rep increases with everyone. Rep massively increases with Kensei Yasaji. New Title Special Reward Failure: -2 Levels Rep decreases with the Leaf Village citizens. Rep decreases with Kensei Yasaji. Rep decreases with Academy Teachers. Rep decrease with the ¡®The Leaf 12¡¯. New Title ''Looks like I''m about to complete most of this quest but based on the amount of exp I need for each level, getting to 13 will take at least 7 or 8 more months. Still¡­ I have 10 months remaining before joining the new semester. I''ll be ready by then. Hmmm¡­ what E rank Ninjutsu should I learn? The clone technique, substitution or transformation? I''ll ask the old man later. I''ll ask him for the chakra paper as well. Gotta find out my affinity. The sooner I get things done the easier it''ll be.'' Daichi was able to quickly complete most of his current quest because of his efficient and constant training. He kept a steady pace and only took the weekend off to relax. It also brought him new ideas to implement in his training. He went to find Kensei after closing the notification boxes. It was time to find out his chakra nature. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kensei''s library. Kensei was rummaging through some boxes on the shelf and after a few minutes he found what he was looking for. He took a special paper from the box and turned around to face his grandson. He held the paper in front of Daichi. "I take it you understand what this paper does?" He asked. "Yeah. It shows my natural chakra affinity. I focus my chakra on it and if it''s wind it tears, if it''s water it gets wet, earth it crumbles to dust, fire it burns to ash and if it''s lightning the paper wrinkles." Daichi replied. "Training in chakra nature is advanced stuff. Most shinobi start this after they become chunin. You realize that don''t you?" Kensei knew Daichi understood the difficulty of the task but he said it anyway. Daichi nodded but had a smirk. "I know but you and I both know I''m not going to be like most shinobi." "That remains to be seen. Here. No point in wasting anymore time." Kensei gave Daichi the chakra paper. Daichi held the paper between his index and middle finger. He took a breath and let it out. Closing his eyes he focused and concentrated some of his chakra through his fingers and onto the paper. When he opened his eyes the result was something he didn''t expect. The paper turned to dirt and crumbled to dust in seconds. "Earth nature. Interesting." Kensei rubbed his chin looking at Daichi. "You look surprised!" Daichi, hearing the old man, looked up at him and replied. "Yeah. I thought I''d be lightning or fire natured. Earth is a surprise." ¡®More like I wanted it to be those. But it isn¡¯t so bad. Earth element in the right hands could be quite versatile¡¯. "What do you think about Earth nature affinity?" Kensei asked, wanting to know the boy''s opinion on his natural affinity. Daichi thought about it for sometime before giving him the answer. "It''s a powerful nature. We''re surrounded by earth elements and it''s perfect for defense and offense. With enough chakra reserves one can reshape the entire terrain to suit their needs. And in a battlefield having control over the terrain means increasing the odds of victory. A true master can turn earth into as malleable as water or as hard as a mountain. At least that''s what I think." Kensei had a smile on his face after hearing his reasons. "Good. But for the moment, train and improve the skills you have. Those being your taijutsu and shurikenjutsu and then focus on increasing your chakra reserves and strength. When you''re ready in a couple years and depending on your progress we''ll start with nature chakra and its applications. A tower with a weak foundation won''t last long after all." Daichi agreed with him. Right now his main priority was increasing the level of all his current skills. As Daichi thought about it he got curious. "Hey gramps. What''s your chakra nature?" Daichi asked him. Kensei just smirked as he listened to the quest. "You''ll find out one day." As he said those words, Kensei handed him a small scroll. "Is that?" Daichi wondered. "This is an E rank jutsu taught in the academy. The rope escape jutsu." "Huh.?" Daichi didn''t think the first jutsu he would get from the old man was this basic supplementary technique. Kensei chucked watching the dumb expression on Daichi''s face. "You have to learn to crawl before you can walk. This is a basic straightforward and simple jutsu but it''s quite useful when you least expect it. Learn it. And a couple months later based on your progress I''ll see if you''re ready for any other techniques¡­" The old man was having fun watching Daichi''s expression. Hearing the cheery and somewhat smug voice of his grandpa, Daichi sighed to himself. "Yeah. I''m gonna learn it and I''ll be ready to learn clone jutsu and more by the time I''m ready for the academy." Daichi replied back with a grin and cheeky voice. "I look forward to it." Kensei walked out of the room having the last word. Daichi took the scroll and went outside. He read the scroll detailing the technique. When the user is bound, they find ways to escape by untying the knot or dislocating the joints to get free. Although it is the most basic of the escape-based jutsu, it is still fairly complicated to perform. ''Let''s get to work.'' Daichi sat down and went through every inch of the scroll, determined to memorize and learn it by the end of the day. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sound of fist hitting flesh could be heard throughout the room. Both Daichi and Kensei were sparring in the dojo. Neither one intending to give the other victory. Daichi rained fast precise punches aiming at Kensei''s head. All of which were deflected or dodged. Because of the height difference Daichi was at a disadvantage. Kensei stepped forward, throwing a fast powerful punch towards Daichi''s face. The boy raised both hands and blocked the punch aimed at his face but the force from it pushed him backwards. -66 HP ¡®Damn the old man hits hard.¡¯ Daichi slid a few feet before taking a step back and stopping himself. Before he could even put his hands down Daichi saw movement from the corner of his eyes. Kensei threw a roundhouse kick aimed at the left side of his torso. Daichi planted his feet and gripped the floor. He braced himself and took the oncoming blow. "Arh¡­" He couldn''t help grunting at the strength of the attack. But as soon as the kick struck he trapped the leg under his left arm and threw a fast jab aiming at the thighs of the trapped leg. But before it could even reach halfway Kensei threw several quick punches forcing Daichi to block and parry them. But they were mostly unsuccessful since he only had one arm to counter the old man''s assaults. Several strikes landed on his body forcing him to let go of the leg and compelling him to jump back and gain some distance. Daichi had a haggard breath. His chest expanding and contracting, gasping for some precious air. He''d been fighting with such intensity for over thirty minutes. Barely a couple of seconds passed and Kensei was already on him. "Your enemies won''t give you time to rest or catch your breath. Never show weakness. It would definitely be used against you." Those were the words he heard while desperately parrying the oncoming attacks. Daichi sharpened his senses to their absolute maximum to sense the speed and position of the attacks. He didn''t even have time for any useless thoughts. Both grandfather and grandson exchanged fists at a speed civilians could barely see let alone fend off. Daichi was carefully waiting for an opportunity to strike but his grandfather was careful. ¡®He¡¯s blocking and parrying every one of my punches and jabs. Don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep going like this. Got no choice. Need to use ¡®strong hit¡¯. Even if it will drain almost half my remaining stamina.¡¯ Deciding to make his own opening, Daichi met one of Kensei''s punches with a punch of his own. Both fists colliding knuckle to knuckle. Daichi used the skill ''strong hit'' and put enough force in it to make even Kensei wince. Feeling the pain and his hand becoming slightly numb, Kensei lagged for a second. But that single moment presented an opportunity for Daichi to move past the old man''s defenses and land a strike on his chest. A powerful strike that made even Kensei slightly grunt. But that was the only attack Daichi was able to land on his opponent. Kensei clenched his fists and resumed his vigorous attacks. Several strikes landed on Daichi''s body but he refused to take any more steps back. He gritted his teeth and stood his ground. Each time Kensei landed a successful attack on his body Daichi could see his HP falling. Slowly but steadily. Just when it looked like it would stay like this there was a change in the flow of the battle. Kensei took a single step forward, and arched his punch changing the trajectory of the attack from a straightforward punch to an uppercut. He accomplished this feat without losing any attack speed. Even though Daichi could see the punch coming he knew he wouldn''t be able to block it. And if it landed it would be over for him. Daichi quickly leaned back, avoiding the uppercut by centimeters. Just when he thought he had passed the danger he felt a strike on his right leg. A quick precise attack that took his balance and footing. -41 HP Kensei knew the boy would dodge his attack. His uppercut was a distraction and his real goal was to make him lose his footing. Daichi fell backwards hitting the floor. "Ooh" He couldn''t help exclaim. Seeing his goal accomplished the old man moved in for an axe stomp. He launched a downward strike with the heel of his foot straight at Daichi''s chest. Daichi quickly rolled to the right dodging the attack and was about to get up when he felt a hand on the back of his neck and it froze him. Daichi was kneeling on all fours with Kensei standing beside him with a knifehand strike placed on the back of his neck. The old man didn''t strike him but simply placed the hand on the boy''s neck. But this was enough for Daichi to know that the fight was over. It was only after a few seconds had passed by that Daichi heard his own panting breath. He could hear his heart, beating in his chest like a giant drum. He felt the adrenaline and the blood coursing through his body. His aching and twitching muscles. He slowly stood up on shaky legs. And turned to face his grandfather. Kensei had a wide smile on his face. Even though he wasn''t as exhausted as Daichi he was still slightly out of breath. Sparring with someone like Daichi for so long at his age took its toll. But he never felt as good as he did at that moment in a long time. "It''s been almost 6 months since we''ve started our sparring sessions. And every time you impress me. Your speed of improvement is incredible. And you''re talent¡­ It''s unbelievable. I have no doubt you''ll be even greater than the 4th Hokage one day." Kensei didn''t hold back in his praise. Based on the speed of Daichi¡¯s improvement and his inborn talent, he truly believed Daichi could reach great heights. Hearing his grandpa''s praise made Daichi blush a little. He scratched the back of his head lightly laughing¡­ "Aww you''re making me blush Gramps¡­" Just then his stomach growled like a lion. "Hahaha¡­" Kensei laughed heartily. "We''re both a mess. Let''s get ourselves cleaned up. We''ll be going out for dinner tonight. How are you feeling about BBQ?" He asked. "That sounds awesome. Let''s go to Yakiniku Q." Daichi replied in an instant. The best BBQ place in the leaf village was the Yakiniku Q. He had only been there once but that single visit was enough to make him captivated with the place. Kensei chuckled looking at Daichi''s drooling hungry face. "Sure. Go get cleaned up and meet me downstairs in an hour. We''ll head out." Daichi nodded and went to his room. Kensei went to his own room to get himself ready. Chapter 23 – Kensei’s Motives and End of Training. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi felt the cool water cascading down his body. It helped him relax after the intense sparring session he had with his grandfather. He was looking over and closing the piled up notifications that appeared during and after the fight. Several skills and stat points have increased due to the intensity and length of the fight. The notification of the quest completion for surviving the spar was also dismissed after being looked over. Daichi got out of the shower, put on some new clothes and meditated. He felt the aches and pains throughout his body disappear. His stamina, chakra and health points slowly regenerated. When the time came he met his grandfather downstairs and both of them headed out. It was past 6 in the evening. Both of them slowly walked through the village. Daichi noted the somber and almost quiet atmosphere when he walked through the village. It took him only a few seconds to realize the truth of the matter. It was October 9th today. Tomorrow was the 5th anniversary of the nine tails attack. It didn''t take long for Kensei and Daichi to reach the BBQ restaurant. A large restaurant with wide windows and multiple green seated booths. The menu was plastered on the wall. Each table had a charcoal brazier built in the center and was equipped with tongs for cooking. A restaurant with a Gy¨±-Kaku style form of dining in which the customers cook their own food after ordering it. Daichi and Kensei found an empty booth in the corner and sat down. They gave their order and waited for the food. After a few seconds of silence Kensei spoke. "You''ve gotten a lot stronger during these last few months. In your current strength I''d say you''ll be able to handle a 2nd or 3rd year student of the academy." Daichi wasn''t surprised at the evaluation. He visited the academy a couple of times during the last few months. And he observed any kid he could find. Their levels and stats showed that he was stronger than most of the first, second and some third year students. Daichi simply nodded. "I know you''re still holding back quite a lot. You didn''t use chakra to strengthen your body did you?" Daichi asked. Kensei shook his head. "No. If I had used that now, our spar wouldn''t mean anything to you since you won''t even be able to touch me. Although I''m surprised you knew about such a technique." "I read about it in the chakra theory book you gave me. It''s a skill that can only be learned after someone has had extensive chakra control training. Like mastering the water walking." Daichi replied. Kensei nodded. "Yes. That''s true. But you''re nowhere near ready for that." "I know gramps. I''ll take it slow. One step at a time." Daichi wanted to completely master the leaf concentration exercise before moving on to the next one. "Daichi. I want you to take the next few days off. No training for another three or four days." Daichi usually only took a single day to rest in a week. He already planned on taking a rest tomorrow but he didn''t understand why the old man extended the recuperating period to more than one day. "I was already planning on taking a break tomorrow but why more?" "All you''ve been doing is training. Even though you cook and paint sometimes during your break it''s still not enough. I know I¡¯ve said this before but now is the time for you to enjoy being a kid. Go out, play, make some friends or simply enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the village. Whatever you wanna do except training. It will do you some good." "But I like training." Daichi said in a somewhat whiny tone. Hearing the childish whiny tone of his voice brought a smile to Kensei''s face. "Now you''re acting like a brat your age." At that moment their order came. Kensei ordered the premium buffet. He knew Daichi had a pretty big appetite. Especially after a fight. He watched the appetizers being placed on the table. Daichi looked at the various dishes and couldn''t help gulp his saliva. He was extremely hungry and the tantalizing smells of the food was only making it more difficult for him to hold back. He used ''observe'' as the waiter placed the various dishes on the table. [Minced beef Katsu] A panko coated deep fried ground beef cutlet with layered cheese filling. It is served with tonkatsu sauce, shredded cabbage and a small portion of rice. A delicious dish made by chef Joren. [Chicken Karaage] A bite sized chicken thigh coated with flour and a special blend of spices and deep fried in hot oil. When done the chicken is coated in a crispy shell with the tender and juicy meat preserved inside. An exceptionally flavorful, crispy and juicy fried chicken. 4 bite sized pieces served in a decorative bowl. [Beef Okonomiyaki] A popular pan fried dish that consists of batter and cabbage. Beef is the main ingredient with several vegetable toppings added. This is a dish that is grilled on an iron griddle and prepared by chef Hanshi. [Chili Cheese Fries] These chili and crispy potato fries topped with homemade beef chili and cheese and then baked to perfection. A tasty snack perfect for an appetizer. [Wakame Salad] This simple yet tasty dish is made from an edible seaweed widely used around the world. This dish contains corn, tomato, dried seaweed, sesame seeds and thinly chopped carrots. It''s highly nutritious and rich in fiber, calories, calcium and protein. Daichi didn''t waste anymore time and started eating. Kensei joined and after about a dozen minutes all that was left were empty plates. "Oh wow. That was delicious." "Indeed. This is one of the few places in the village that can match Shi''s restaurant taste quality." His grandfather said. Daichi took a moment and let himself relax. He took a moment and looked at his grandpa. "Hey gramps. Are you thinking about tomorrow?" Kensei sighed. "Yeah. Tomorrow marks the 5th anniversary of the nine tails attack." He had a somber expression. The images of his son, his daughter in law and his wife came to mind. All of them, taken before their time due to the tragic event. Looking at the old man''s face Daichi stayed quiet. He didn''t have any memories of his parents from this life. He didn''t have any particular attachments to anyone aside from his grandfather Kensei, Matron Aiko and Jozu at the orphanage. That too was a small bond courtesy of the respect he felt towards them for taking care of him. Right now his mind went towards another orphan. Someone burdened with a heavy duty and shunned for something that wasn''t his fault. ''I wonder how you''re doing¡­ Naruto?'' ''Should I visit the playground? He would definitely be there¡­ No. He would definitely have guards. It would be suspicious if I went and decided to become friends with him out of nowhere when everyone else stays away. I would get on the radar of all the people I definitely don''t want to.'' Daichi sighed. He didn''t think about it anymore. "We''ll go pay the cemetery a visit early in the morning tomorrow. By noon and till evening it will be somewhat crowded." Kensei said to Daichi. He just nodded and quietly sat. Both of them, thinking about various things. In a short while the main course came and was served. Several plates of various cuts of beef and chicken were placed. Daichi didn''t bother with using ''observe'' this time and just grilled and enjoyed the food. Both of them ate while discussing various topics and left the place after about an hour and went back home. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was October 10th early in the morning. Daichi and Kensei were standing in the leaf village cemetery. It was located at the outskirts of the village. The cemetery had a sculpture resembling a fire at the front. It represented the will of fire of the village and had the kanji for Hokage inscribed on its base. Both of them were in front of a gravestone. On the stone were the names of Kensei''s late family. They were buried together due to Kensei''s request. After a few minutes Kensei spoke. He had a slight angry tone in his voice. "Hotaru was talented. And the village took advantage of that. They brainwashed him with propaganda and ideals of the village so much that he and I became estranged. And his death was what caused my beloved Fumiyo''s untimely demise." Hearing the old man¡¯s words, curiosity got the best of Daichi and he used ''observe'' on the headstone. [Headstone - Fumiyo Yasaji] The grave of Fumiyo Aya. The late wife of Kensei Yasaji. She was a chunin when she met Kensei. He saved her during a dangerous mission and they formed a relationship thereafter. She had a son named Hotaru who died during the nine tails attack. The loss of her son affected her mentally and physically. Slowly weakening her heart with each passing day. She died two years ago at the age of 58, in her sleep. [Headstone - Hotaru Yasaji] The grave of Hotaru Yasaji. The late son of Kensei Yasaji and Fumiyo Yasaji. Hotaru was a talented shinobi during his time. He graduated from the academy at the age of 9 and had participated in the 3rd world war. Due to the number of missions he completed and the merits he received during the war, he was quickly promoted to Jonin. Later at the end of the war he married his childhood sweetheart Eriko Hatsmi. During the last few years of his life he had an estranged relationship with his father due to their contrasting philosophies regarding the village. He was 26 when he died in the nine tails attack 5 years ago. [Headstone - Eriko Hatsmi] The grave of Eriko Hatsmi. The late wife of Hotaru Yasaji. She was an average shinobi who worked in the administrative department after becoming a chunin. During the end of the 3rd world war she married her childhood crush Hotaru Yasaji. She was 26 when she died during the nine tails attack 5 years ago. Daichi reading the details felt like he had a better understanding of Kensei. ''No wonder the old man doesn''t talk about his son all that much. He might probably still be blaming his son for his wife''s death. That''s a whole can of worms I''m not gonna open any time soon. But still¡­isn''t being angry at a dead man still pointless?'' It was sometime past seven in the morning when they reached the cemetery grounds. They prayed and stayed there for sometime before placing the bouquet of flowers Daichi made from his garden on the stone and left shortly after. They ate some breakfast from Shi Fang''s restaurant and went home. When they neared their house Daichi asked Kensei what was on his mind. "Hey gramps. Are you still angry with your son?" Kensei was slightly startled by the question but then composed himself and answered. "After his death all I felt was regret for not communicating with him. But when Fumiyo died I wanted to blame someone. And he became a convenient scapegoat. It was his death that caused her to die after all. But after some time I came to the realization that I was mostly just angry¡­ So to answer your question, No. I''m not angry at my son." "Then who are you angry at?" Daichi asked this question because he wanted to know if the old man''s anger was misplaced onto Naruto like most of the villagers. Kensei answered his question with a question of his own. "Daichi. Do you know why I''m training you like this even though you''re only just 5 years old?" "To get me strong and make sure I''m at the top of my class¡­?" Daichi replied in a somewhat unsure voice. "I graduated from the academy just a year after the third graduated. I''ve participated in three wars. I''ve traveled all over the world. Met all sorts of people. And I learned one important fact.¡± Daichi''s eyes slightly narrowed as he listened to Kensei. That''s when he heard something that surprised him. ¡°The leaf village isn''t the center of the world.¡± Kensei said with a strong voice. ¡°I was like most people at the beginning. I believed in the will of fire and philosophy of unity of the village. But over the years I''ve seen the dark twisted side of the village.¡± ¡°I saw teammates killing teammates to keep the secrets from spreading on the orders of the higher ups. There was even a time when I was attacked by ninjas of this village because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. You can say that I''ve opened my eyes to the truth of the world. There is no right or wrong. Only those with strength can make their own path.¡± ¡°My philosophy regarding this place changed. But my son was someone who believed in this place. He would have given his life for this village without hesitation. And that was what created our rift. I wanted him to put his life above all else. Even the village. He disagreed. Our ideals clashed and we drifted apart." Kensei sighed and looked at Daichi. He continued. "My father was a traveling merchant. When I was a child it was my dream to travel the world. But fate had other plans. I became a ninja and dedicated the prime of my life to this place.¡± ¡°The reason why I''m training you and pushing you is because you are someone like me. I understood that from the first day we met. You want to become strong so that you can leave this village without fear of death, don''t you?¡± Daichi was stunned when he was asked the question. For a split second he thought about lying but then decided against it. "Yeah. I want to travel the world. But if I leave the village without becoming a ninja I''ll probably be killed by someone on my journey because I was too weak to defend myself and if I become a ninja I''ll be declared a missing nin the moment I leave and be marked for life. The only way to avoid all that is to become stronger than everyone else." "Precisely. That''s why I''m training you. I want you to have the chance I never had. Daichi. Whatever path you choose¡­ whether it''s to stay in the village or leave, I want you to be strong enough so that it''s your choice. And to answer your earlier question, no one. I¡¯m angry at no one. Not anymore anyway." "You know, for a moment I thought you hated the village because of what happened to your family." Daichi said to him. Kensei had a small sad smile when he heard this. "Hate is a strong word. I do hate some people within the village. I hate some policies put in place but...I don''t hate the leaf village itself. Despite everything that''s happened this place is still my home. And I would protect it if the need arises." Daichi nodded when he heard this. After a few seconds of silence Kensei spoke. "Daichi! Promise me something." "What is it?" "I know I told you that you can choose whatever path you want¡­ but¡­ promise me that when the time comes it won''t be one that will harm the village." Kensei had the face of another genius in mind as he asked this of Daichi. A powerful ninja he once worked with and now a traitor to the village. "I won''t do anything to hurt the village or its people. You have my word." Daichi said with as much seriousness as he could. He wanted to make sure Kensei knew he wasn''t a threat to this place. Kensei was carefully looking over the boy''s chakra and he was satisfied with the answer. Both of them talked for a while and soon they were nearing their home. Daichi felt like he understood Kensei much better now. He simply nodded to his grandfather''s words. They soon reached home. Daichi did as his grandfather told him. He took a few days off from his training to enjoy himself. He created some beautiful artwork and made some dishes to cheer up the somewhat depressed old man. After a few days of rest and recuperation he resumed his training. The remaining 6 months passed by in a blur. Before long it was the last night of march. Tomorrow he would start the academy. Chapter 24 – First day of the Academy Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. It was the morning of April 1st. Daichi and Kensei were walking down the road. Their destination - The Academy. It didn''t take them long to reach the place. Daichi was excited. He''d been waiting for this day for a long time. Both Daichi and his grandfather walked through the entrance gate of the academy building. They saw dozens of parents and their children roaming the grounds. Kensei brought Daichi to the academy a week ago to get him registered. He answered some questions and completed some easy physical tests. After the teacher reviewed the results, Daichi was successfully signed on as an academy student. Right now the entrance ceremony was about to take place. As the time for the ceremony to begin was nearing, the academy teachers instructed the new students to stand in several lines. The parents stood back watching the children stand in order. Daichi was looking around the place. He spotted some familiar faces among the children and parents. He was using ''observe'' and most of the kids were around 3-7 level. But they were mostly civilian children. Daichi spotted a couple of clan kids and they were around 7 and 8 level. ''Looks like those from the clan receive training even before joining this place. But that''s to be expected. But even most of them only have a level of around 7 to 9. Looks like I''m the strongest in this batch. I guess all that intense training really paid off.'' Daichi, who was lost in thought, regained his bearings when the Hokage made his presence. He was in his usual attire with the traditional white robes and the Hokage hat on his head. He walked to the front and stood on the makeshift podium. "Congratulations to all of you who were accepted into the academy. From this day forth, do your best to reach your goals to become a shinobi. You have a lot of hard work ahead of you on this journey. I expect great things and I know you''ll do the leaf village proud. May the will of fire burn brightly in each and everyone of you." Daichi was looking at the Hokage as he welcomed the students and for some reason he felt as if the Hokage was looking at him specifically during the end of his speech. He didn''t put much thought into it as the instructors brought everyone to their assigned classroom. The Hokage watched as the teachers took the children to their assigned classrooms. He was in deep thought as he looked at two particular students. Hiruzen looked at Naruto who was slowly disappearing among the crowds. ''Minato¡­ Kushina¡­ Your son is slowly growing up. I know you would be proud of him.'' He then turned his attention towards Daichi. He was looking forward to Daichi''s growth throughout the coming years. ''His chakra has increased by a wide margin. At least when compared to when I first met him. Show me just how talented you are, young Daichi.'' Hiruzen turned around and was about to leave but then he saw Kensei standing near the other parents. ''Should I go talk to him?'' Kensei noticed the Hokage''s gaze. A slight frown formed on Kensei''s face and he left. Hiruzen let out a sigh and left the academy as well. ''Another time and place I suppose.'' The moment Daichi stepped into the classroom several notifications popped up. He took a seat in the back corner of the class and looked over the blue boxes that popped up. Quest - ¡®Get ahead of your peers¡¯ Completed. Rewards: 1500 Exp, +1 Level +3 To all awakened stat points +1 LV. to all Skills +12 Stat Points Rep increases with The Leaf village citizens. Rep massively increases with Kensei Yasaji. New Title - Prodigy (This title will increase the level of your skills faster by 20%.) Special Reward - New Skill (Mana Manipulation.) ''Wow. I can use Mana. Is it different from chakra? That''s a stupid question. I have no doubt it definitely is. That will come in handy. And the prodigy title will definitely help my speed of improvement.'' Closing the quest completion box Daichi opened his status page. ''Status''. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 6 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy Level : 14 (5477/6700) HP : 1625 CP : 1743.3 SP : 1275 Primary Stats Strength - 36 Vitality - 34 Dexterity - 33 Agility - 34 Intelligence - 43 Chakra - 39 Wisdom - 27 Special Stats Sense - 32 Stamina - 36 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 14 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 97 Ryo - 5700 ''Wow. Except wisdom and charisma all my stats are above 30. And my stat points are nearing 100.¡¯ A frown formed on Daichi¡¯s face as he looked at the special stats. ¡®I have no idea how to unlock Dignity. But as for Luck I¡¯ve tried gambling with the old timer a couple times but it didn''t work. I even flipped a coin trying to predict the outcome¡­ or anything really but¡­ That was a bust¡­¡¯ ¡®And as for the other two¡­ I have an idea as to how to awaken Indomitable stat. But it''s not a solid theory and doing it would be dangerous so that''s out for now. And I have a few theories on how to awaken it but not sure which path to take. ¡® Daichi let out a small tired sigh. He decided he would tackle the locked stat problem at a later date. ¡®Time to see how far my skills have improved.'' ¡®Skills¡¯ Gamer''s Mind - Passive (LV.MAX) Gamer''s Body - Passive (LV.MAX) Gaia¡¯s Blessing - Passive (LV.MAX) Observe - Active (LV.18 (11%)) Dishwashing - Passive (LV.39 (41%)) Effects: +73% increase in speed in Dishwashing Meditate - Active (LV. 36(88%)) Effects : +75.2% to base HP regeneration per minute. +75.2% to base CP regeneration per minute. +75.2% to base SP regeneration per minute. Basic Body Conditioning - Passive (LV. 30(76.1%)) Effects: +46% Increase in Damage inflicted. +44.1% Increase in Movement speed. +19.3% Increase in Physical stat growth. -40% Decrease in Damage taken. Daichi looked over his skills and assessed their improvements one by one. ¡®My Observe skill hasn''t made much progress. Makes sense since I was cooped up in that house most of the time. Need to work on that and raise its level. And Meditation skill is around where I expected it to be.¡¯ ¡®As for the Basic body conditioning, it''s slow but improving steadily. Thanks to the training and stat increase, the damage reduction buff has increased a lot. But my spars with Kensei showed that there are certain limitations. The effects of the damage reduction buff significantly decreases the higher level my opponents are. And attacks and wounds from sharp weapons can bypass the buff by a certain margin. Not sure by how much. So I need to figure that out as well¡­. Let¡¯s see¡­ What else?¡¯ Minimap Inventory Lesser chakra affinity - (Passive/Active) (LV.32 (42%)) Effects: +17% growth rate of Chakra stat. +36.3% Strength increase to all chakra-based skills. +34.9% Defense increase against chakra-based attacks. +30.4% increase to maximum CP. -15% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Lesser chakra regeneration - Passive (LV.32 (10%)) Effects: Regeneration Increased by 40% of base CP per minute. +17% growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 70%. Chakra Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.43 (73%)) Minor Jutsu Creation - Active (LV.2(89%)) Effects: +6% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. +6% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -5% Less CP requirements for new Jutsu created. Leaf concentration technique - (Active/Passive)(LV.86(52%)) Effects: +179.2% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1.5/sec. -43.2% CP cost to chakra techniques. Superior Tasting - Active(LV. 19(36%)) Effects: +43% Increase in taste CP cost : 1/sec. Superior Hearing - Active(LV.23(91%)) Effects: +56% Increase in hearing CP cost : 2/sec. Superior Smell - Active(LV. 19(41%)) Effects: +37.7% Increase in smell. CP cost : 1/sec. Superior Sight - Active(LV. 24(27%)) Effects: +49.9% Increase in sight. CP cost : 2/sec. Leaf Academy Taijutsu - Active(LV.32(30%)) Effects: +55.9% Increase in attack power. +52% Increase in defense. +53% Increase in speed -37% Decrease in damage taken. ¡®My chakra and taijutsu skills have gone way up. Much more than I expected.¡¯ Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV.34(87.8%)) Effects: +79.2% Increase in accuracy. +65.4% Increase in damage dealt. Physical Endurance - Passive(LV.26(16%)) Effects: -30.6% Decrease in damage taken. Note: Damage decrease depends on enemy level and strength. Strong Hit - Active(LV.12(85%)) Effects: +40% Increase in critical rate. +41% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. +34% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 15.3 per hit. Cooking - Active(LV.15(24%)) Effects: +32.1% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. +29% Increase in plating technique. Painting - Passive(LV.12(74%)) Effects: +31% Increase in visual appeal. +34% Increase of accuracy in painting. Chakra Threads - Active(LV.15) Effects: +30% Increase in thread control. +30% Increase in thread speed CP cost : 4/sec for single thread. Sprint - Active(LV.13) Effects: +41% Increase in running speed. SP cost : 85 SP per minute. ¡®The sprint skill increases my agility but it uses stamina. I won''t last in a drawn out battle with this skill. I need to find a skill that uses chakra instead of stamina for speed increase.¡¯ Rope Escape Jutsu - Active(LV.8) Effects: +18% Increase in success when escaping bindings. Clone Jutsu - Active(LV.18) Effects: +46% Increase when creating identical clones. CP cost : 52 CP per clone. Transformation Jutsu - Active(LV.14(50%)) Effects: +39% Increase in accuracy and details when transforming. CP cost : 40 CP per transformation. Mana Manipulation - Note: Cannot use this skill until Intelligence reaches 50 and Wisdom reaches 30. ¡®It''s been a while since I checked all my skills. Everything''s gone up significantly¡­ ¡®The one with the highest level is the leaf concentration technique. As expected. I''ve been practicing that skill every chance I got during the last year. Even during physical training and meditation. Using leaves on my forehead and fingers and even going as far as spinning them in different directions. Right now chakra control is my strongest point.¡¯ ¡®Let''s see. What else...Hmm....So to use mana affinity I need 50 in INT and 30 in WIS huh. I''m not gonna spend points. At least not now. I''ll wait until the end of this year. If my stats haven''t reached 50 and 30 by that time, then I''ll consider adding points to them.¡¯ As Daichi closed the skill list page a new quest box appeared. Quest Created - ¡®Path to the strongest.¡¯ The System will help the Player on his journey to become the world¡¯s strongest. Complete a set of tasks to receive System rewards. Failure to complete any task will result in activation of Penalty Dungeon. Quest Time limit: 6 years. Note: Failing to complete any two tasks for 3 consecutive days will mark this quest as a failure. . Conditions: Complete 100 Push ups (Daily) Complete 100 Squats (Daily) Complete 100 Punches(Daily) Run 10 Kilometers (Daily) Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of this year. Take the top spot in your class every year. . Rewards: Status Recovery (Daily) Random Reward(Weekly) +3 Stat Points (Weekly) Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Additional rewards for each extra dungeon cleared. . Failure: -5 Stat points. Penalty Dungeon Death . Accept (Y/N) ''So this is the quest ''path to the strongest''. The first part of this quest looks like a Saitama style workout. It''s a bit time consuming to do it everyday but it''s doable. And completing at least one dungeon a year. So during my time here in the academy I might need to complete at least 5 or 6 dungeons.¡¯ ¡®And based on this I need to complete one this year. Gotta search the village for more dungeons. Maybe I''ll find an easy one. And taking the top spot in the class¡­ I already planned on that. Still the rewards are generous. 3 stat points weekly for 6 years¡­ that''s a whole lot of points.'' Daichi had a small grin on his face as he thought about how strong he''d become. As he kept reading his heart skipped a beat as he looked at the failure part of the quest. Taking a deep breath he calmed down and accepted the quest. Daichi closed the last of the notification boxes and then started looking around. Most of the kids were chatting with one other. As he looked around he finally saw the kids who would one day be known as the rookie 9. He saw Hinata nervously twiddling her fingers and Sakura quietly looking around. Daichi then spotted Kiba but he didn''t have his dog Akamaru with him. ''Strange¡­ His partner Akamaru isn''t with him.'' That''s when he remembered something. ''Right! Kiba gets Akamaru during his time in the academy.'' Daichi kept looking around and saw Shikamaru and Choji together at the back and Shino at the front bench of the room. Ino was hanging around with a bunch of other girls and they seemed to be having fun. Daichi was excited looking around but he didn''t show it on his face. And when he looked to the side of the room he finally saw him. ''Naruto Uzumaki. Wow. It''s him¡­ It''s really him¡­ But he seems so different. He''s quiet. So subdued. I expected him to have that stupid grin on his face shouting about becoming number one or trying to prank someone or something but this kid is sitting obediently not making any trouble¡­ Strange¡­ Oh God! Please tell me I''m not in some alternate universe where he has Sasuke''s emo attitude.'' Daichi quickly used ''observe'' on him. [LV.6] [Naruto Uzumaki] Age: 5 HP: 2780. CP: 3803 [Naruto Uzumaki is the son of the late fourth hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. He is the current host of the nine tails. His status as a jinchuriki caused him to be shunned by most of the leaf-citizens. He is an orphan who longs for a family. He joined the academy to be a ninja and to make friends. He has a positive and friendly attitude despite his harsh circumstances.] ''Oh Thank God. He''s probably just trying to be on his best behavior to make friends¡­ Too bad it won¡¯t help the poor kid. Looking at his stats, his level is below me but his health and chakra are way above mine. Must be because of the nine tails and the Uzumaki lineage.'' Daichi looked around and his eyes found Sasuke sitting near the window. ''Observe'' [LV.10] [Sasuke Uchiha] Age: 5 HP: 1307 CP: 1189 [Sasuke Uchiha is the son of the Uchiha clan head Fugaku and his wife Mikoto. He is the youngest of two children. He is a happy child eager to please and be worthy of his clan name. He adores his older brother Itachi. He plans on becoming the first in the class to impress his father. Sasuke Uchiha has a vast amount of hidden potential and talent. ] ''So right now I''m stronger than him. Gotta keep it that way. But that''s not going to be easy knowing his attitude.'' At that moment the classroom door opened and a large man with brown hair and goatee walked in. He walked to the center of the room and looked at everyone. ¡®For a moment I thought it would be Iruka.¡¯ Daichi immediately used ''Observe'' [??][Daikoku Funeno] ??? ''Can''t see his level or other information. Seems he''s above level 59.'' "Hello students. My name is Daikoku Funeno. I''m your homeroom teacher. From now on you are to address me as Daikoku sensei. Welcome to the academy. Now I''m sure that at least some of you may have been taught how to use chakra and some Ninjutsu at home but here at the academy you''ll learn how to use chakra and its applications in depth.¡± ¡°You''ll also learn other basic subjects and train to coordinate and work together as a team. You''ll be given individual and group assignments. You''ll learn the fundamentals. They''re important so learn them well. The jutsus and techniques you will learn at the academy should not be used on others outside of supervised sparring. If any of you are caught breaking the rule you will face severe punishments.¡± ¡°And with that we''ll begin our first year. Why don''t you all introduce yourselves to the class. Each of you will stand when it''s your turn and tell us your name and your dreams and hobbies. Let''s start from the back." Daichi realized he was first as his sensei was looking at him. Daichi took a deep breath and let it out. He stood up and spoke. "Hello everyone. My name is Daichi Hekima. I like training, painting and cooking. My goal is to become the strongest." Daichi sounded neither arrogant nor silly when he spoke. He was calm and had a serious face. Some of the students had a mocking expression when they heard his goal but didn''t say anything. The teacher just smiled. "Alright. Next." The introduction went on with each student introducing themselves and telling their hobbies and dreams. Daichi listened to all of them and noted the names and faces of everyone in his class. He paid special attention to the future rookie 9. Sasuke, spurred on by his competitive side, declared he would take the top spot of the class and one day become the head of his clan. Naruto exuberantly introduced himself and declared his goal to become Hokage. After everyone was done Daikoku spoke. "Now that the introductions are done I''ll hand out the curriculum for this year. The text books for the year will be provided in the next class." Daichi looked over the curriculum that the instructor just handed out. It was composed of reading and writing, mathematics, science, geography, history, chakra theory and physical training. A total of 7 subjects. Even though he learned quite a bit from Kensei''s library he was looking forward to what the academy could teach him. ''A Monday to Friday schedule with 5 different subjects taught a day. Hmm. Physical training is on everyday¡­ I see¡­ So they''re focusing on chakra theory now and building up physical energy of the body. A stronger body can produce more chakra. And with a better understanding of how to use chakra and jutsu it''ll become easier to teach Ninjutsu next year.'' With that the class began. The first class was on reading and writing. Since the batch was made of civilian students and orphans along with clan children it was easier to start with such a simple subject. The teachers could also assess the language and written capabilities of each student and individually help them. Daichi looked around and had a small smile on his face. ''I might actually enjoy being in school for once.'' Chapter 25 – Academy Dungeon, Race and Bullies Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Half a day passed and recess came. Daichi went outside to eat the bento his grandpa made him. He sat under a tree in the corner and quietly ate. After a short while he finished eating. As he was sitting there Daichi looked at the academy building. Even after a year it was still unbelievable to him that he was here. ''Observe'' [Academy] [Shortly after the founding of the village the shinobi academy was created. During the second Hokage''s period due to a shortage of military manpower Tobirama Senju founded a ninja training camp at the base of the cliff. Although it was purely educational at first it quickly merged with military and domestic facilities and the existing shinobi academy and began to be called the academy. During the third Hokage''s reign he revised and perfected the education curriculum and training system which are now carried out under strict standards. The motto of the academy teachers is " Development to shinobi with respect to individuality."] A new notification box appeared after Daichi closed the ''observe'' page. [You have found a Location Dungeon. Do you wish to view the information on the dungeon?] ¡®Well isn¡¯t that interesting.¡¯ He became excited to check out the new dungeon. ''Yes. Show me the information.'' [You have found a Location dungeon.] Location dungeon: Player will have to go to the dungeon specific locations to access them. These are long term dungeons with strong and weak opponents. Once the dungeon is activated it will remain active for 1 year before disappearing. Players can enter and exit the dungeon anytime during the active period. Exiting the dungeon is impossible when in enemy sight. Players can stay inside the dungeon for up to 24 hours(Dungeon time), at a time. Once exited, the dungeon will have a cooldown of 3 hours in real world time. Real world time and Dungeon time is - 01: 06 ratio. Whatever happens in the dungeon will not affect the real world. [You have found the Academy dungeon. Would you like to activate this dungeon?] Y/N After reading through the details Daichi immediately pressed no. ''This dungeon would definitely have opponents from students to chunin teachers. I''d rather activate this after 3 or 4 years. That way I''ll be confident enough to clear it. Since they only stay open for a year, if I open it now I''ll only be wasting a precious opportunity. Need to find other locations with value. They most probably have a dungeon hidden in them.'' Daichi got up and went back to the classroom. Time passed by and the last class was physical training. The instructor brought the students outside and showed them simple stretching exercises. Once everyone was limbered up the instructor called everyone''s attention. "Alright, now we''re going to see where you stand in terms of physical strength and speed. We''re going to have a race. I''ll be dividing you all into groups of 6. You''ll be running 8 laps on this training course. Each lap is 250 meters. So that''s 2 kilometers total. Even though this is just a simple race, try to do your best. Boys and girls will be separate. When I call out the names come to the front. 1st group. Kiba Inuzuka, Daichi Hekima, Choji Akimichi, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Hibachi.¡± Quest Created - ¡®Win the race¡¯ Complete 8 laps with the shortest time. Win the race. Rewards: +100 Exp Rep increases with everyone but Sasuke and Hibachi. Failure: Rep decreases with everyone. Accept (Y/N) Quickly Daichi got to the front and accepted the quest. ''This group is full of kids who are physically fit in the class. So that means the teachers must have used the data from when we were registering to select this group to make things even. So they¡¯ll be doing it to the rest as well.'' Due to logically deducing new information from very little, you have obtained +1 WIS Suddenly Daichi heard a boastful shout from his side. "I''m gonna blow you all away. I''ll be first." Kiba was looking at Daichi and Sasuke when he said this. "No way I''ll be first." Naruto joined in. "I''m gonna try my best and I''m gonna win." He shouted with a smile. "Keep dreaming. I got this in the bag." Hibachi said in a smug tone. Daichi looked at everyone in the group and smiled. "Good luck. You all are gonna need it." He then stepped up to the starting line as did everyone else. The instructor blew the whistle signaling the start of the race. The moment Daichi heard the whistle he took off like a bolt of lightning. He had been running around his compound almost everyday for the last year. As a result his stats were much higher than that of his peers. Daichi was keeping a steady but fast pace. He completed the first lap before the others were even half way. Sasuke and Kiba pushed themselves harder to catch up with Daichi but they couldn''t. Sasuke was behind Daichi followed by Kiba and then Hibachi and Choji and finally Naruto. Sasuke gritted his teeth and pushed harder. ''Can''t lose.'' Daichi passed them completing his second lap by the time they completed their first. He wasn''t feeling winded at all. But unlike Daichi, everyone else was starting to feel the strain. They started too fast and were beginning to get tired. Daichi didn''t stop for anything and in 1 minute and 59 seconds he completed the 2 km run and slowed down and jogged back to his teacher. Quest ¡®Win the race¡¯ Completed. Rewards: +115 Exp Rep increases with everyone but Sasuke and Hibachi. "Sensei. I''m done." "Yes. Well done." Daikoku was impressed. He rarely met children with such physique. Especially at the start of the academy. ''His speed is pure physical strength. If I couldn''t sense chakra I would have thought he was using chakra flow to increase his speed.'' "Wow Daichi. That was so cool." Some of the girls exclaimed. Some of the boys surrounded him to know the secret of his win. Daichi just smiled and said nothing. After a short while everyone else finished the race with Sasuke coming in second 5 minutes 13 seconds and Naruto coming last in 8 minutes. Sasuke had a frown on his face as he looked at Daichi. ''I can''t believe I lost to someone in my class.'' He lightly fumed thinking about his loss. ''Next time¡­ I''ll definitely beat you.'' He quietly kept walking and stood alone in a corner. Hibachi slightly glared at Daichi but didn''t say anything as well and went back to his friends. Naruto, Kiba, Choji on the other hand approached him. "Oh man. That was awesome. Where did you learn to run like that?" Kiba asked with a panting breath. "Yeah. You were so fast." Naruto had a giant smile even though he lost. "Did you eat something special during lunch?" Choji also chimed. "I just trained you guys. Nothing all that special. I''ve been training last year. Just ran around my house and did a couple of exercises¡­ That''s all." Daichi said, laughing slightly. The instructor formed several groups and had them complete the exercise. A little over an hour had passed, and by that time everyone was done with the race. Daikoku after several minutes announced the 1st place to Daichi, 2nd for Sasuke and 3rd to Kiba. Naruto was somewhere in the middle of the class. Soon the classes for the day were completed and everyone went home. Some kids invited Daichi to play with them but he politely declined. Daichi quickly reached home and found his grandfather waiting on the front porch smoking a pipe. "So how was your first day.?" Kensei asked. "It was interesting. Contrary to what I thought, I found the whole experience enjoyable. I look forward to it." Daichi replied. Since he had been training for a year and had some access to Kensei''s library he thought he wouldn''t find anything useful in the academy and would be bored but he was wrong. When he was in the classroom he wanted to make a handful of genuine friends and enjoy his time in the academy. Something he couldn''t do in his previous life. The days passed by with Daichi excelling at every subject in the academy. Sasuke, refusing to be second, started competing with Daichi in everything. But not once did he speak a single word to Daichi. The first month focused mainly on exercises that increase one''s strength and cardio. The academy began teaching Taijutsu lessons and how to safely handle weapons like kunai and shuriken starting the second month. Daikoku sensei showed the proper ways to maintain, handle and use the different types of weapons. Each student was taught the various stances of Taijutsu style and the purpose behind them. The instructors explained how each stance could utilize the stability and strength and how to effectively put it into an attack. The children from the clan and a couple of kids like Daichi who had a shinobi family were already ahead of the rest. Daichi scored first in all the tests and class assignments and was ranked number 1 in class. He was followed by Sasuke. By the end of the second month Daichi noticed something peculiar. His classmates started to pick on Naruto. Daichi realized that they were slowly copying the behavior of the adults without even knowing the reason for it. Aside from Daichi, Choji and sometimes Kiba no one else interacted with him. Even the teachers. Although they taught him, they kept their interactions with Naruto to a minimum. This was starting to have an effect on Naruto. Contrary to what Daichi thought, Naruto didn''t start pranking anyone to get some attention. As the days passed Daichi saw Naruto get more sad and angry. Daichi sometimes caught Naruto looking at the Hokage mountain with a serious expression. Daichi noticed the change in behavior but he didn''t feel like trying to change Naruto. He knew getting involved would create trouble for him so he justified his inaction with this thought. ''Sooner or later he''ll be the prankster who''ll one day paint the Hokage mountain. And a Naruto who''s not a prankster is not a Naruto at all.'' Daichi still helped Naruto when he asked for it but it wasn''t that much. One day during his third month a couple of upperclassmen cornered Daichi in the back of the academy. They were the local bullies. "Look what we have here Zakro. A pipsqueak who thinks he''s the best." Bikan said. He was in the 4th year of the academy and occasionally bullied his underclassmen. He was accompanied by his friend Zakro. Daichi was thinking about the hand seals and how they interacted and helped with the movement of chakra throughout the body. And when the 2 bullies cornered him he lost his train of thought and this irritated him. Daichi had an annoyed look on his face. "What do you want?" He didn''t even bother using the ''observe'' skill on them. "Did you hear that Zakro? This kid has an attitude. You freshmen think you¡¯re so tough." Bikan squeezed his fists and popped his knuckles trying to look intimidating. "Bikan. Why don''t we properly welcome him to the academy." Zakro copied his friend and tried to scare Daichi. "If you kneel down and apologize I''ll forgive you." Bikan said, smirking. Quest Created - ¡®Beat the Bullies.¡¯ Defeat the bullies and scare them away. Rewards: +100 Exp Rep increases with Rookie 9. Rep decrease with Zakro and Bikan. Failure: -100 Exp. Rep decreases with everyone. Accept (Y/N). Daichi¡¯s patience was wearing thin. "Get lost." He said in a gruff voice accepting the quest. Bikan, angry that a first year student was talking to him like that, attacked him. He threw a punch straight at Daichi''s face thinking he wouldn''t be able to dodge or block it. Daichi, watching the slow, pitifully telegraphed punch coming his way, sighed. Daichi stepped to the side and evaded the strike and used his right arm to grab and hold Bikan''s fist. Even though Daichi was small his strength far exceeded someone his age. Bikan tried to pull his right arm back but he couldn''t move it an inch. Zakro, wanting to help his friend, attacked Daichi. He kicked at him trying to get Daichi off balance. Daichi deflected the kick with his leg and sent a front kick straight to Zakro''s abdomen. Daichi made sure to control his strength and not injure the kid. The kick didn''t do much damage but it sent him flying backwards several feet. He landed roughly on the floor and was coughing. That kick took away his breath. Daichi suddenly twisted his arm and shoulder flipped Bikan onto the ground. When Bikan tried to get up, Daichi twisted the shoulder till it became too painful for the older boy. He was face down on the ground and was crying in pain as Daichi stood above him and held his arm. Daichi put his left leg above Bikan''s shoulder joint and said. "Did you know that if I press here and pull, I could dislocate your shoulder?" Daichi slightly moved his feet into a new spot. "But if I press here and pull with a little twist it would definitely break your shoulder. That would be quite painful, wouldn''t you agree?" "Please, I''m sorry. Please. Lemme go." "Why should I let you go? You could come back with a few more friends and try to ambush me again. So isn''t it best I just put you down now?" The steely tone of Daichi''s voice scared the upperclassmen. But before he could say anything Daichi spoke. "Don''t try this again. Don''t ever come in front of me. If you do¡­" Daichi put some pressure on his foot and slightly pulled on the arm. Just enough to prove his point. "Ahhh. Please I won''t, I swear." Squealing in pain, Bikan answered. "And if I find out you went after any of my classmates¡­ I''ll pay you a visit you won''t like. Do you understand?" "Yes. Yes. Please let me go." Frantically nodding, Bikan pleaded. Daichi released his arm and stepped back. "Get lost. And take your friend with you." Bikan, scared out of his wits, rushed to Zakro, picked him up and left. Quest ¡®Beat the Bullies¡¯ Completed. Rewards: +115 Exp Rep increases with Rookie 9. Rep decrease with Zakro and Bikan. Now Daichi was all alone in the backyard. Or so it would appear. Daichi left without realizing that there was someone else who witnessed everything. Someone who stumbled upon the whole thing when he was looking for a quiet place to take a nap. Someone in his class. ¡®That Daichi. What a troublesome guy.¡¯ Chapter 26 – Taijutsu Spar with Sasuke Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. It was a Saturday afternoon. Daichi was currently in his backyard meditating and training his chakra control. Several leaves stuck like glue to both his hands and he even had one spinning in the center of his forehead. His goal was to complete this exercise today and move onto the next one as soon as possible. The leaf concentration was the most basic of the chakra control exercises. On a blank white canvas where there was nothing, an ordinary person would not be able to concentrate on a single spot and his eyes would wander around the whole area. But if even a single dot is added his eyes would suddenly be drawn to that point and it would help focus the mind. This was the theory when creating the leaf concentration technique. A simple yet effective training method. It improved the focus and concentration power of the mind and would even help with the person''s chakra control. Daichi pushed this concept beyond the ordinary and was able to improve his control far beyond those his age. He sat there for hours and immersed himself in this exercise. His efforts paid off. Daichi awoke to the sound of new notification boxes popping up. Skill ¡®Leaf concentration technique¡¯s level has risen by one. Leaf concentration technique - (Active/Passive)(LV.100(MAX)) Effects: +200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1/sec. -50% CP cost to chakra techniques. Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 EXP +75 EXP Skill ¡®Meditate¡¯s level has risen by one. Meditate - Active (LV. 54(2%)) Effects : +108% to base HP regeneration per minute. +108% to base CP regeneration per minute. +108% to base SP regeneration per minute. ¡®Finally. Now that I''m done with that, I can start the tree walking technique¡­ Hmm¡­ So every time I get a skill maxed out I get a 500 Exp huh. Not bad.'' Daichi sat there feeling good with his progress. He thought about the last 6 months he spent in the academy. Although it wasn''t boring, it wasn''t as exciting as he thought it''d be. ''It''s the last day of September. The first semester of the academy will end by mid week next month. Then a 2 week break and then the second semester of the year will begin in November. I''ll try out the new dungeon during the break.'' Daichi received random rewards weekly from the system due to the quest ''Path to the strongest''. Sometimes it would be ordinary items like a pen, a notepad or even an umbrella. But sometimes he would get weapons like knives, shuriken, daggers and even a set of bow and arrows. But still these items were of normal quality. But two weeks ago he received a dungeon Key to training ground 43. It completely took him by surprise. It was a yellow key, indicating that the enemies inside the dungeon would be 5 - 15 levels above Daichi. A difficult but not an impossible dungeon. Due to memorizing the map of the village, Daichi had an understanding of where the training ground would be. He visited training ground 43 and was surprised to find that it was abandoned. He used ¡®Observe¡¯ and found out that it was due to the animals roaming the place and due to the destruction done by the several previous shinobi using the place. Training ground 43 was located near ground 44 or the forest of death. The animals that could not survive the predators in training ground 44 moved to 43 to make it their home. Since this training ground was used to test more destructive jutsus, it was wrecked beyond measure and when the animals moved in, the ninjas training there decided to abandon it. But since the animals were not special or rare like the ones in ground zero, ground 43 was still open to public training but people seldom came. It has been like this for over 20 years. Daichi decided to complete the dungeon after the end of his first semester. He was going to make a lot of preparations before entering the dungeon. It would be his first dungeon run and he wanted to be ready for anything. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Alright class. Pencils down. Time to hand in your answer sheets. The score will be marked on your report cards." Daikoku sensei said in a stern voice. He collected the papers and gathered the students outside for sparring. "Now we will test your Taijutsu skills. We''ve carefully selected your opponents based on your performance these last few months so your sparring partner will be of roughly the same strength and skill. This way no one will have an unfair advantage." He started explaining the rules. ¡°If you step out of the ring or get knocked out you lose. If I see that you can''t continue the fight, I''ll end the match and declare the winner. If your opponent forfeit then you win. Absolutely no use of weapons and jutsus. This is purely hand to hand combat. And if I see anyone breaking the rules they will fail." Once the explanation was finished, Daikoku sensei started calling out a pair of names at a time. Each person called would enter the ring and make the Seal of confrontation as protocol and would start fighting. And once the sparing was over they would use the Seal of Reconciliation as a sign that they were still comrades. The class started the traditional shinobi sparring 3 months ago. Daichi won in all his spars. The only person in the class who came close to his taijutsu prowess was Sasuke. Time went by as Daichi watched the fights. He internally sighed watching the fights that would sometimes become almost childish. Except for those that came from clans, most others didn''t have the drive or skill. As he was standing there the next pair of opponents were called. "Daichi Hekima vs Sasuke Uchiha." Daikoku sensei called his name along with Sasuke''s. It was the first time Daichi would fight Sasuke. Daikoku was looking forward to this match. He had been paying more attention to these two since the start of the year. One was from a famous clan and the little brother of a known genius and the other was a prodigy whose talent couldn''t be matched by others. The top two of his class. ''Daichi and Sasuke. No one has their raw talent in this batch. Daichi''s improvement is astonishing. He picks up everything at a much faster pace than others and he''s consistently at the top. And this fueled a rivalry in Sasuke and made him train harder.¡¯ ¡®And Daichi, not wanting to lose the 1st spot, pushes himself even harder. I''ve never seen them even talking to each other but both of them are pushing the other to become better. They are far ahead of the others. I wonder how this fight goes.'' Both Daichi and Sasuke walked to the center of the ring. Several girls cheered for Sasuke while some cheered for Daichi. Due to his talent and taking the top spot in almost every competition, several students came to admire him. Quest Created - ¡®Defeat your Opponent.¡¯ Defeat Sasuke Uchiha and ensure first place in the taijutsu exam. Rewards: +250 Exp Rep increases with some classmates and Daikoku Funeno. Rep decreases with Sasuke Uchiha. Failure: -150 Exp. Rep decreases with everyone. Accept (Y/N) Success. Daichi accepted the quest and stepped into the ring. ''Observe''. [LV.12] [Sasuke Uchiha] Age: 6 HP: 1506 CP: 1300 [Sasuke Uchiha is the son of the Uchiha clan head Fugaku and his wife Mikoto. He is the youngest of two children. He is a happy child eager to please and be worthy of his clan name. He adores his older brother Itachi. He wants to defeat Daichi and prove that he is the best and is worthy of his clan name and heritage. Sasuke Uchiha has a vast amount of hidden potential and talent.] Daichi and Sasuke didn''t say a word as they stepped into the ring. "I''m sure I don''t have to explain the rules again, do I? Now make the Seal of confrontation." Daikoku sensei exclaimed. Hearing their sensei''s words both of them raised their right hand into a half tiger seal. Neither one said a word. "Fight." Sasuke wasted no time and rushed towards Daichi who stood his ground and raised his guard. Within no time the Uchiha reached his target and started attacking. But every punch and kick he threw were blocked by Daichi. Both of them fought like that for a minute. Sasuke attacking and Daichi defending. Daichi was looking at and trying to understand Sasuke''s fighting style. ''It seems Sasuke is more of a speed type fighter. And what''s more is his fighting style. He''s attacking with seemingly powerful punches but subtly going for grabs and submission locks and trying to knock me off my feet. Sneaky guy.'' Daichi internally smirked as he understood Sasuke''s intentions. Both of them fought at relatively the same speed but to Daikoku Sensei it was clear that Daichi had the advantage. ¡®Looks like Daichi is blocking every attack Sasuke launches with ease. And the way he does it¡­. It''s clear he can go much faster.'' The students looked in awe as they witnessed the fight. They all knew these two were the best in class even though some of them wouldn''t admit it out loud. Some like Shikamaru and Shino were paying close attention to the match. Shikamaru had an aloof expression on his face. But he was watching every move that Daichi and Sasuke made. ''That Daichi¡­ He''s definitely stronger. The fact that he took down those senior students easily is proof of that¡­ Looks like even Sasuke can''t match his strength. Even Daichi''s talent is better than anyone I''ve seen here.'' He sighed to himself. ''I''m sure I''ll have to spar with him in the future. It''s going to be such a pain to fight him. What a troublesome guy.'' Shikamaru and the rest watched as Sasuke tried his best to get through Daichi''s defenses. Suddenly Daichi stopped defending and started attacking. Daichi switched gears and suddenly went on the offense. The sudden shift in momentum of the fight caught Sasuke off guard and he wasn''t fast enough to defend against a punch to his gut. He jumped backwards to regain his bearings. It was now Daichi who ran to Sasuke and started their second round. Both of them fought with the intent to win. But Daichi''s speed didn''t allow Sasuke to land any attacks on him. Suddenly Daichi stepped forward and locked his right leg with Sasuke trapping him in place and used a submission hold to effectively immobilize him. Sasuke grunted and tried to break free but it was for not. Daikoku sensei watched Sasuke struggle for a few more seconds and decided to call the match. "Sasuke Uchiha is unable to continue. Winner of the match. Daichi Hekima." As soon as Daikoku announced the end of the match, Daichi let go. Sasuke had a scowl on his face as he looked at him. ¡°Now make the seal of reconciliation.¡± Their sensei said in a somewhat serious tone. He knew that every first year student would be stubborn especially when they lose a sparring match. Daichi and Sasuke made the Seal of Reconciliation and left the ring. Quest ¡®Defeat your Opponent¡¯ Completed. Rewards: +250 Exp +37.5 Exp Rep increases with some classmates and Daikoku Funeno. Rep decreases with Sasuke Uchiha. Daichi looked over and dismissed the pop up box. He stood over with those who completed the test and watched the rest of the matches. Sasuke was expressionless but he was sad and angry. And the pity looks some of his female classmates gave him were not helping. When Daichi bested him in class tests and shuriken jutsu he thought he would be able to prove himself in Taijutsu. But this defeat made him slightly depressed. ''Father won''t be happy when he hears I lost¡­ Big brother never lost a single fight when he was here. Am I not as good as him? How did I lose? Why am I so much weaker than Daichi?'' Sasuke clenched his fists as he looked at Daichi. The matches ended shortly after and within a few days the end of the first semester came. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------- It was October 14th and every student got their report cards. Daichi looked at his card and had a slight smile. Report card Ninjutsu - A - 1/30 Taijutsu - A - 1/30 Genjutsu - A - 1/30 Theory - A - 1/30 Strategy - A - 1/30 Positivity - B Classroom Attitude - B Cooperation Skill - B Teacher''s comments. "Daichi has maintained top grades throughout the semester. He has incredible talent and skill for Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Has an excellent range of knowledge and control of chakra. Willing to cooperate in team exercises but only with some students." These were the contents of the card. Daichi went home and showed his report card to his grandfather. Kensei was proud and had a wide smile. They celebrated with a BBQ dinner. As Daichi was resting in his bed he went through a mental checklist. He made sure he placed all the things he would need to clear his first dungeon in his inventory. He put on a set of clothes he got as a random reward and got ready. When the small clock on his desk struck midnight Daichi took the dungeon Key out from his inventory and activated it. In an instant he was teleported from his bedroom. Chapter 27 – First Dungeon Run – Training Ground 43 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi felt like he was falling from the sky. Even though it felt like minutes it was only a couple of seconds. He landed on the ground with a loud thud. Daichi looked around the place. He was in a narrow hallway that was covered with moss and vines. A few feet in front of him stood a tall arched door decorated in green and brown color. ''Ok. No turning back now I guess¡­. Status.'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 6 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy Level : 16 (7611.5/8900) . HP : 1820 CP : 2008.5 SP : 1440 . Primary Stats Strength - 39 Vitality - 39 Dexterity - 36 Agility - 38 Intelligence - 46 Chakra - 47 Wisdom - 30 . Special Stats Sense - 36 Stamina - 40 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 16 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 206 Ryo - 13650 ¡®206 Stat points huh. I''ll keep 195 and put 4 in intelligence and one point each in strength and vitality. Then 3 in chakra and 2 in agility. That should be enough. 50 points in intelligence should let me use mana. I''ll see what that''s about.¡¯ ¡®I have to complete this dungeon without using any more points but If I get into trouble they''ll be my backup.¡¯ Originally Daichi only wanted to increase the points after taking a look inside the dungeon but seeing the giant door in front of him made him slightly nervous. Daichi started distributing his points. When he increased his intelligence to 50, new notification boxes popped up. You have reached the conditions required to use the energy Mana and thus gained [Mana Manipulation] skill. Would you like to learn this skill? (Y/N) ''Most definitely.'' Mana Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.01): Mana is an energy created by the power of an intelligent mind and is a separate energy from chakra. This energy is primarily used for mind enhancing techniques but a strong enough mind can create abilities that have physical effects similar to telekinesis or elemental attacks. This skill allows the user to manipulate their own Mana depending on its proficiency. Practitioners of Mana are even less than Natural Energy users. In its raw form Mana cannot be seen or felt by any sensors or eye powers. The exception is the visual eye Rinne sharingan. [Note: Since this energy is created by the mind it is limited and overusing this ability before intelligence passes 200 could cause damage to the psyche.] ''So Mana is different from chakra. And if I understand this right, Mana is mostly used for mental abilities. I might be able to create and use mind techniques like the ones used by the Yamanaka clan with my mana¡­ Hmm. So over use of this skill can cause damage? But since I have Gia''s blessing skill wouldn''t I be alright?... Yeah I''m not gonna roll the dice and find that out any time soon.¡¯ Daichi continued distributing his points. When he was done he opened his status page once again. He saw his new primary stats and noted the increase in HP, CP, SP and the new info bar MP. His stat points were now reduced to 195. HP : 1870 CP : 2112.4 SP : 1470 MP: 920 Primary Stats Strength - 40 Vitality - 40 Dexterity - 36 Agility - 40 Intelligence - 50 Chakra - 50 Wisdom - 30 Daichi looked at his status page once over and was satisfied. ''Multiples of 5 always look nice.'' He slowly approached the door and he could see a keyhole in its center. Daichi held the dungeon key in his hand. ''So this thing also acts as a literal key.'' Daichi placed his dungeon key inside the keyhole. A new notification appeared. You have reached the entrance to the dungeon - Training ground 43. Would you like to enter? [Y/N] The moment Daichi clicked yes the key inside the door slowly rotated clockwise. The moment it completed one rotation the door opened. He slowly walked through the door. All around him was wilderness. Trees taller than some huge buildings. Grass that reached his waist. Daichi could vaguely hear running water when he used the superior hearing skill. He looked around but couldn''t see any signs of life. ''Observe'' [Dungeon - Training Ground 43] [Although this dungeon and its creatures are created based on the shinobi training ground 43 they are vastly different. This dungeon is much larger and comprises different terrains that are home to various species of animals. The creatures inside the dungeon are a stronger and more evolved version of their counterparts.] The moment Daichi finished reading the information on the dungeon a new quest was created. Quest Created - ''Kill all 201 creatures inside the dungeon''. Time limit : None. Rewards: New Skill. New Title. Ryo 200,000. Failure: Death. Accept (Y/N) ''There''s no time limit. So I don''t have to be in a rush. This is my first dungeon. Gotta be absolutely careful. I''ve stored enough food and water in my inventory to last me a couple of months.¡¯ ¡®And since this will return me to the real world just a few seconds after I activated the key, no one would know I was gone no matter how long I stay here. But I don''t plan on prolonging my visit to more than a week. Two if I really need to push it... Let''s begin.'' It was night time. The silver rays of the moon shone through the small gaps in the leaves. Daichi took out a short sword. It was one of the random rewards he received. Daichi kept his senses on high alert. As he was walking through the forest he suddenly stopped and within an instant jumped to the right. The next moment Daichi saw something black with wings around his size standing where he previously stood. ''Observe'' [LV.21] [Bloodthirsty bat] HP: 1767 CP: 1208 [One of the dozen vicious giant bats living in a nearby cave. These creatures are bloodthirsty and attack anything that comes near their habitat. They are drawn to humans due to their large chakra reserves and amounts of blood. These bats hunt individually to avoid infighting] Daichi read the information quickly. This was the first time Daichi faced something that wanted to kill him. His hands slightly shook, heart beating wildly and beads of sweat rolled down his face. But thankfully the Gamer''s mind skill took effect and Daichi quickly calmed down. The bat turned in his direction. It spread its wings and shot off towards Daichi. Daichi dodged a second time as well. He took a breath and calmed himself. The bat took off into the air this time, folded its wings and dive bombed towards its prey. Daichi was ready this time. He gripped the short sword with both hands and cut through its chest as he dodged. -328 HP What Daichi saw amazed him. Instead of blood as he expected black smoke came out of the wound. "Kreee¡­." The bat screamed. Daichi didn''t give his enemy the chance to recuperate. He threw several shuriken and kunai at high speed towards the bat. Most of them targeted its legs and wings. All of them struck the wounded creature. Now with it immobilized Daichi attacked. He quickly got behind it and used his tanto to behead the giant bat. The head flew a few feet in the air and hit the ground. The body devoid of its head spasmed for a couple of seconds before it fell down and disappeared into black smoke. Daichi could see the HP bar falling to zero before it turned to smoke. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously attacking an enemy with your sword and killing it, the skill ''Sword Mastery'' has been created.] Sword Mastery - Passive (LV.1): This skill allows the user to freely handle swords of any type. The effects of this skill are amplified if the user knows a sword style. Note: This skill requires a sword to activate. Effects: +5% Additional damage when striking the target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. +5% Increase in attack speed. Before he could celebrate he felt movement behind him. He turned and slashed his tanto with ferocity. The edge of the sword struck the leg of another bat. It swiftly dodged upwards as Daichi attacked so it only took a minor damage. ''Observe'' [LV.23] [Bloodthirsty bat] HP: 2204 CP: 1931 The information was about the same as the other bat with 2 key differences. It''s level, health points and chakra points. This one''s stats was a lot bigger than the previous creature''s. Daichi took several shuriken and threw them. The new bat evaded all and was about to attack Daichi but it sensed danger from behind. The shurikens it dodged earlier struck its back. Piercing through its wings and back. -298 HP ''I had a feeling you would dodge. So I used chakra threads like wires to control and even change the trajectory of the shuriken and it looks like I made the right move.'' The wounds in its body only made it more angry. "Kreech." It screeched and shot at Daichi. Daichi quickly used the substitution jutsu with a nearby log. He took a few shuriken and tied some ninja wire to it. He threw them as fast as he could and used chakra threads to control their paths. The bat was successfully ensnared in the trap. Daichi used the skill sprint to increase his speed and started cutting his enemy. Its health points fell with each strike. Daichi repeatedly targeted its head and torso. After receiving several strikes to the vital areas it quickly died. Vanishing in a black smoke. [Enemy killed.] +950 Exp. +142.5 Exp You have leveled up. Skill Shurikenjutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Thread¡¯s level has risen by one. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously attacking the vital areas of the body, the skill ''Vital Strike'' has been created.] Vital Strike - Active(LV.1): An action to strike the vital areas of a target causing critical damage. Causes additional damage when attacking an enemy during stealth. Note: This skill requires a weapon to activate. Effects: +5% Additional damage when hitting target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. +5% Increase in attack speed. ''Not a bad start... I''ve learned quite a bit from these two fights. A fatal blow like beheading instantly kills the enemy. Good to know these things won''t regenerate like the reanimation jutsu zombies. Even though the body is made of smoke it''s properties are like real living beings. So the vital strike skill is gonna be very useful. And coupled with Sword mastery, It¡¯ll be deadly.'' Daichi collected the scattered shuriken and sat down under a nearby tree after making sure it was safe. He rested and thought about his next move. ''Because I have the inventory ability, food and water are no problem. But I shouldn''t rely on that. This is a great place to not only increase my level but learn to survive in the wild. I need to find fresh drinking water sources and fresh food. See if that''s something available in a dungeon. If not I''ll use the stock in inventory. I also need to find a safe place to sleep.'' Since he was in hostile territory Daichi didn''t meditate. But because he only used a small amount of chakra and stamina points they regenerated pretty quickly. ''199 opponents remaining huh. I''ll get it done.'' After resting for a few minutes Daichi got up and walked. After a couple minutes of walking... ''Where the hell am I even going?... Wait a minute¡­ Mini-map. But will it show the dungeon layout? One way to find out.'' Daichi quickly opened his Mini-map. He was indicated as a green dot on the map. There were several red dots scattered throughout the map. Some nearby while others far away. Some moved while others stayed still. The map indicated that the forest was about 5 km long in diameter. About half as big as the forest of death. The map was surrounded by a blue wall. Daichi figured that was the boundary of the dungeon and wouldn''t be able to pass it. But he would check it out anyway. As Daichi looked at the map he saw something peculiar. There were three red dots moving slowly and surrounding him. Daichi used superior hearing and heard the sounds of leaves rustling and tree branches slowly creaking. He looked up and saw his next opponents. Only one word went through his mind as he looked at those raging red eyes. ''Fuck!!'' Chapter 28 – Beasts of Dungeon Ground 43. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. When Daichi looked up he saw three giant angry apes looking down at him. With eyes red and spit drooling between their teeth, the giant apes snarled at him. They were the size of an adult human. Daichi didn''t make any sudden moves and used ''observe''. [LV.24] [Long Armed Ape] HP: 3681 CP: 2430 [A primate with particularly strong and long arms. These apes are savage and usually hunt in the evening or nights. They travel in packs of 3 or 4. They are very territorial creatures and would attack and kill anything that trespasses into their domain. They use their fists to smash their prey. This Ape came here due to the sounds of the bat it heard earlier. This Ape wants to kill you for entering its hunting area.] [LV.23] [Long Armed Ape] HP: 3247 CP: 1988 [LV.23] [Long Armed Ape] HP: 3350 CP: 2020 ''OH man! These things have double the health and chakra points I have. And their bodies look pretty strong. I need to go for the necks and joints. Cut their limbs and make them useless.'' As Daichi was thinking about his next move the apes jumped down and quickly surrounded him. They were much faster than they looked. The ape with the level 24 went at Daichi. Before he could do anything, a fast powerful fist plowed into Daichi''s gut sending him flying back. -203 HP "Ghaa.." Spit and blood flew out of his mouth. He crashed into a tree and slumped down into the ground. ''Ahhh¡­Damn it that hurt!... If it were me in the old world I''d be a paste right now. That monkey just took out 200 hp with one punch. The speed and strength of these things are ridiculous. If I take much more like that... I''m a goner for sure.'' Daichi slowly got up. Watching the prey it just smacked away get up, the level 24 ape got even more aggressive. It charged at Daichi while the other two stood on either side and shrieked. The ape sent a punch just as powerful as the one before but it missed its mark. Daichi dodged and tried to cut the ape with his tanto but he missed his target as well. Both ape and human attacked and dodged each other. The ape had the advantage of long arms and had a larger reach. Meanwhile Daichi had a sharp short sword as his weapon. Seeing as he was getting nowhere Daichi decided to go a different route. He subtly took out a smoke bomb and threw it at the apes face. The moment it made contact and exploded, Daichi using sprint skill rushed the ape and slashed. Daichi''s attack made contact but he felt that it didn''t do much damage. The ape jumped out of smoke and looked at the wound on its right arm. A shallow diagonal slash running down its elbow. The fact that something it viewed, as a prey, managed to wound it made it angry. "Rooaar¡­" It roared into the night and pounded its chest. The 2 accompanying apes roared and pounded their chests as well. ''An intimidation tactic. Well¡­ it isn''t not working. I''ll give them that¡­'' "Fine¡­ you want it your way¡­ you got it." Daichi shouted at the apes as he put his sword back in his inventory and equipped his fists with knuckle dusters. ''If I can''t cut you, then I''m gonna pound you into the ground.'' This time both Daichi and the ape rushed and met halfway. Both fist colliding and sending a small wave of air around them. Daichi had used ''strong hit'' and boosted the strength and speed of his punch and still he came up slightly short. His arm was slightly numb but he pushed himself and kept attacking. As the fight progressed Daichi was assessing his situation. ''Rage and strength are its advantages. But it has no sense of strategy. The wild punches are getting easier to predict and evade. And that''s my advantage.¡® ¡®A prolonged fight isn''t to my benefit. Need to end him and deal with the other two as well. If they decide to attack me together I''ll have no choice but to use some of my points... Let''s see what happens.'' Daichi evaded the punches coming his way and dodged all of them and got in close. He used the skills sprint and strong hit to increase his speed several fold. Daichi sent a fast, precise blow to its neck. Due to the sudden unexpected speed increase, the attack hit its mark. It completely crushed the ape¡¯s throat and windpipe. -842 HP Not even wasting a fraction of a second Daichi took out a kunai and stabbed it deep into its skull through its eye. -2321 HP Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. The giant ape fell backwards and hit the ground with a thud. A few seconds later it''s remaining HP was down to zero and it dispersed into smoke. [Enemy killed.] +1300 Exp. +195 Exp. Watching their brethren get killed the two apes were in a frenzy. They rushed at Daichi and punched his head and chest. Both attacks landed but the next second the person they attacked turned into a log. Suddenly one of the apes had a sword pierced through its back. -1025 HP Enemy Negative Status - Wounded buff in effect. A blue box appeared showing the damage he dealt. Daichi stabbed the sword all the way to the hilt and let go. He jumped backwards and landed a few feet away. The ape tried to take the weapon out but failed each time and shrieked in pain. The last one went for Daichi. Daichi created several clones while running towards the ape. The newly made clones distracted the simple minded animal and it attacked each one it saw. As it attacked and passed through several clones, suddenly it felt a punch striking the back of its head. Daichi kept randomly appearing around the creature and attacking it. Ducking and weaving through the wild swings of the frenzied ape, Daichi kept on the assault. A slash from a kunai on its joints. A fast powerful punch to the head and legs. It tried to jump away but Daichi didn''t let go. He reduced its health little by little and when the ape had less than 700 HP he saw his chance. He took his kunai, plunged it deep into its neck and kept slashing it. He activated ''vital strike'' and within a few seconds killed it. [Enemy killed.] +1200 Exp. +180 Exp. Daichi looked at the last one stumbling around. Its health points, less than 1000. Daichi took the kunai and held it in a reverse grip. Rushed to the ape and slashed it all over. After a few moments his last enemy here was also dead. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. [Enemy killed.] +1200 Exp. +180 Exp Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 STR Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +1 DEX ''So a battle is considered training huh¡­ whatever. My stat growth has been stagnant for the last couple of months with just training¡­ Good to know that high stakes fighting increases my stats.'' Once the skill buffs ran out Daichi was wheezing and gasping for air. His limbs started to slightly tremble. He slowly walked through the trees and settled down in between two rocks. It was like a small cave barely able to hold one person. Daichi sat down and took some much needed air. ''The only reason I wasn''t seriously harmed and was able to kill those things was because of the skill buffs. That speed increase due to sprint skill and the strong punch skill are the only reasons I haven''t lost much health. But it drained my stamina. But even then I was only able to barely dodge them and I couldn''t match their raw power head on. And something tells me there are animals much stronger here. If I could use chakra to increase my strength and speed it would help me but that technique requires at least water walking level chakra control.'' Daichi took a deep breath and looked at the map. For the moment he didn''t see any red dots near the area. He started meditating to recuperate. He rested for almost 3 hours. He was once again at full strength when he resumed his exploration of the jungle. It was dawn. The morning dews dripped from leaves and the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. As Daichi was walking through the jungle he suddenly sensed an Ill feeling. [A new skill is created due to a particular action.] [Through continuously sensing the danger intent of your enemies, the skill ''Danger Sense'' has been created.] Danger Sense - Passive(LV.1): A skill created from the natural survival instincts. The ability to sense the killing intent of your enemy in a certain range. The higher the skill the greater the range. Above level 60 this skill can detect even enemies who have masked their intent. Effects: Current range - 10 meters. Before he could even look at the map something small jumped from the midst of the tall grass leaves. It swiped its claw at his face. Daichi leaned to the side and used a kunai and slashed at his new enemy. ''Observe'' [LV.20] [Saber tooth cat] HP: 1354 CP: 1025 [The saber tooth cats inhabit areas with dense vegetation. They are carnivorous animals with long, curved saber shaped canine teeth. They hunt during the dawn and in packs. Once they set their sites on a prey they never let it go until it''s dead. It hunts by stalking its prey, followed by a sprint or a leap. They attack soft areas of the body such as the belly or throat where biting deep generates a killing blow.] Daichi quickly read through the information presented. He cursed in his mind for not paying more attention to the Minimap. He was already armed with a dagger and a kunai. Daichi could see several areas of the grass moving against the wind all around him. Indicating that he was surrounded. Daichi looked at the map from the corner of his eyes and he counted 12 red dots. He used ''observe'' and could see that all of them ranged from Level 20 to 23 You have sensed killing intent. You have sensed killing intent. You have sensed killing intent. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. ''I get it!. I''m in danger. Stop spamming me¡­!!!'' Daichi was slightly annoyed as the notifications appeared. As if they were given an invisible signal, all the saber toothed cats started attacking together. Daichi quickly used substitution and disappeared. He threw several shuriken and controlled them with chakra threads. His speed and accuracy had increased and all hit their marks killing their targets. [Enemy killed.] +550 Exp. +83.5 Exp [Enemy killed.] +550 Exp. +83.5 Exp The jungle cats scattered and hid. Their hunting method was to take their prey by surprise. Daichi replaced the kunai with his short sword. Armed with a dagger and his tanto he waited for the enemies to come to him. His goal was to learn and train to face multiple opponents at the same time. He focused and his senses were heightened. He tried to sense their chakra and thus their location. As he was in the midst of trying to ascertain the enemy locations the attack began. The jungle cat in front went for his throat and the one behind him aimed at Daichi''s neck. A couple of others rushed to bite down on his legs. Daichi''s senses told him exactly where each one was. He swiftly slashed all around him. He strengthened his legs and stomped on the ones that came from below. Daichi cut them down 2 at a time as both his hands almost became a blur. Due to there being about a dozen attacking him, several got through his guard and bit and scratched his body. But Daichi made sure they were non vital areas. Daichi kept up his relentless attack and the jungle cats were just as ruthless. [Enemy killed.] +550 Exp. +83.5 Exp [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp +1 SENSE Skill Physical Endurance¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp Several notifications popped up but he ignored them all. Daichi slashed and severed the neck of one while he plunged his dagger deep into the belly of another. He threw the ones trying to tear his legs off him and when they came back he stomped on their heads crushing their skulls. He kept slashing and hacking away and after several minutes no enemy was left. Daichi kept looking around and when he didn''t see any, he looked at the map. No red dot appeared near him. He had killed all of them and didn''t even realize it. Daichi was cut up, bleeding and in pain but he had a mad grin on his face. He didn''t realize it at the time, but the thrill of this fight, the adrenaline coursing through his veins and the feeling of extreme danger¡­ all of it excited him. This dungeon¡­ It had awakened Daichi''s hunger for battle. You have leveled up. As he looked at the latest blue box his smile only widened. Chapter 29 – Dungeon Boss Fight – 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Ow¡­ ow¡­ ow¡­ God that hurts..." Daichi was moaning in pain as he cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Once the adrenaline ran out and he came down from his battle high, Daichi felt the painful effects of the cuts all over his body. "Damn that hurts. If I see those little devil cats again, I''m gonna skin them¡­" ''Then again I did make the dumb decision to fight them all at once. And I didn''t even try to get away...Yeah¡­ Maybe not my best strategy.'' Daichi was hiding behind a large bush hidden from plain view. He periodically kept checking his Minimap to make sure he wasn''t taken by surprise again. Several hours went by as he rested. Meditation helped his healing and recuperation. Once he was fully healed and rested he resumed his journey. The sun was high in the sky. The temperature rose far above that of normal as the sun reached its peak. ''Even the climate of this dungeon is weird. It was really cold last night but now it feels like I''m walking in the desert at noon with no clothes.'' Daichi made his way to a small lake shown on the map. He took a look at the map and saw no enemies near him. Daichi relaxed a bit and reached into the lake. He took a handful of water. ''Observe'' [WATER] [A tasteless, colorless, odorless liquid. Composed of chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen. No contamination particles detected. Safe for consumption.] ''Ok. Looks like I found myself a water source. Excellent.'' Daichi happily brought his hands to his lips and drank the water. "Ohh that feels good." He took another handful of water and when Daichi went on for the third time, his danger senses warned him. You have sensed killing intent. He jerked back as fast as he could and the next instant he saw a giant crocodile snapping its jaws close where his head was a second ago. "Fuck¡­ This thing almost took my head off. ''Observe'' " [LV.24] [Iron skinned crocodile] HP: 2970 CP: 2761 [This large crocodile is native to the freshwater habitat in this dungeon. They prey on animals coming to or near the lake. Their skin is dense and as tough as iron so sharp weapons will not be useful against them. They are a very aggressive species of crocodile and opportunistic Apex predators. They have enough bite force to tear through even metal.] Daichi quickly backed away as he read the information. He jumped and got up on a tall branch and observed the creature. It had green blackish scales and a long tail slowly wagging from one side to the other. Daichi watched as the crocodile slowly backed away and into the water. In just a few moments Daichi lost sight of it. "If you think I''m gonna come to you, then you''re gonna be waiting for a long time." Daichi turned around and left. He planned on killing it but only after he gained some more levels. Daichi jumped through the trees. He felt the wind on his face and had a smile. It was his dream ever since he came here to travel around like a real ninja. Hopping on trees and walking on water. As Daichi traveled some distance he encountered several creatures. Daichi spent over six days exploring the dungeon. He encountered various creatures living in the different terrains and successfully killed them. The bloodthirsty bats that lived in a giant dark cave attacked him at night while wild saber tooth cats that made the grassland their home attacked him at dawn. The strong savage apes that lived up in the trees assaulted him during the day and night. Daichi also fought with vicious wolves and strong Bisons. He also found ways to draw out the crocodiles living in the depths of the lake. He would use some meat with a strong aroma he stored in his inventory and patiently wait near the lake. Once the reptile came to eat he would fight and kill them. He got injured several times a day but he always persevered and kept at it. Daichi was extremely cautious. He would always wait for his body to heal completely and his chakra and stamina to become full before engaging in enemy contact. During the few times the animals rushed to him during his rest Daichi would find ways to escape. His shuriken jutsu, chakra threads, tree climbing skill and several others increased in level. His stats have also grown along with his level. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 6 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy. Level : 24 (15520/18000) HP : 2110 CP : 2216.2 SP : 1740 MP : 920 Primary Stats Strength - 44 Vitality - 45 Dexterity - 42 Agility - 44 Intelligence - 50 Chakra - 55 Wisdom - 30 Special Stats Sense - 47 Stamina - 52 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 25 Persistence (LOCKED) Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 235 Ryo - 13650 During the last 6 days Daichi killed over 190 beasts and it gained him 6 more levels getting him to level 24. He was just a few thousand exp away from another level up. An explosive growth that was attained through several life or death battles. Along with levels Daichi gained a couple of new skills to his ever growing list of abilities. It was night time and Daichi was currently battling against two giant bats. His new skill chakra sense aiding him in successfully finding the creatures of the night. Daichi threw several shuriken at two bats and while one of them evaded the other wasn''t so lucky. The force with which Daichi threw the shuriken allowed it to pierce through its body. The other folded its wings and evaded the projectiles and then disappeared into the night. Daichi closed his eyes and concentrated. Several seconds passed by with silence and no movements. The next instant Daichi jumped up and twisted his body so that he was upside down to face the bat that was clawing where he stood a second ago. With a single fast slash Daichi bisected the creature and smoothly landed on the ground. [Enemies killed.] +1300 Exp. +195 Exp Skill Death blow''s level has risen by one. You have successfully eliminated all the bloodthirsty bats in this dungeon. You have sensed killing intent. "I know you''re there. Come out." Daichi said, looking at the top branches of a tall tree. Out of the shadows came a giant red ape. It was far larger than the ones before. You have encountered one of the three bosses of this dungeon. [LV.30] [Great Ape King - Ozark ] HP: 5032 CP: 6847 [The ruler of all apes and one of the three bosses of this dungeon. It has red fur with white streaks running down the middle giving it a ferocious yet regal look. It is far stronger than all the others of its kind. This Ape is capable of using chakra to enhance its limbs and thus makes it more dangerous. A ferocious and savage king. It wants to kill you.] ''Holy hell. This thing is 6 levels above mine. And it can even use chakra. If I make even a single mistake...I''ll die in this place.'' Daichi had sweat rolling down his face. The presence of the enemy boss was on a completely different level than the others. Daichi blinked for only a split second but when he opened his eyes he saw a fist headed straight for his head. The great king Ozark blasted Daichi''s head into bits. The next second, Daichi''s body turned into a log. Daichi had a cold sweat running down his neck as he looked at the scene from a distant tree. ''If I had been late in using the substitution jutsu for even a fraction of a second, I''d be dead right now.'' The ape lowered its fist and turned around. It looked at Daichi without showing the slightest bit of surprise at what happened. ''It found me even though I''m hiding behind these covers and no sound was made¡­ And it looks like this thing is much smarter than the rest. A direct confrontation isn''t to my advantage. Not like last time. And something tells me this thing won''t just let me leave¡­ If and when I make it out of this dungeon I''m gonna need to learn the shadow clone jutsu. ASAP.'' Daichi dropped several smoke bombs and moved. ''Stealth and speed will be my greatest assets in this fight. Instead of a frontal assault I''ll use an encirclement attack strategy.'' Daichi was suddenly taken out of his thoughts as the ape king landed right in front of him. Daichi barely evaded the giant fist that came his way. Tightening the grip on his daggers he used ''sprint'' and started attacking from all directions. The ape king Ozark had a strong physique. The cuts Daichi inflicted on its body were shallow. It swung its long arms with enough force to blow apart a giant sturdy tree. Daichi evaded all the attacks aimed at him. Tired of not catching the enemy, it tried a different tactic. The ape king raised both its arms up high in the air and then slammed them into the ground. It added chakra to enhance its already fearsome power. The strength behind the attack cracked and ruptured the ground for several meters in all directions with the ape at its center. Daichi, who was in the middle of attacking it, was caught off guard by the destruction and the ruptured ground made him lose his balance. The ape waiting for its chance jumped and attacked. A swift powerful fist was thrown at Daichi. It was only due to his increased senses and speed that Daichi was able to evade the attack. But even then he was not completely successful. The punch clipped his right shoulder and sent him spiraling several feet away. Even though Daichi evaded most of the damage it was still enough to dislocate his right arm. -240 HP Negative Status - Right Shoulder dislocated. The red notification status popped up showing the damage. Daichi crashed into the ground and rolled a few times before stopping himself. He didn''t even get the time to scream in pain as the ape was already on him. He rolled out of the way as the giant monkey stomped where he was a second ago. He got up and ran up the tree trunks and the ape followed. Daichi used ''sprint'' and focused solely on escaping for even a few seconds. With one arm useless he would die if he tried to fight it. After a minute of dashing through the treetops and using some of his smoke bombs, Daichi lost his enemy and he quickly assessed his arm. ''Damn that fucking monkey¡­'' Daichi looked over his arm. ''There doesn''t seem to be any serious damage except for the dislocation. But it''s a good thing I know how to fix it.'' Daichi bit down on the handle of his kunai and then held and adjusted his right arm in a certain way. He then rammed his arm into the trunk of a tree, snapping his shoulder joint back in its socket. "Ghnnn¡­." He bit down hard and groaned into the kunai. After several seconds the pain faded and Daichi took several deep breaths. The negative buff notification disappeared. He gently started moving his arm. After a couple of minutes he was able to move it as normal. ''This isn''t working. I need to weaken its momentum. I''ll go for its legs first.'' Daichi formed a plan in mind. He could hear the roars of the dungeon boss not far from where the fight began. He made a few preparations for his second round. He started slowly making his way back. He grabbed and held two rocks about half as big as him in both hands and rushed the ape from behind. Daichi aimed one of the rocks at its head. Sensing the incoming attack the ape turned around and blocked the big rock with both hands. The next second it felt a crushing blow to its left knee. Daichi slammed the second rock into its leg and broke it''s knee. He used the first attack to block the ape''s line of sight for the second attack. -546 HP Enemy Negative Status - Wounded buff in effect. Enraged, the great ape pounded Daichi into a nearby tree. -402 HP "Ghaa¡­" Daichi spit out a wad of blood from his mouth. He coughed for a couple of seconds and took in large gulps of air as the punch took his breath away. He got up and got out of the way as the ape landed near him. Daichi ran around his enemy attacking it from all sides. Slashing its joints and muscles. Daichi mainly focused on the legs to reduce its movement speed. The ape tried to jump away but with one leg crippled and Daichi''s continuous attacks it couldn''t escape. Minutes went by and his efforts seemed to be gaining fruit. After a couple more swipes from his sharp dagger the ape Ozark fell to its knees. Enemy Negative Status - Crippled buff in effect. Daichi put away one of the daggers back into his inventory. He could see the HP points slowly reducing. He clenched his fist and ran straight into his enemy. With the boss immobilized, Daichi was looking forward to exchanging blows to test his strength and limits. Both human and ape started fighting vigorously. Daichi deflected most of the blows because of their strength but some landed on his body. He returned quite a few of his own as well. The strength buff skill along with his speed and physique was nothing to scoff at. Daichi was several times stronger than someone his age had any right to be. Skill Strong Hit¡¯s level has risen by one. Each punch that landed made the other only fight harder. They both knew that only one would leave this place alive. Both their health and chakra were slowly but steadily declining. Daichi slashed the apes'' chest and tried to inflict a deep wound. It slammed its fist into Daichi''s back bringing the boy to his knees. The ninja in training quickly stood back up and sent a swift powerful uppercut to the monkey king''s jaws. The sounds of powerful blows were heard throughout the jungle. Waves of wind blew everywhere from the collision of their fists. Skill Physical Endurance¡¯s level has risen by one. Despite the dangerous ordeal Daichi was enjoying himself. His lips curled into a small smile as he traded blows with his enemy. Not even the punches that landed and made him spit blood took that smile away. With the moon light shining down at him and his bloody and bruised appearance, that smile gave him a deranged yet glorious beauty. As the fight progressed Daichi was analyzing his opponent and looking for his chance to strike. The ape king favored its right arm to attack and left to defend. Daichi used this information to his advantage. As it raised its right arm to attack, Daichi quickly stabbed his dagger into its right shoulder joint. And then trapped its left arm in several ninja wire with shuriken at end. He used a nearby tree as an anchor to hold the shuriken in place. With both its arms disabled, it had no way to defend against Daichi''s powerful attacks. Grabbing the dagger from his inventory he sliced the apes'' eyes. The ape roared and tried to break free from its binds but Daichi made it impossible. Daichi sent a fast double ear clap strike to the ape intent on rupturing its eardrums. A somewhat cruel but effective tactic. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. Successfully blinding and disorienting his enemy, Daichi kept attacking the vital spots of its body. The neck, joints, and other soft areas. Fast deep cuts and powerful blows rained down on its body. Daichi kept attacking relentlessly for several minutes. The ape king''s body was powerful. It weathered all of its enemy''s strikes for some time before succumbing to its wounds. And soon the battle came to an end. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. [Enemy killed.] +2500 Exp. +375 Exp. You have leveled up. You have successfully eliminated all the Long Armed Apes in this dungeon. You have defeated the boss Great Ape King Ozark. Reward: Skill ''Ozark¡¯s Resilience''. Chapter 30 – Dungeon Boss Fight – 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi sat down and closed his eyes for several seconds. His mind replayed the battle he just went through. ''Finally¡­ I''m getting stronger and stronger each day... One day I''ll be powerful enough to walk the path I want without any fear.'' He looked at the new skill he got as the reward for defeating the first boss of this dungeon. Ozark¡¯s Resilience - Active(LV.1): The power to resist and be resilient even during overwhelming odds. When the health points fall below a certain threshold, this skill increases certain stats for a limited period of time. Effects: +2% to Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 20 seconds when HP falls below 20%. Cooldown time: 8 hours. Happy with a new skill and the level up, Daichi went to sleep. Since he eliminated all the creatures that lived there, he wasn''t worried. He slept for over 6 hours and when he woke up he felt refreshed. His HP, CP, SP, MP have all been restored. He checked the status of his dungeon quest. Enemies killed: [195/201] ''6 more huh¡­ Looks like I''ll be done with this dungeon soon.'' Daichi checked his map. He looked all over the place and soon found the location of the remaining 6 opponents. There was an enemy near the lake. And 5 others were grouped together some distance away. ''Should I go for the one that''s all by itself or the ones in packs. Based on the map the lake is near. I''ll get the crocodile boss first then deal with the rest.'' Daichi made his way to the lake. Due to his map he had the exact location of the boss monster that resided there. He didn''t go into the water but instead planned on drawing the crocodile out. The lake was located near a cliff. Daichi got his hands on a handful of paper bombs before the dungeon run. He only used a few during the first few days when he was overwhelmed. He currently has 4 remaining. Daichi took out two paper bombs and placed them on two giant rocks. Once he set the timer for 30 seconds he dropped the rocks into the lake. They would drop to the bottom of the lake right where the next boss of the dungeon was. Daichi jumped back and gained some distance between him and the soon to be battlefield. Before long two loud explosions rang out from the lake seconds apart. As Daichi looked on he could see the water beginning to churn and twist into a whirlpool. You have sensed killing intent. Suddenly, without warning a strong water blast shot out from the lake. Daichi quickly evaded to the side and looked at the destruction. The water blast tore through rocks and trees leaving nothing but wrecks. "Maybe I should have saved this guy for last¡­" Daichi looked back at the lake. The water bulged for a second before blasting apart. A giant crocodile emerged and made its way to the surface. It was several times larger than Daichi. You have encountered one of the two remaining bosses of this dungeon. You have sensed killing intent. ''Observe'' [LV.31] [Water Tyrant - Krodos ] HP: 5520 CP: 7011 [The apex predator living beneath the lake. This crocodile is the largest and most vicious of its species. It killed several other crocodiles and became the ruler of these waters. It can use chakra attacks and has a powerful water affinity. Despite its large stature it is quite agile. When disturbed it is known to be extremely violent, often flying into rage and killing everything in its path. The water beam it shoots from its mouth has the power to shred most targets. A ruthless tyrant and the strongest of the 3 bosses of this dungeon. It wants to kill you for disturbing it''s slumber.] [Note: Killing this boss rewards +1 Level.] The reptile boss Krodos set its eyes on Daichi once it set foot on land. It wanted to kill the one that woke it from its sleep. Despite the giant body it had, it was extremely fast. Daichi jumped up and barely avoided getting eaten. When he was in the air Krodos''s tail came with surprising speed and struck Daichi across the torso. -514 HP The attack not only sent Daichi flying but also cut him up badly. Red warning boxes popped up. Negative Status - Bleeding. "Aaahhhhh¡­¡­ It''s scales are like blades." Daichi gritted his teeth as he somehow balanced himself in midair and managed to land on a tree branch. Daichi held his bleeding belly. He quickly took out some bandages and wrapped them around his wounds. Daichi didn''t get the chance to do anything else as a fast jet stream of water shot the branch he was standing on. Daichi fell but before he hit the ground he threw a shuriken with a wire attached to another tree and swung himself to safety. The angry crocodile followed Daichi. It was determined to kill the little human. It smashed through trees and followed Daichi into the jungle leaving a path of wide destruction. Daichi was jumping from one branch to another. ¡®From the observation skill''s information, this thing has a good water affinity and fighting it near the lake would be a bad call.¡¯ Daichi''s plan was to bring it into the middle of the forest where he would have more advantage. ''This thing just tramples on anything in its path. Even the giant trees and rocks are getting smashed. It''s scales may have a strong defense but it''s belly must be soft like the rest of them. But how exactly do I attack the belly of this thing?'' Daichi thought of several strategies and discarded the most impractical ones. ''Whatever the case maybe, I''ll have to make him use up his chakra. Get him tired. Then things will go a lot smoother.'' Daichi created several clones and used them to distract the water beast. It swiped its tail and tried to kill the afterimage clones. It shot several water blasts trying to kill the real Daichi. Before long Daichi lured the beast far away from the lake. "Grrrrrr¡­.." The beast growled. It sucked in a breath of air and bellowed loudly. "GRRRAAAA¡­" The jungle shook from the angry roar. It ran and swiped at the tree Daichi was standing on. With just one strike from its leg, the tree snapped. Daichi aimed several shuriken and kunai at its eyes. But Krodos evaded them all. They bounced off his hard iron like scales without even leaving a scratch. ''Sharp weapons won''t work. So my dagger is useless. Against an enemy like this it''s best to use blunt brute force¡­ But if I punch that thing, it''s scales will shred my hands. And I don''t know any powerful offensive jutsus¡­¡¯ ¡®I could use my points¡­¡¯ ¡®No. If I use points to increase my strength every time I run into trouble, I won''t survive the real world for long. And I''ll be out of points when I really need them¡­¡¯ ¡®Damn it...What should I do?¡¯ Daichi was evading the attacks of the crocodile boss and was in a bind. He couldn''t think of a way to attack his enemy. That is until he saw them. Two rocks a little over half of Daichi''s size. They were wrecks from a larger stone Krodos destroyed earlier. Suddenly a new idea formed in his mind. It wasn''t a solid plan but it was the best he could think of at the moment. For his plan to work he would need a minute. Daichi lured the giant angry boss away from the area and once they were some distance away he used smoke bombs and ''sprint'' to escape as quickly as he could and return to where he saw the two rocks. ''I can use these to attack. But I just can''t grab and try to smash that monster with them. I won''t be able to inflict the maximum amount of damage that way¡­'' An idea formed in his mind. Daichi grimaced at what he was about to do. Or more specifically about the pain he was about to experience. He took a piece of cloth, rolled it up and put it between his teeth. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He clenched his fists and focused. He concentrated his chakra on both hands. Specifically below the elbow. And after a few seconds he opened his eyes. They reflected a determination someone his age seldom showed. Without wasting anymore time Daichi punched both rocks. His intent wasn''t to break them but to wear them like gloves. BAM¡­ "Aaahhhnnnn¡­.." Daichi groaned in pain as he managed to bury his hands, elbow deep in the two rocks. -168 HP -161 HP Negative status - Broken fingers, Bleeding. A couple of fingers on both hands were broken and the sharp edges of the rock tore into his skin on both his arms. Tears ran down his face as he gritted his teeth in pain. But he never made a single sound. A few seconds later all the pain he was feeling turned into anger. Daichi turned around in the direction of the crocodile. He had a vengeful vicious look on his face. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously projecting your murderous intent, the skill ¡®Killing Intent¡¯ has been created.] Killing Intent - Active (LV.1): The ability to project your will and intent on your enemies. The user of this skill exudes pure killing intent and has it affect their opponent to the point of paralyzing them with fear. At higher levels this skill can give the victims visions of their own death. Effects: Enemies with a 3 level gap between the user are paralyzed for 2 seconds. Enemies under 4 levels below the user are struck with terror and paralyzed for 4 seconds as well as 3% reduction of their physical stats. He had blood running down his lips, his teeth grinding against each other. Along with bloodshot eyes and veins popping up on his skull, Daichi exuded a truly fearsome image. He didn''t even bother reading the description of the new skill. Daichi''s sights were set on killing his target. Without wasting time he ran to his enemy. He reached the boss monster in a few seconds. He jumped high and from behind attacked. He fell down and punched its head with both hands. A powerful double blow that had enough force to slam its skull onto the ground. -388 HP "Take this you giant fucking lizard." Daichi subconsciously let his chakra flow into the rocks, coating them with it. So it didn''t break apart when he used it as a weapon. Daichi punched its head a few more times before he jumped away. Krodos shook its head and looked around. Once it spotted Daichi it roared and shot a water blast from its mouth. Daichi evaded using sprint skill. His speed increased and he attacked the giant crocodile from all directions. "Think you''re so tough¡­!!!? THINK AGAIN!!!." Daichi used as much force as he could when he punched the beast. He kept attacking and evading the large reptile. Dozens of strikes landed on its large body. Several notifications popped up as he fought the boss crocodile. Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 STR. Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 STR. The crocodile used its tail to smash Daichi several times but he always successfully evaded. Daichi''s stamina was slowly depleting due to the use of sprint skill but he was reducing the health of his enemy as well. The damage from the powerful bashes was taking its toll on the large beast. It tried to to kill its tiny enemy with all its might. Daichi after evading another strike from its tails and legs jumped and smashed one of its eyes. He used ''strong hit'' to boost his power. He destroyed its left eye. Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 STR. Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 VIT. "Grrraaaa¡­." Dungeon boss Krodos roared in pain. It thrashed about and destroyed everything around it. Daichi, evading it''s raging frenzy, kept attacking. Even with chakra coating the rocks they started to show signs of cracking. After several more strikes Daichi used a powerful double uppercut on it''s jaws. That was more than the rocks could take. The force of the punches broke them apart around the boy''s hands. His fingers bloody and a mangled mess. Both his hands below the elbow were torn in several places and bleeding. +1 STAMINA Daichi ignored his wounds and pain and with shaky hands took the last two paper bombs. He tied them to a shuriken and when the beast opened its mouth to roar, Daichi activated the bombs and threw them into its mouth. They reached their target and went deep inside the beast. After a couple of seconds the sounds of two powerful explosions rang throughout the jungle. The body of Krodos bulged several times due to the force of the explosion and then shrunk back down. The mighty tyrant Krodos fell down with a loud thud and in a few seconds it turned into smoke and disappeared. [Enemy killed.] +3000 Exp. +450 Exp. You have leveled up. You have successfully eliminated all the Iron skinned crocodiles in this dungeon. You have defeated the boss Water Tyrant Krodos. Reward: Skill ''Water Style - Hydro Blast Jutsu''. Thanks to the level up, Daichi regained half his lost stamina and health points and healed small wounds. Even though his negative status of bleeding and broken fingers were removed due to the healing, he was still in no shape to face another opponent. Especially a boss one. Daichi planned on resting and healing himself completely before starting the next fight. But unfortunately fate had other plans. "Oh you gotta be kidding me." Daichi exclaimed looking ahead. For in front of him stood the remaining enemies of this dungeon. 4 wolves and their leader. A huge alpha wolf and the last boss of the dungeon. Chapter 31 – Dungeon Boss Fight – 03 (Final) Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. ''It must have come here listening to all the commotion. This thing looks smart. Well¡­ Smart for an animal anyway. I bet it knew whoever was left alive would be wounded and in no shape to fight. What better opportunity than now to kill it''s enemy!!?'' [LV.30] [The Alpha Wolf - Scourge ] HP: 5003 CP: 4756 [The Alpha of the pack. Savage and fearless, this wolf hunts anything it perceives as its enemy. It fought numerous other strong wolves and killed them to become the leader. The last boss of this dungeon. It is able to use chakra to shoot wind projectiles. It''s claws are sharp enough to tear through steel. It wants to kill you. ] Daichi took a breath and composed himself. ''Just one more boss. Then I''m done.'' He looked at the other four wolves. There were two ''level 25''s, a level 26 and 27. Even in his current state Daichi felt like he could deal with the lower level wolves at once. But fighting the leader would be more difficult than usual. Still he didn''t back down. After spending a week in the dungeon and fighting for his life and killing every enemy he came across, Daichi developed a dangerous aura. The presence of a predator. This intent leaked out. Daichi was looking at the wolves as a predator would a prey. To him, at first this dungeon was the habitat of several dangerous beasts, but now that perception changed. These beasts were nothing more than EXP points to him. Just waiting to be collected. You have sensed killing intent. Despite the unfavorable situation he found himself in, he smiled. He looked at the boss wolf and stared into its eyes. Two kunais ready in each hand. Man and beast stared down. Both of their murderous intent filling the air. Skill Killing Intent''s level has risen by one. That was the signal for Daichi to begin the battle. He headed not for the boss but for the two weakest wolves of the pack. He reached them as they were paralyzed in fear and without wasting time, slashed through every inch of their bodies. In just a couple of seconds over two dozen strikes landed on their bodies and Daichi ended them by plunging his kunai deep into their heads. He jumped back as Scourge the alpha wolf jumped and tried to take him by surprise. [Enemies killed.] +1200 Exp. +180 Exp. After a couple of seconds the other wolves started moving as well. They circled and surrounded Daichi. The ninja in training was calm and on guard. He didn¡¯t wait for long. Before his enemies pounced on him, Daichi moved. He swiftly jumped to a tree and landed on its branch. The remaining three animals of the dungeon gave chase with the alpha wolf in the lead. It shot several wind bullet attacks from its mouth. They grazed Daichi as he tried to avoid them. His HP was slowly plummeting. Daichi turned around and threw several shuriken aimed at the leading wolf. The moment it dodged the oncoming projectiles, Daichi launched another wave of shuriken at a much faster pace. But these were aimed at the flight path of previous shuriken Daichi threw. The new shurikens collided with the first wave and they changed the trajectory of all shuriken to target the two wolves trailing behind. All of them hit their marks. Through the battles he fought in this dungeon Daichi had improved his shuriken jutsu skills beyond the norm. The two wolves, unable to escape, were riddled with the sharp weapons and fell down from the trees. Daichi changed path and went for the downed creatures. The wolf scourge howled and followed at a faster pace but Daichi used clones to distract it and used ''sprint'' and increased his speed. He took out the short sword and severed the heads of the two enemies before they could retaliate. [Enemy killed.] +600 Exp. +90 Exp. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. "Finally. Now it''s just you and me." Daichi turned and smirked looking at the enraged beast. You have sensed killing intent. The leader of the now dead pack was furious and howled. But Daichi wasn''t affected in the least. ''Strange... Even though I might get killed fighting this guy I don''t feel nervous or afraid¡­ why?...Well it doesn''t matter. I am going to make it out of this alive. Whatever it takes.'' The large wolf rushed to Daichi. It''s maw eager to comp down on Daichi''s neck. The boy avoided the large drooling teeth and the sharp claws that tried to cut him to pieces. He tried to slash the large body of his enemy with his sword only for his opponent to dodge as well. They slowly circled each other and made no rash moves. The alpha wolf was smarter than the others of its kind. Its instincts were sharper and more attuned to the dangers surrounding it. It knew the human would be just as ruthless as it when going for the kill. It jumped and closed the distance in an instant and slashed its claws at Daichi. He defended with his sword and avoided getting his head bitten off. Just then Daichi sensed the attack of the wolf''s tail. Unable to avoid it, Daichi was slammed on the side by the tail that was enhanced with chakra. The force sent him skidding sideways. -201 HP "Ahhh¡­.That definitely cracked a rib or two." Daichi looked up as the wolf pounced on him. He rolled to the side and created a few clones. The wolf looked at the clones but it wasn''t fooled this time. With its sense of smell and hearing it could pickout the real Daichi and went for him. ''Shit. This thing is smarter than I thought. My stamina is running low. I won''t be able to keep this up for much longer. I need to end this now.'' Daichi took to the trees again with the wolf right behind him. He suddenly had an idea in mind. He deliberately slowed down just a bit to let the wolf get to him. As he predicted the large wolf jumped with the intent to tear through his body. Daichi quickly evaded the fatal strikes but let the claws land on his body. The sharp large claws drew several deep gashes along Daichi''s chest. -376 HP Negative Status - Bleeding. "Aaahh¡­." Daichi gritted his teeth and endured the pain. But it gave him the chance he was looking for. Health points have fallen below 20%. Skill ¡®Ozark¡¯s Resilience¡¯ is activated. +2% to Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 20 seconds. With the speed increase, Daichi quickly got behind the wolf. He locked his arms around the neck of the large beast and squeezed with all his might. "Raaaahhh¡­." He screamed as he used every ounce of his strength to kill the boss. The flailing of the wolf caused Daichi to lose footing and fall from the tree but he didn''t loosen his grip for even an instant. Even as he hit the ground he was choking the wild beast. With one final yell, Daichi succeeded in crushing its neck. Without wasting time Daichi took his dagger and plunged it into the beast''s head. The limbs of the beast stilled and fell. In a few seconds it turned to smoke and disappeared. [Enemy killed.] +2700 Exp. +405 Exp. You have successfully eliminated all the voracious wolves in this dungeon. You have defeated the boss The Alpha Wolf - Scourge. Reward: Skill ''Wind style - Wind bullet jutsu''. A red notification box appeared among the blues. You have fought the boss of a dungeon with less than ? of your HP and SP and won. You have reached the special condition needed to unlock the persistence stat. +1 PERSISTENCE When health reaches below 25% this special stat will activate. Gives the user¡¯s Stats 1% boost for 3 Minutes. You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. . Enemies killed: [201/201] . Quest ''Kill all 201 creatures inside the dungeon'' Completed. Rewards New Skill: Dual Wielding Mastery. New Title: Beast Slayer. (This title will increase all your stats by 10% when fighting non humans.) Ryo 200,000. . You have successfully defeated every enemy in this dungeon. You have been granted access to the return key. A gold key suddenly materialized in front of him. Daichi didn''t have the energy to read through every pop up box that appeared. He focused on the box that told him he could leave the dungeon. He took the key with shaky hands and placed it in his inventory. ¡®It''s not telling me to leave right now. So I''ll take a good rest and then go home. I''m in too much pain to move anyway.¡¯ Daichi took out a small bed from his inventory for just such an occasion. He laid on the bed and fell asleep just a few seconds after closing his eyes. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi woke up refreshed and feeling better than ever. All his wounds healed and he was back to full strength. He sat up and looked at the system messages. There were a lot piled up. Daichi started going through each one. Due to being ambushed he didn''t even get the chance to check out the rewards he got after he beat the crocodile boss. "Oh man! There''s a lot of messages to go through¡­ I need to check my status page and skill list page. See how much they''ve improved. Hmm¡­ What about the return key...? Alright! I''ll have a look at that first." Daichi took out the gold key from his inventory and used ''observe''. [Dungeon exit Key.] With this key the player can open the exit door and can leave the dungeon. Key valid for only 24 hours in dungeon time. Once the key becomes invalid, the door will be locked and the player will be trapped inside the dungeon forever. [Time remaining: 16:12:34] After reading the description Daichi''s eyes almost popped out of his skull. He jumped to his feet and yelled. "What the hell system? You couldn''t have said that I only had 24 hours to leave this place in a pop up box or something." He shouted looking forward. A few seconds passed by and as he expected, no answer was given. Daichi let out a long sigh and sat down. ''Whatever¡­ Thank you brain, for making me use ''observe'' on the key.'' ''You''re welcome.'' Daichi then looked up with a dumb expression on his face. "Oh man. Listen to me talking to myself. One week in this dungeon and I''m already going crazy." He shook his head and looked at the rest of the blue boxes. ''Beast Slayer title huh. So it increases all stats when fighting non humans. And it doesn''t say it has to be in a dungeon or anything. So that means this title could be applied when I''m fighting wild animals or summons or God forbid, tailed beasts in the real world¡­ Alright I''ll take it. And 200,000 Ryo. Not much but also not little. Let''s see¡­ What else?'' ¡®Dual Wielding mastery? Let''s see what that''s about¡­¡¯ Dual Wielding Mastery - Passive (LV.1): This skill allows proper amounts of power to be displayed when dual wielding weapons. Wielding two weapons at once requires a high level of attention and dexterity as well as ambidextrous coordination. Train this skill to wield two weapons effectively and efficiently. Effects: Passively increases the player''s minimum and maximum melee Damage, Critical rate and Balance. +2% Increase to Damage inflicted. +2% Increase in attack speed. "Nice skill. Would definitely come in handy. I need to buy two sharp weapons. Preferably short swords. Or some daggers... Alright. What''s next?" As Daichi looked through the notifications, he saw the red pop up box. "Yes. Looks like another special stat awakened. Guess that wolf attack was a blessing in disguise¡±. Daichi read the information on the new stat ''Persistence''. ''The benefit of this stat is incredible. And it''ll only get better with more points. Excellent. This dungeon run yielded more rewards than I thought. What else is there?'' Daichi looked through the remaining notifications. Wind style - Wind Bullet Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user takes in a deep breath of air and kneads chakra into them, which they expel from their mouth as several miniature wind bullets. Rank: C Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Bird - Horse - Dragon - Ram. CP Cost: 300/5 Bullets. [Note: Strength and number of wind bullets can be increased with more chakra kneaded into the attack.] . Water Style - Hydro Blast Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user kneads chakra in their body and turns it into water, which they expel from their mouth in a fast spiral blast. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu. Hand Seals: Dog - Ram - Hare - Monkey - Horse. CP Cost: 312 Per Shot. [Note: Amount of water and speed of the jutsu can be increased with more chakra kneaded into the attack.] "Finally. Some jutsus to attack. So roughly 300 chakra points per attack huh. I''ll have to keep training and increasing my chakra reserves if I want to be a Ninjutsu specialist." Daichi got down checking out all the notification boxes. ''Time to see my status page.'' ''Status.'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 6 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer. Level : 26 (10105/20550) . HP : 2200 CP : 2379.8 SP : 1860 MP: 920 . Primary Stats Strength - 47 Vitality - 46 Dexterity - 42 Agility - 45 Intelligence - 50 Chakra - 55 Wisdom - 30 . Special Stats Sense - 49 Stamina - 55 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 27 Persistence - 1 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 245 Ryo - 213650 As he looked at his improvements a wide grin formed on his face. A moment later he closed his eyes and had a hearty laugh. Chapter 32 – Testing Jutsus and Leaving Dungeon Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Wow. My stats and points have gone way up. Time to check out the skill list." "Skills." A new page opened showing the list of Daichi''s skills. Daichi looked over each and every skill. ''Even though Observe skill has leveled up I still haven''t been able to see the physical stats of my opponents. Even now I could only see their HP, CP and some info. But nothing more¡­ Maybe it''ll show me the physical stats once ''Observe crosses Level 50 or something¡­'' Effects: 73% Increase in speed when dishwashing. . Effects : 82.2% to base HP regeneration per minute. 82.2% to base CP regeneration per minute. 82.2% to base SP regeneration per minute. . Effects: 59% Increase in Damage inflicted. 61% Increase in Movement speed. 21% Increase in Physical stat growth. 44% Decrease in Damage taken. ''Excellent. It seems my physical constitution is getting better at a much faster pace than I thought. But the damage reduction effect¡­ Based on my experience it reduces the damage depending on my enemies and their levels. Opponents of the same level won''t be able to deal much damage to me but it seems the higher the enemy''s Level, the lower the effect¡­ But still¡­ This is a great skill.'' . Effects: 20% Growth rate of Chakra stat. 45.2% Strength increase to all chakra-based skills. 45% Defense increase against chakra-based attacks. 40% Increase to maximum CP. -20% CP cost to all chakra based skills. ''I''ve been able to increase the level of this skill much faster than most but something tells me that sooner or later it''s going to get difficult to level it up.'' Effects: Regeneration Increased by 74% of base CP per minute. 20.1% Growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 99%. ''This chakra regeneration skill has helped immensely here. I was able to reduce my rest time and was able to gather chakra at a much faster pace¡­'' Daichi calculated the CP regen in his mind. ''My Chakra points regenerate at 10 points per minute. With a 74% increase that''s 17.4 CP per minute. And if I meditate then I can increase it to almost 20 points per minute.'' ''And since I currently have a total of 2380 CP, I''ll be able to completely recover my chakra in about 120 minutes¡­ And I haven''t taken into account the effects of the Meditate skill.'' Daichi smiled at the implication. "Going from no chakra to full capacity in less than 2 hours is incredible. This gamer''s body is so damn OP¡­" "Alright. What else do we have?" Daichi continued looking over the other skills. Effects: 6% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. 6% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. 5% Less CP requirements for new Jutsu created. . Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1/sec. -50% CP cost to chakra techniques. Daichi smiled looking at the first skill he maxed. ''Now I''ll be able to focus on the tree walking exercise.'' Effects: 46.2% Increase in taste CP cost : 1/sec. . Effects: 58% Increase in hearing CP cost : 2/sec. . Effects: 47.6% Increase in smell. CP cost : 1/sec. . Effects: 65% Increase in sight. CP cost : 2/sec. "Looks like my sight, hearing and smell senses have gone up considerably. Not surprising. I had to fight in the night with low visibility and it pushed my senses to their limits¡­" "My special stat sense is 49. I wonder if it''ll give any special skills or effects when it reaches 50? I suppose I''ll find out soon." Effects: 70.3% Increase in attack power. 68.4% Increase in defense. 70% Increase in speed 69% Decrease in damage taken. . Effects: 95% Increase in accuracy. 85% Increase in damage dealt. ''Just a bit more and it''ll be 90. It''s such an exhilarating feeling. To throw them with pinpoint accuracy and take enemies down from the shadows¡­'' ''That''s the dream¡­ Well one of them anyway.'' Effects: 41.5% Decrease in damage taken. "With the damage reduction buff from this skill, the leaf Taijutsu skill and the body conditioning skill, I doubt I''d take any damage from someone my age group." Effects: 51% Increase in critical rate. 69.3% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. 51% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 7 per hit. "Hmm¡­ As useful as this skill is, it drains my stamina fast if I use it too much. I need to find an alternative to this skill that uses Chakra Points instead of Stamina Points." Effects: 39% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. 36% Increase in plating technique. . Effects: 31% Increase in visual appeal. 34% Increase of accuracy in painting. . Effects: 120% Increase in thread control. 120% Increase in thread speed CP cost : 2.7/sec for single thread. . Effects: 60% Increase in running speed. SP cost : 50 SP per minute. "This skill will also be a problem. Need ones that use CP. Maybe the Body flicker technique is an excellent replacement. But for that my chakra control has to be well above average¡­ I''ll look into it later I suppose." Effects: 18% Increase in success when escaping bindings. . Effects: 76% Accuracy Increase when creating identical clones. CP cost : 52 CP per clone. . Effects: 50% Increase in accuracy and details when transforming. CP cost : 16 CP per transformation. . Note: This skill requires a sword to activate. Effects: 35.5% Additional damage when striking the target. Marks target with damage and negative de-buffs. 23% Increase in attack speed. . Effects: 51% Additional damage when hitting target. Marks target with damage and negative de-buffs. 17% Increase in attack speed. . Effects: 106% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 8/sec. -42% CP cost to chakra techniques. . Effects: Current range - 60 meters. . Effects: 140% Additional attack Damage to the enemy. 24% Increase in attack speed. 24% Increase in critical rate. . "So at level 14, this skill deals 140% additional damage? Then unless I''m mistaken at level 100 it''ll be 1000%. That will be powerful enough to take out most guys¡­ But¡­ Will it really give that much?? 1000% additional damage sounds far too good to be true¡­ I''ll wait and see¡­" Effects: 26% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 12/sec. 10.5% Decrease CP cost to chakra techniques. . Effects: Current Range: 40 meters. CP Cost : 20/meter. . Effects: +2% to Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 20 seconds when HP falls below 20%. Cooldown time: 8 hours. Daichi smiled as he looked at this skill. "The skill that saved my life. This has great potential once it levels up some more. I have a feeling you''re gonna be quite active during my future dungeon runs." Effects: Enemies with a (+ or -)3 level gap between the user are paralyzed for 6 seconds. Enemies less than 4 levels and below the user are struck with terror and paralyzed for 8 seconds as well as 6% reduction of their physical stats. . Effects: Passively increases the player''s minimum and maximum melee Damage, Critical rate and Balance. 2% Increase to Damage inflicted. 2% Increase in attack speed. ''Incredible. Just 7 days and my skills had such a growth? It seems battle is the best way to improve my strength after all.'' Daichi looked over every skill. He paid attention to two of his newest skills. Death Blow - Active(LV.14(77%)): This skill allows the user to fatally wound an enemy. This usually occurs when the enemy''s Strength or Vitality has been depleted. But this skill can be triggered when you take the enemy by surprise or other such conditions. Effects: 140% Additional attack Damage to the enemy. 24% Increase in attack speed. 24% Increase in critical rate. Chakra sense - Active(LV.10): This sensing skill allows the user to mold chakra and change it to the sensory type, enabling them to detect and track targets through their chakra signatures. This skill also enables the user to hide his chakra signature from those of the user''s level. Higher level shinobi can detect your chakra even if you''re hidden. Effects: Current Range - 40 meters. CP Cost : 20/meter. As Daichi was looking over all the skills, he found something unusual. "Where''s the water and wind style jutsus I got??" As he looked at the top of the list a new option was added. It was labeled Ninjutsu. Daichi clicked on it and a new page listing his current jutsus was shown. Ninjutsu Water Style - Hydro Blast Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user kneads chakra in their body and turns it into water, which they expel from their mouth in a fast spiral blast. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu. Hand Seals: Dog - Ram - Hare - Monkey - Horse. CP Cost: 312 Per Shot. [Note: Amount of water and speed of the jutsu can be increased with more chakra kneaded into the attack.] . Wind style - Wind Bullet Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user takes in a deep breath of air and kneads chakra into them, which they expel from their mouth as several miniature wind bullets. Rank: C Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Bird - Horse - Dragon - Ram. CP Cost: 300/5 Bullets. [Note: Strength and number of wind bullets can be increased with more chakra kneaded into the attack.] "Since I have about 16 hours left and a training ground no one can spy on, it''s best to test these jutsu¡­Oh man. My first actual attack - Ninjutsu." Daichi was giddy at the prospect of controlling and using the elements to his will. As soon as Daichi clicked on the water jutsu, its knowledge and functions appeared in his brain. With all the information about the Jutsu floating in his brain, Daichi felt like he had been studying it for days. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Daichi went through the hand seals. "Water style - Hydro Blast Jutsu." A fast spiraling torrent of water shot out of his mouth. Daichi aimed it at a nearby tree. He was amazed to see his attack drilling through the trunk of the tree almost half way. Daichi cut off the chakra and stopped the attack. The tree had a drilled shaped hole the size of a small human head. And losing its stability the tree broke in half. At that time a new blue box appeared. You have used your first water nature jutsu. You have acquired the skill Water affinity. Water affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.1): Water Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Dog hand-seal. Once this skill crosses Level 85 the user can manipulate even the molecular structure of water to create ice or steam. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Effects: +2% Increase in water attack jutsu. +2% Increase in water defense jutsu. +5% Increase in success when creating water style jutsu. -1% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using water style jutsu. Daichi was stunned when he read the information. ''So I can make ice and steam release jutsus in the future? Wow. Awesome.'' ''Wait a minute. If that''s the case for water affinity, then wouldn''t it be the same for all the other nature elements as well¡­? Yes. Most probably.'' Daichi''s eyes widened in realization. "I can create jutsus that replicate certain Kekkei Genkai¡­ Oh man! I can''t wait to get started. Alright let''s see. So it seems I''ll get the wind affinity when I use the wind jutsu next. I''m eager to see what that skill says." Daichi clicked on the wind bullet jutsu box and its information flooded his brain. Daichi went through the seals for the wind style jutsu quickly. "Wind style - Wind Bullet jutsu." Daichi shot multiple wind bullets with intense speed. The bullets had enough power to go through the rock Daichi aimed at. The attack created 5 small holes all the way through the rock. You have used your first wind nature jutsu. You have acquired the skill Wind affinity. ¡°Yes. Just like I thought.¡± Wind affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.1): Wind release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with bird hand-seal. This is the rarest of the five nature transformations. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Effects: +2% Increase in wind attack jutsu. +2% Increase in wind defense jutsu. +5% Increase in success when creating wind style jutsu. -1% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using wind style jutsu. "Excellent. I''ll have to ask the old man for some simple Jutsus for the other 3 natures first thing tomorrow. And also the shadow clone. Can''t forget that. I need to see if I can pull the Naruto shortcut training method¡­ Hmm what else is there?" As Daichi went through his skill list, his eyes landed on another new skill he hadn''t used yet. Mana Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.01): Mana is an energy created by the power of an intelligent mind and is a separate energy from chakra. This energy is primarily used for mind enhancing techniques but a strong enough mind can create abilities that have physical effects similar to telekinesis or elemental attacks. This skill allows the user to manipulate their own Mana depending on its proficiency. Practitioners of Mana are even less than Natural Energy users. In its raw form Mana cannot be seen or felt by any sensors or eye powers. The exception is the visual eye Rinne sharingan. [Note: Since this energy is created by the mind it is limited and overusing this ability before intelligence passes 200 could cause damage to the psyche.] "Ok. Time to see what I''m dealing with¡­" Daichi sat down and calmed his breathing. He easily entered the meditative state. He began to feel for any changes in his body and tried to identify the energy Mana. After finding nothing during the first half hour, Daichi got a bit frustrated. He could easily use his chakra abilities but it looked like his Mana abilities were being stubborn. He got up and walked around thinking about the various ways he could approach this problem. As he walked around he suddenly had a new idea. He picked up a small leaf and sat down. He concentrated on the leaf in front of him. Daichi felt the leaf for a few minutes in his fingers before placing it on the ground. He looked at it, burning the image of the leaf laying on the ground into his mind to the most minute details. He once again closed his eyes and concentrated. His goal was to feel the leaf with his mind and if he could maybe even move it. As he kept concentrating, time went by. No unnecessary thoughts came to him. Hours passed by as he concentrated. As he entered a deep concentration state a change began to happen. Suddenly Daichi felt a weight on his head. It felt as if someone placed something heavy on his head and it''s weighing down directly on his brain. And after a couple of seconds the weight increased. Unable to ignore the slight but increasingly painful sensation, Daichi opened his eyes. He saw the leaf he placed on the ground a few feet in the air, now slowly floating back down. New notification boxes appeared. You have actively used Mana for the first time. You have gained the skill [Lesser Mana affinity]. [Note: Increasing the above skill passively increases the level of Mana manipulation skill.] Lesser Mana Affinity - (Passive/Active) (LV.01): This skill increases the user''s talent and ability to use Mana more thoroughly. [Note: Intelligence stat isn''t high enough to efficiently and effectively use Mana on physical objects and matter manipulation. With the current intelligence and wisdom stats, creating skills to aid or boost mental abilities would be more beneficial. Once Mana is depleted, the only way to restore it is with sleep.] Effects: +2% Strength increase to all Mana based skills. -2% MP cost to all Mana based skills. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully concentrating and controlling the Mana energy to move an object, the skill ''Telekinesis'' has been created.] Telekinesis - Active(LV.1): This skill gives the user the ability to manipulate or otherwise interact with matter or another aspect of a physical system with one''s mind. Once this skill crosses Level 90 the user can manipulate matter or energy at a subatomic level or universal level. This influence can expand to affect facets of reality other than matter and energy, namely time and space. [Note: Mana cost to use this skill depends on the distance, mass, precision, etc of an object.] Effects: 1% Increase in Mana attacks. 1% Increase in Mana defenses. 1% Decrease in Mana cost. Daichi was gently massaging his forehead. "Oh man. That did not feel good." He opened his eyes and went through the notification boxes slowly. He read about the effects, abilities and limitations of Mana. "Well¡­ There goes my dreams of OP Mana powers. Well until my intelligence reaches 200 anyway. But I''m not gonna spend many points on it¡­ Not until I become a chunin at least¡­ It seems for the moment the best thing to do is create support mental skills. And I''ll have to make sure I don''t overdo it." Daichi let out a long tired sigh. ''I have been in this Dungeon long enough. Time to go home.'' He checked the map and found the location of the entrance door. He made his way there within a couple of hours. When Daichi reached the door he took out the key and placed it inside the keyhole. You have used the return key. Would you like to leave this dungeon? Y/N "Yes." The door opened and the instant he set foot inside the familiar hallway, he was teleported back to his room. Daichi felt the same sensation he had when entering the dungeon. In a few moments he fell down onto his bed. He looked around. Everything was the same. Then he looked at the clock on the table. ¡®Just a few seconds after I left. I spent a week in that place but time hardly moved here. I suppose the name instant dungeon fits that place.¡¯ Even though he slept a few hours ago Daichi was still somewhat mentally tired. He freshened up and went quickly to sleep. Chapter 33 – Interlude 01 – Kensei, Hiruzen, Sasuke Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei Yasaji. Kensei was eating his morning breakfast when he noticed Daichi coming down. ¡°Good morning Gramps.¡± Daichi greeted him. As he looked at Daichi, Kensei noticed something strange. ¡®His chakra reserve has increased and he seems to be on alert.¡¯ Even though it wouldn''t be obvious to someone normal, Kensei saw the signs. He watched Daichi take a look at the exits and take in every object in the room quickly and subtly. He sat down without saying anything and ate his breakfast. Kensei quickly sensed Daichi''s chakra signature to verify it''s his grandson. ''It''s Daichi alright.! So then what''s up with him?'' "Did something happen last night?" The question startled the boy. He put a wide smile on his face and replied. "Nothing happened¡­ Why do you ask?" "You seem to be on guard. More vigilant and wary of your surroundings." Kensei replied in a confused tone. "Oh? I''m trying to be more vigilant of my surroundings. I read in a book about taking in every detail when in enemy territory. Trying to make this a habit¡­" Daichi said with a straight face. He did read something similar in a book so he wasn''t lying. Hearing Daichi''s answer satisfied Kensei. "Anyway...Umm...Something else did happen last night." Daichi had a sheepish smile on his face as he said this. Seeing Daichi''s jovial expression, Kensei let go of his worries. "What is it?" He was curious as to what brought the change. "I learned two jutus. One for water and one for wind." "Have you tried them?" Kensei asked. "No." Daichi replied with a straight face. "I was thinking we could go over them after we had some breakfast." Kensei nodded in approval. They quickly finished their food and went outside. They reach the training area in their backyard. Kensei motioned for Daichi to begin. Daichi quickly went through the hand seals for the water style jutsu. A fast spiraling blast of water shot from his mouth and destroyed the small stone he aimed at. Kensei was examining Daichi as he used the Jutsu. He noticed his grandson¡¯s chakra reserves had increased by a wide margin. Noting that he had enough chakra to perform another jutsu, Kensei motioned Daichi to perform the next one. The wind style wind bullet jutsu was quickly demonstrated as well. Daichi turned around to look at his grandpa. "So what do you think?" Kensei examined the aftermath of the two Ninjutsus. He was more than impressed that a first year academy student had the reserves and control to pull off two techniques that looked like they were C Rank level. "Your chakra volume has grown far more than most others your age. And your chakra control is exceptional. To successfully use two chakra nature jutsus that are not of your natural affinity¡­ That''s impressive." Kensei was impressed by Daichi''s improvement and dismissed Daichi''s strange behavior in the morning. "I take it you have something in mind for telling me this." Daichi nodded. "Can you give me 3 simple easy jutsus for the remaining chakra natures." "So you want a fire, lightning and earth nature jutsus. Why do you need them?" Kensei''s curiosity peaked. "I want to feel what it''s like to use all 5 elements. Understand the way my chakra changes to each element. Improve my control. All that stuff." Daichi gave his answer. He was hoping his grandfather would approve. After listening to Daichi''s reasons and thinking about it for some time he agreed. He took his grandson to his library and gave him 3 scrolls detailing C Rank jutsus for fire, earth and lightning nature. After informing his grandson that he was going out, Kensei left. He was walking down the road thinking about Daichi''s progress. It really baffled him. ''The speed of his growth is truly abnormal. And his chakra reserves had increased quite a bit since the last time I sensed them. And his talent¡­ He makes me look like chopped liver. His talent is far beyond what I initially thought¡­ '' ''Maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ He can do it¡­ Stand at the top of this era¡­ Wouldn''t that be something? But this will also bring him attention. Sooner or later the eyes of everyone important is going to fall on him. He''ll need to prepare for that¡­'' Kensei thought about Daichi and his enormous talents and his thoughts drifted to his late son. He shook his head and sighed after a few moments clearing his thoughts. He looked up in front of him. He had reached his destination. The orphanage where he met Daichi. He went inside and met with Aiko. "Hello Aiko. It''s been a while." Kensei sat and smiled. "Yes it has. How have you been? Not bored I imagine." Aiko smiled at her old friend. "No. Not with Daichi around." "How is he by the way?" Aiko asked. "Good. Great actually. He got first place in the academy this semester. A natural born genius. It''s interesting to have him around to say the least." Kensei smiled as he recalled his experiences with Daichi. They talked about the past for a while. While talking about Daichi''s training Aiko suddenly remembered something. The visit from the Special Jonin Genma. "Kensei. There''s something I think you should know. The Hokage enquired about Daichi." Aiko said in a somewhat serious tone. "What! When?" Kensei exclaimed. ¡°A few days after you adopted him.¡± "Did he come here personally?" "No. He sent one of his guards¡­" Aiko was silent for a second before asking "What are you going to do? I know you and lord third have a history¡­ Is that going to affect Daichi?" Kensei sighed and replied. ¡°No. What happened between me and Hiruzen won¡¯t affect Daichi. He¡¯s not that kind of a man¡­ But someone like Danzo on the other hand¡­ Has he come here recently?¡± Aiko shook her head. ¡°No. He hasn''t, not since that day.¡± ¡°Probably due to Hiruzen. He always had a soft spot for you. Especially after all the things you did for the village¡­ I am curious though¡­ Have you found out the source of the funds you received?¡± Kensei wanted to know if Aiko found her mysterious benefactor. The orphanage and Aiko received a very large sum of money shortly after the nine tails attack. When she received the money Aiko believed it was someone who wanted to help the orphans at such a terrible time. But with that money came 1 important instruction. Never let Danzo Shimura take any of the children at the orphanage. Aiko knew the kind of man Danzo was. She made sure to screen every person she hired at the orphanage. 2 years after the attack, Danzo came trying to recruit a couple of children for his organization but Aiko refused. When he started to make trouble for her, the Hokage intervened. Danzo never bothered her again. She would protect all the children under her care. But she was curious as to why that money came with that particular condition. Kensei and Aiko spent a couple of hours reminiscing about the past and talked about various topics. After some time Kensei left the place. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hokage¡¯s Office. The Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was looking over the mission reports of the Anbu Team Ro. He paid attention to the Rank and number of missions completed by the team. Team Ro under Anbu captain Kakashi Hatake was a formidable squad. ''With Itachi''s addition to the team, their mission completion rate has increased twofold. Today is the last day of their one week break.'' The Hokage took another folder and reviewed it''s contents. After going through it he came to a decision. ¡®I''ll assign Kakashi''s team to this. They''re the most suitable.'' Once he stamped the last of the top secret and critical documents with his official seal he took a break from his work. He went near the window and looked out. ''Things are getting progressively worse with the Uchiha clan. Itachi and Shisui were the only ones who stood on our side from the clan. But now that Shisui is dead things have gotten much worse. The Police force is investigating the matter. Even though it appears as a suicide to the world, the Uchiha won''t buy into that. Now Itachi is the only informant I have in the clan. If something happens to him as well¡­'' Hiruzen sighed as he thought about the burdens he carried on his shoulders and the burdens he placed on the 11 year old genius of the Uchiha clan. ¡®I''ll have to trust Itachi on this matter. I hope he¡¯ll be able to convince Fugaku and the other Uchiha clan members. Negotiation is the only way to solve this problem. And the sooner the better.¡¯ Soon he went back to work. He looked over the important reports first and after some time came to the documents regarding the academy tests. He looked over the results of the first year semester and what he saw was what he thought but it still somewhat surprised him. ¡®Just as I expected. Daichi took first place in almost all the tests. He was even able to beat Sasuke Uchiha and score higher marks. It seems my intuition was right.¡¯ ¡®During the entrance ceremony I noticed his chakra volume. It had grown several times from when I first met and sensed him. And it felt like he had precise control over it as well. He had grown a lot stronger in just one year. And based on the reports Daikoku made from his observations, it seems Daichi is still holding back. Daikoku notes that Daichi is eligible for skipping a grade.¡¯ ¡®Should I do it?... No! It''s still too soon. Let him develop a healthy and strong mind first. I''ll have him graduate with his class or if he''s really impressive then maybe a year early. That should be enough.¡¯ The Hokage went over the results of the whole class and made mental notes of all the students who showed some talent. He paused when his eyes reached a certain name. Naruto Uzumaki. ¡®It would seem he has your looks, Minato. But he''s inherited his attitude from Kushina.¡¯ ¡®A troublemaker. Recently he started pulling pranks on teachers. Bad in studies but has a positive attitude¡­ I suppose that''s a fair assessment from the teacher¡­ But I know you''ll do great things one day, Naruto. You''re the one Minato entrusted with the Nine-tails after all.¡¯ He looked over the academy files and continued on with his works. ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uchiha Clan. - Sasuke¡¯s Home. Sasuke was sitting in front of his father Fugaku Uchiha. Sasuke had a downcast expression as his father went through every line in his report card. Once he was done, he placed the card down and looked at his youngest son. His face showed no emotion. After staring at his son for over a minute he broke the silence. "This was unexpected, Sasuke. You got second place¡­ I thought you''d be like your brother but it seems I''m wrong." Sasuke clenched his fists around his knees. He didn''t even have the strength to look at his father. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He stayed like that, never speaking a word. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Fugaku asked in a stern voice. "I''m sorry father. I''ll do better next time." The young Uchiha replied. "Don''t forget. Your brother took first place in the academy and graduated in less than six months. He is a genius like no other. Now that you''ve joined the academy you have to hold yourself up to his standards. You need to work harder. Much harder. Do you understand?" Fugaku asked. "Yes father. I''ll train more." It was the only reply the young Uchiha gave. Fugaku got up and was about to leave but abruptly stopped. "The child who defeated you. What is his name?" He enquired. Sasuke was quiet for a few seconds and then answered in a small voice. "Daichi¡­ Daichi Hekima." Fugaku nodded and left the room. He always held Sasuke to the same standards he did Itachi. But seeing his son not take the first spot in his class disappointed him. But at the same time Fugaku became a bit interested in the boy that defeated his child. Sasuke was in a turmoil. Tears started rolling down his face. He stayed seated on the ground even after his father had left and cried, but he never made a single sound. ¡®Itachi¡­ Daichi¡­ I¡­ I hate you both.'' It was the only thought that went through his head as he silently shed tears in misery. Chapter 34 – Meeting Ren Uchiha Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. His grandfather had left after giving him the three scrolls. Daichi stored them in his inventory and left home as well. He had a special goal in mind. Daichi was walking through a forest near the outskirts of the village. He had been visiting various places within the village to find more dungeons. His journey was somewhat successful. He located another instant dungeon. He decided to save it for the next year. Daichi hadn''t gotten the reward for clearing the dungeon from the quest ''Path to the strongest''. He figured he would only get it at the end of the first academic year. He wanted to know what that reward would entail. Now he was looking for a place to train. Somewhere quiet and away from people so he could test out his jutsus. As he kept walking he saw something unexpected. Several round target boards were hung on trees all around him. As he looked at it he felt a sense of Deja Vu. ''Where have I seen this place before.'' As Daichi racked his memory for an answer, it hit him. ''I remember now. This place. This is where Itachi practiced his shuriken jutsu. It''s where he showed Sasuke his shuriken throwing techniques before Sasuke entered the academy. Oh man¡­ That means I''m near the Uchiha clan compound. I better leave before I attract unwanted companies.'' Daichi turned around and was about to walk away but something stopped him. He opened his skill list and saw it. Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV.89(95.7%)) Effects: +95% Increase in accuracy. +85% Increase in damage dealt. ''This is the skill that increased the most during my dungeon fight. Makes sense. I wanted to keep those things at bay and I''ve been using shuriken and kunai at every fight against those beasts. I used chakra threads to control the speed and trajectory of the weapons. My increased dexterity helped me a lot in improving this particular skill.'' Daichi took a moment and looked at all the targets hanging on the trees. He wondered. ''Is it possible¡­ Do I have Itachi''s level of shuriken skill? He is a master with this technique. He could even hit targets in his blindspot¡­'' Daichi looked around and he saw another hidden target behind a rock. He wanted to know if it was possible for him¡­ ''Can I do it? One way to find out, I suppose. Since I''m here I might as well give it a shot. If I want to be the best then I can''t shy away from any challenges that come my way.'' Daichi took off his glasses and walked forward. He stood in the center of the clearing with the targets all around him. There were nine targets all around him in plain view and one hidden behind a rock. A total of 10 targets for him to hit. Daichi stood still looking at all the targets and memorizing their locations. He spent a few minutes looking and engraving the position of each target into his memory. He took 8 kunais from his back pouch and held each one between his fingers. He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing and concentrated. A familiar feeling came to him. The sensation of being in the dungeon surrounded by beasts that wanted to tear him apart. Daichi opened his eyes in an instant and jumped. He jumped high and flipped upside down. His eyes landed on all the 9 targets in his view in an instant. His hands moved in a precise yet smooth manner. His fingers loosened and he quickly let go of each kunai he held between his fingers one by one. All eight weapons left his hands within a couple of seconds. The first six of them were aimed at the targets while the last two were not. Without wasting an instant he took out two more from his back pouch and threw them in the direction of the last two kunais at a faster speed. Metals collided against metals and the force changed the trajectory of all four weapons. Daichi once again flipped in midair and landed perfectly on the ground. He looked around and wanted to see the results. What he saw surprised him. Even though the kunais all hit their targets, some of them weren''t in the dead center. He missed the center of five of the nine targets by a few centimeters. Daichi walked to where the 10th and the hidden target lay. It too had a kunai stuck in it, but just like the ones that missed the center, it wasn''t a perfect shot as well. Suddenly several notifications popped up. Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +1 DEX +1 SENSE Skill Shurikenjutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV.90(23.1%)) Effects: 95.8% Increase in accuracy. 87% Increase in damage dealt. Watching the results of his shurikenjutsu skills, Daichi felt a very strange emotion. He felt sad and happy at the same time. Sad because even with the gamer ability and the battles he went through in the dungeon, he still couldn''t make a perfect 10 out of 10 score with all the kunais landing in the center. ¡®Even with the gamer abilities I could only achieve this much. And even then¡­ It took me a few minutes to completely concentrate and make the best shot I possibly could. If I was in the middle of a battle or a test I doubt I could accomplish the same results¡­¡¯ ¡®And yet¡­ That Itachi. He was able to make this look so easy. What a monster. Some teachers in the academy call me a genius but I was only able to become that because of my future knowledge and the gamer powers. Compared to someone like Itachi¡­ I''m¡­¡¯ Daichi closed his eyes and took a breath. He exhaled and opened his eyes. He was calm again. ¡®No. I shouldn''t think like that. Itachi''s talent doesn''t affect me. It shouldn''t. There will be several people like him here in this world¡­ Their success and strength isn''t my weakness. I have to remember that.¡¯ While he felt a little sad he also felt extremely happy. Happy because doing something like this was unimaginable to him in his previous life. And even here only exceptional ninjas like Itachi or the late fourth Hokage could make better shots than him. He had set his first foot into joining the ranks of shinobis who were hailed as legends. ¡®Still¡­ I wonder. If Itachi hadn''t gone down the path he had¡­ If he hadn''t caught that terminal lung disease¡­ How strong would he have become?... There''s no doubt in my mind... With his talent and prodigious skills, he would have become strong enough to be on the same level as Madara Uchiha one day¡­ Well. That is if things hadn''t ended up the way they did.¡¯ Daichi sighed. He decided that there was no point dwelling on things out of his control. As he prepared to leave he heard someone clapping. He swiftly turned around and saw a young man walking towards him clapping his hands and with a smile on his face. ¡®Damn it. I didn''t even try to see if there was anyone hidden. He probably saw my shuriken jutsu work. Ok Daichi. Calm down.¡¯ ¡®Observe.¡¯ [LV.61] [Ren Uchiha] Age: 27 HP: 6988 CP: 6855 [Ren Uchiha is a member of the Uchiha clan. Although he is a talented shinobi who made chunin at 14 and joined the Leaf military police force, he doesn''t have much ambition. A year ago he married his childhood friend Kimiko Uchiha. Along with a strong devotion to his clan, he is also dedicated to protecting the Leaf village. He is one of the few Uchiha that never fell victim to the clan''s ¡®Curse of Hatred¡¯. He has powerful chakra and has awakened the two tomoe Sharingan. He is a powerful sensor ninja with a long range. He is a smart and kind person, always willing to help others in need.] ''Wow. An Uchiha. And based on the information a pretty strong one. But it looks like I don''t have to worry much about him. He doesn''t look like he''s here to cause trouble.'' "That''s really impressive shurikenjutsu. I only know of two other people who could do what you just did at your age." The new arrival said. He had shoulder length hair which framed his face and the rest of which he tied into a ponytail. He wore a high collared blue shirt which had the Uchiha crest in its back and dark pants with sandals. He had a small smile on his face as he looked at Daichi. Daichi put on a slight smile and replied. "Thank you." "I''m Ren Uchiha. What''s your name?" At this question Daichi paused for a second before answering. He figured it wouldn''t make much difference if this Uchiha knew his name or not. "Daichi Hekima." "Ohh. So you''re the one who got the top spot amongst the academy''s first years." Ren had a teasing smile as he said this. Daichi was confused as to how he would know this information. "How do you know that?" "It''s not everyday you hear that someone beat the clan head''s son for first spot. You''re in Sasuke''s class aren''t you?!" Red posed the question as a statement. Daichi simply nodded. He asked with some suspicion. "Are you following me? How did you get here?" Ren chucked and raised his hands in mock surrender. "Easy big guy. I wasn''t following you. I sometimes simply walk through these woods to enjoy the peace and quiet." As he said the last sentence his joyful expression was slightly saddened. A second later it disappeared and he once again put on a jolly face. ¡®What was that about?¡¯ Daichi wondered. "So like I said earlier. Excellent shuriken skills. Who taught you how to throw like that?" Ren asked, curious to know the identity of this boy''s teacher. "No one. I learnt it myself." Daichi gave a short reply. Ren''s eyes slightly widened. He knew the skills and talent required to perform such a feat. Trained shinobi with years of experience were capable of doing what Daichi did but not when they were in the academy. "That''s very impressive." He couldn''t help but say. "Do you often come here to train?" "No." Daichi shook his head. "I just saw the targets and wanted to test my skills." Ren nodded in understanding. "Nobody comes here these days. So it''s a good place to train without anyone disturbing you." At that moment an alarm rang on Ren''s watch. He looked at it and realized it was almost time for his patrol shift. "It''s time for me to leave. It was nice meeting you Daichi. Get home safely." He turned around and left. Daichi waited for a minute and then used the ''chakra sense'' skill to see if he or anyone else was still nearby. He couldn''t sense anybody within a 40 meter range. Figuring that he really was alone he let out a breath. ''I never thought I''d meet an Uchiha other than Sasuke and maybe Itachi later down the line¡­ I''ll probably never see him again. It''s best to keep it that way. I better leave before anyone else shows up.'' Daichi turned around and left for his home. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------- A few minutes ago. Ren was walking through the woods to calm his troubled mind. ¡®These secret clan meetings had gotten more intense. There were even talks about a coup d''etat against the leaf.¡¯ Even though he loved his clan he was someone who never agreed with the clan''s views on the village. ¡®Now with Shisui''s death things have only gotten worse. Is there anything I can do?'' As he walked he sensed a chakra several meters ahead of him. He quietly went behind a tree and looked. He saw a small child intently looking at the kunai targets hanging on the tree. He saw the child closing his eyes and concentrating. Wanting to see what the kid was going to do, Ren didn''t make a sound and stayed motionless. He watched in amazement as the kid jumped and launched the sharp weapons between his fingers one by one. He saw the first 6 kunai perfectly hitting the targets. He was a bit confused when he saw the last two were aimed nowhere near the last targets. But that confusion soon turned into astonishment when he saw the child deflect them with another two kunais and all of them striking their mark. An amazing feat when considering that the child managed to hit the one even in his blind spot. ''What incredible talent. Who is this boy? He doesn''t wear the clan crest so he''s not an Uchiha.'' Ren walked forward and struck up a conversation with the child. He was surprised to find out that this is the boy who defeated Sasuke. It came as a surprise to everyone when Sasuke, the son of the clan head, was in second place. Now having seen his skill, he could understand why. It was even more impressive that he learned to do it himself. It was then that his alarm went off and reminded him of his patrol shift. He walked away hoping to meet this talented kid again. ¡ª---------------------- Both Ren and Daichi didn''t realize it at the time but this meeting would be the first of their many and would eventually change the destiny of another. Chapter 35 – End of the First Academic Year. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. October 17. It was two days ago that his grandfather gave him the scrolls and his meeting with Ren Uchiha. After meeting the Uchiha, Daichi decided that it would be safer to test his jutsus in his own home. Daichi was in his backyard training. He completed his daily tasks assigned by the quest and was now about to test out the three jutsus his grandfather had given him. He had spent the last day learning everything written down on the scroll and memorizing every detail about the techniques. He acquired the ninjutsu skills ''Great fireball jutsu'', ¡®Rock shelter jutsu¡¯ and Lightning style ¡®Overdrive¡¯. The first jutsus he was gonna try out was the Fireball Jutsu. Fire Style - Great Fireball Jutsu - Active(LV.1): A jutsu where the chakra kneaded in the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth either as a massive orb of roaring flame or as a continuous stream of flames. The released flames, if strong enough, will engulf and vaporize the target and leave a crater on the ground''s surface. Rank: C Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Tiger - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger CP Cost: 308 Per shot. [Note: The range and power of the attack can be altered by controlling the chakra kneaded into the attack.] He stood near a large pond in the clearing behind his house. His hands rapidly formed the necessary seals. Daichi built up his chakra and focused it to a point in his chest. And then forced it up through the throat and out the mouth. "Fire style - Great Fireball Jutsu." A stream of red hot flame came from his mouth and instantly formed into a ball. The red flaming sphere was around twice Daichi''s size and flew forward for several meters. Daichi kept up the jutsu for about a dozen seconds before cutting off its chakra and letting it die out instantly. The pond had several trails of steam wafting from its surface. As he took several breaths of air, he saw blue system message boxes popping up. You have used your first fire nature jutsu. You have acquired the skill Fire affinity. Fire affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.1): Fire Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Tiger hand-seal. At higher levels the user can control the shape, size and intensity of the flames. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Effects: 2% Increase in fire attack jutsu. 2% Increase in fire defense jutsu. 5% Increase in success when creating fire style jutsu. 1% Decrease in Chakra cost when using fire style jutsu. ''Not bad. This nature is excellent for creating offense techniques. A perfect element for attacks of any range. Ok! 3 chakra natures down. Two more to go.'' Daichi thought about the next jutsu he was going to use. He walked towards the small barren terrain a few meters away. The next jutsu he was going to test out was of the Earth chakra nature. His primary affinity. Earth Style - Rock Shelter Jutsu - With this jutsu the user surrounds themselves with earth taken from the immediate vicinity without leaving the terrain unaltered. The created rock formation is capable of protecting both the user and others in close proximity if needed. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Snake - Rabbit - Ram. CP Cost: 200 Per Use. [Note: After this skill passes above Level 40 the user can manipulate the defense formation to his desires.] "It seems due to earth being my primary affinity the chakra cost of this jutsu is much less than the others. Well time to test it out." He quickly went through the three hand seals and then slammed his palms into the ground. "Earth style - Rock Shelter Jutsu." Daichi could feel his chakra quickly spreading through the earth and he could sense the shift in the rocks beneath and around him. A rock wall burst out of the ground in front of him and took the form of a half dome. The use of the jutsu left the terrain unchanged even with the new rock formation. It was a sturdy defense wall strong enough to withstand a couple of attacks from an average level shinobi. As expected, once he successfully completed the jutsu, new notification boxes appeared. You have used your first Earth nature jutsu. You have acquired the skill Earth affinity. Earth affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.1): Earth Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Tiger hand-seal. At higher levels the user can control the several minerals saturating the earth. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Primary affinity of the ''Player''. Effects: 6% Increase in earth attack jutsu. 6% Increase in earth defense jutsu. 30% Increase in success when creating earth style jutsu. 6% Decrease in Chakra cost when using earth style jutsu. Daichi looked at the new affinity skill he received. He went over the effects of the skill and saw that they were much higher than that of the other affinity skill. ''It must be because earth is my main element. So of course using it would be easier than the rest.'' Daichi walked around the earthen structure and looked at it. It was time to test the last jutsu. And this dome was a perfect test dummy for Daichi. He went over the details of the jutsu in his mind. Unlike the other 4 jutsus, this particular jutsu does not shoot an attack or affect the surroundings but rather help the user. A simple speed and power enhancing lightning style technique. Lightning Style - Overdrive - Active(LV.1): This jutsu allows the user to change his chakra to lightning nature and channel it throughout the body to speed up the signals that are sent from the brain to the muscles to increase the user''s striking speed. This jutsu also gives the user cutting capabilities from barehanded attacks. Increases the speed of the punches, kicks and the like by several times. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu. Hand Seals: Snake - Bird - Dragon. CP Cost: 230 Per use. [Note: Overuse of this skill before precise control over lightning nature affinity can cause muscle and nerve damage along with rupture of weak and small blood vessels.] Daichi took a breath and went through the hand seals. ''Snake - Bird - Dragon.'' "Lightning style - Overdrive jutsu." The moment Daichi completed the hand seals his body was covered in several small thin streaks of lightning. When Daichi concentrated, most of the lightning started to concentrate around his arms. Daichi punched and kicked the air a few times to test the reaction speed and capabilities of the jutsu. He decided that it was time to test it out on something solid. He spread his legs to center himself and then prepared for a punch. He pulled his arm back and then shot it several times faster than what he was capable of. He landed a solid punch on the rock dome. The increased strength and speed allowed him to punch several inches into the rock and create spider web shaped cracks on the portion of the dome where his fist landed. The stone dome was about a dozen inches thick. Yet Daichi was able to punch halfway through the defense formation in his first try. The result of this test had Daichi scratching his head for a few moments. He didn''t know whether his lightning attack was too weak to go completely through the defense wall or whether his earth dome wasn''t strong enough to stop an attack before it reached halfway into the rock shield. Daichi cut off the chakra flow to his jutsu. He was feeling a tingling sensation all over his body. And he felt like he could taste metal in his mouth. You have used your first lightning nature jutsu. You have acquired the skill Lightning affinity. Lightning affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.1): Lightning Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Snake hand-seal. Once this skill crosses Level 85 the user can manipulate some form of electricity dwelling in all matter known as Charged Particles. This will boost the user''s lightning powers several times. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Effects: 2% Increase in Lightning attack jutsu. 2% Increase in Lightning defense jutsu. 5% Increase in success when creating Lightning style jutsu. 1% Decrease in Chakra cost when using Lightning style jutsu. ''Hmm. This lightning jutsu will be good as a supplementary technique. But I''ll have to see to it that I don''t over do it¡­'' ''Finally. Now I have all the affinity skills. But if I try to master all 5 at the same time I won''t get the results I want anytime soon. I need to concentrate on two chakra natures. Maybe three¡­ Hmm what should they be?'' Daichi sat down cross legged and thought about it logically. He weighed the strengths and weaknesses of each nature and came to a conclusion. ''My first choice would obviously be earth. It''s my primary affinity and it''s the element surrounding me most.¡¯ ¡®The second choice would be lightning. Earth chakra nature is weak against lightning. So when I use earth jutsu people will try to counter with lightning. I need absolute mastery over lightning to avoid getting into trouble and maybe even take them by surprise.¡¯ ¡®What should be my third choice? A powerful attack element. Fire seems like an excellent choice. Fire has the power to keep someone warm at night and at the same time to burn everything to ash. It creates and destroys. A truly unpredictable element.¡¯ Daichi decided that the main three chakra natures he would focus on would be the earth, lightning and fire. He decided to do research on these chakra natures. ¡®I''ll train the remaining two but I won''t put much focus on it. Not till I completely master these three anyway. I need to see if the old man has any books on these natures. If not I''ll have to head to the library.¡¯ ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------- Time went by quickly. Daichi spent his days going to the academy and researching topics related to chakra and jutsus. Daichi had made a balance between Academic work, training and taking a couple days off to rest and relax every two weeks. But he wasn''t the only one training hard. Days passed in the blink of an eye for Daichi. It was soon February 15. He was currently in the middle of a sparring match in the academy grounds. Daichi avoided the swift kick to the head and tried to sweep his opponent off his feet. His enemy jumped dodging the attack and retaliated with several fast punches. Daichi blocked all of them but he was surprised at the speed and power behind them. ''It looks like I''m not the only one training to go beyond their limits. His strength and speed have increased a bit from the last time. Not enough to force me to go all out but definitely enough to keep me on my toes¡­Not bad Sasuke. Guess now that he''s number two he has someone to compare and measure his strength.¡¯ Daichi was concentrating on the fight even while he had these thoughts. He wouldn''t let his guard down against anyone or anything. A lesson he learned in the dungeon. Which was why he was able to successfully evade a jab to the throat, and side step a fist to the face. ''He''s gotten a lot more focused and aggressive than the last time we fought. And the look on his face¡­ Yeah he wants to beat me badly. Time to end this.'' Daichi evaded Sasuke''s several attacks and got in close. He threw a fast punch that took the wind out of the Uchiha and then landed a powerful open palm strike that had enough force to push Sasuke out of the ring. Sasuke fell to one knee coughing. "Match over. Winner Daichi. Now make the Seal of Reconciliation, you two." Sasuke glared at Daichi. He was furious that he had lost another match. He slowly got up and went to the ring. Both Daichi and Sasuke slowly bought their hands to make the seal but halfway through Sasuke made a move to grab Daichi''s shirt. And Daichi held his hand stopping him midway. Both of them had a serious expression. Daikoku sensei stepped forward. "That''s enough you two! The fight is over. Let go and make the Seal." Both Daichi and Sasuke stared at each other and then relaxed their hands. They made the seal but everyone could see that neither one was happy to do it. Daikoku sensei sighed as he looked at his two most competitive students. The next Taijutsu match started as Daichi looked on. ''Is it just me or did I somehow replace Naruto as his rival or something? That''s a problem I don''t want anything to do with.'' Daichi used ''observe'' on Sasuke. [LV.14] [Sasuke Uchiha] Age: 6 HP: 1431 CP: 1300 [Sasuke Uchiha is the son of the Uchiha clan head Fugaku and his wife Mikoto. He is the youngest of two children. He is a happy child eager to please and be worthy of his clan name. He wants to surpass his older brother Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha has a vast amount of hidden potential and talent. He loathes you and trains hard everyday to become strong enough to defeat you and impress his father. He has a powerful chakra that is currently dormant.] Reading the information, Daichi felt like he wanted to slam his head into a tree. ''Nooo¡­ I don''t want to deal with his problems. That''s what Naruto is here for¡­ God damn it.'' Soon it was the middle of March. The final report cards were given and the students were given a two week break. Daichi maintained his top spot amongst his classmates. Classes for the second term ended and thus Daichi completed his first year in the academy. Chapter 36 – Training and Relaxing Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was lying in bed staring at the ceiling of his room. Today was the last day of his first year at the ninja academy. While his time in the academy was not that useful, his year training was. He successfully managed to complete all tasks assigned by the quest ''path to the strongest''. The year has ended but he still hasn''t gotten the special reward for completing the dungeon. Time went by as Daichi laid there thinking about various things. As the clock on the table struck midnight, new notification boxes came. Ongoing Quest - ¡®Path to the strongest.¡¯ 1st Year tasks successfully completed. Distributing the Special reward for clearing a dungeon. ''Finally. About time. Looks like the reward is given when the last day is over huh¡­ Ok. Time to see what I got.'' Special Reward: Title: Apprentice Dungeon Warrior. (This title will increase all your stats by 10% when fighting inside a dungeon.) ''Huh¡­ I thought it would be some kind of a skill or maybe even an item¡­This is kind of underwhelming¡­ but still¡­ Apprentice dungeon warrior. This title may not look like much but this will definitely come in handy.'' Daichi opened his status page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 6 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Apprentice Dungeon Warrior. Level : 27 (102/21875) . HP : 2300 CP : 2523.2 SP : 2180 MP: 1045 . Primary Stats Strength - 49 Vitality - 48 Dexterity - 46 Agility - 47 Intelligence - 57 Chakra - 59 Wisdom - 34 . Special Stats Sense - 53 Stamina - 57 Indomitable (LOCKED) Charisma - 28 Persistence - 2 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 313 Ryo - 220028 ''All my stats have increased in these last 4 months. And I''ve gone up a level. But I''m beginning to stagnate again. Guess the only way to really improve in the next 5 years is completing Dungeons. But fighting and training everyday is starting to get a bit dull.'' Daichi closed his eyes and thought about what to do to alleviate his boredom. ''I''m sure I''ll figure something out. That''s a ''future me'' problem. Time for the ¡®present me¡¯ to get some sleep.'' ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daichi finished the human anatomy book Kensei gave him a long time ago. So he had a great understanding of the human body. Now it was time to enhance his sense of touch. Daichi concentrated his chakra throughout his body. The 4 most basic senses of touch are hot, cold, pressure and pain. The sensory nervous system that is associated with the sense of touch includes parallel receptors and nerve pathways for temperature, body position, movements and pain. This complex system of sensory neurons responds to changes both on the outside and inside of the body. Daichi concentrated his chakra on the nerve receptors of the skin throughout his body. After about 15 minutes he got the results he desired. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully concentrating and infusing chakra throughout the skin nerve cells and connected pathways of your body and improving your sense of touch, the skill ''Superior Touch'' has been created.] Superior Touch - Active(LV. 1): A skill obtained through infusing chakra through the receptors and pathways of your skin. At a much higher level this skill can sense even the minute flow of the air and feel the vibrations of the ground. Effects: +5% Increase in Skin sensitivity. CP cost : 25/sec. Daichi could feel the weight of his clothes, the temperature of his body and the atmosphere at a much higher degree. He let go of the new jutsu. This technique was a bit overwhelming to him at the moment. Not because of the chakra cost but because of what he could feel. His brain was being overloaded with information. He decided that he would practice it when he was a little bit stronger and more in tune with his body. Suddenly new blue boxes popped up. You have successfully connected with your body''s 6 senses. Your special stat SENSE can now be utilized more efficiently. Improve the skills associated with your body senses to Level 50 to evolve them. "Wow. That''s new. If I''d known this would happen I would have done this a long time ago." Daichi looked at the description. He was curious to see what the effects of a skill evolution would be. Daichi meditated to bring himself to a calm and optimal state. There were two more skills he wanted to create. ¡®This technique has a variety of applications. But there is a prerequisite before attempting to learn this. When shinobi learn to use chakra they subconsciously channel a very small portion of their chakra to their bodies to make themselves faster and stronger. A chakra enhancement on the subconscious stage. Then the next level of it is consciously controlling their chakra and channeling it to their hands or feet or any other parts of their body. This will have a much more prominent effect and the person can control just how much chakra is needed for each action.¡¯ ¡®This technique deals with the internal chakra flow of the body. A shinobi should have precise control of their chakra before attempting this skill. If not there would be serious consequences. That''s why this is mainly taught to chunin or the few genin after they master the water walking technique. My chakra control is far better than a genin by now. Still... I need to be careful.¡¯ Daichi''s goal was to create the chakra enhancement skill. He stood and concentrated his chakra throughout his muscles in his four limbs. He already learned the water walking and tree walking skills in the dungeon and he improved them during the last 4 months. He was confident in creating this new skill. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through successfully controlling and supplying your chakra to the muscles, tissues and bones of your body, the skill ¡®Chakra Enhancement¡¯ has been created.] Chakra Enhancement - Active(LV.1): By controlling and supplying chakra throughout the body, a shinobi can surpass their limits. This technique helps the user enhance his body to go beyond ordinary limitations. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill and increase in abilities, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: Increase the attack and defense power. Increase Strength, Stamina, Agility and Vitality. Decrease the damage taken. ¡°Yes. And it looks like the chakra cost of this depends on how much I use. That''s definitely a bonus. Now instead of using stamina to increase speed, I can use chakra. This will help me last a fight much longer.¡± ¡°Ok. One more jutsu. Then I''ll be done for the day.¡± Daichi took out a kunai and concentrated. He let his chakra move to his arms, then to his palms and then he tried to let his chakra flow into the weapon. Daichi had done this once when he was fighting the crocodile boss but he had done it subconsciously and hadn''t realized it at the time. After several seconds of concentration he was successful in his endeavor. Chakra Flow - Active(LV.1): This skill allows the user to manipulate their chakra and let it flow through an object. The user can also use this technique to increase the potency of their weapons. Some users can use several chakra natures to coat their weapons. Although this depends on their chakra proficiency. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: 3% Strength increase to the object. 3% Increase in chakra flow. 1% Decrease in chakra cost. "It''s done. Now I have the skill and techniques needed to survive the next dungeon." Daichi took a look around. It was past evening. He had been training for several days without break and was starting to feel the mental strain. "I''m gonna take a break for the next few days¡­ Hmm¡­ I think I have an idea¡­" ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning. It was sunrise. Daichi was at the top of the Hokage monument. He was sitting near the edge of the monument''s cliff. Directly below him was the head of the first Hokage Hashirama Senju. In front of him was a white canvas and several bottles of paints and a few brushes. "Ahh. What a great morning. I''ve always wanted to do this." Daichi looked out at the village. "Oh wow! It looks so beautiful." He was amazed by the sight in front of him. He didn''t waste any more time and got to work. Daichi began drawing the leaf village. He took his time and looked at the village. He saw the buildings, trees and people and wanted to draw them into the canvas. A detailed artwork perfectly capturing the place. It was a peaceful atmosphere. Daichi didn''t think about his training or the troubles the future would bring him. He let go of all his worries and enjoyed himself. As the time passed his concentration was fully on the painting. He drew a rough sketch of the village first and then slowly started to detail it. Daichi focused on a small portion of the image at a time. He took it slow so as to not make any mistakes. Daichi used his skill ''superior sight'' to catch even the farthest details. Once Daichi was done with the sketch he started to paint. It took him several hours to complete his painting. But once the artwork was completed it looked magnanimous. Daichi''s painting completely captured the beauty of the village. From the golden rays shining down to the smallest shop, from the Hokage tower all the way to the giant walls surrounding the village. He captured everything in his view to perfection. To Daichi it looked as if he took the perfect photo of the village with the best lighting. Due to successfully completing a beautiful artwork, you have obtained +1 DEX. ''Nice. I got a dexterity increase... It looks fantastic. Perfect to hang on my wall." He had a wide grin on his face. This was one of his best artworks yet. "Wow. It looks gorgeous!" Daichi suddenly heard the sound of a female behind him. He turned around and looked. He saw a girl around his age looking at the painting. She had long brown hair and slightly pale skin. She wore a pink kimono and red baggy pants. "Thanks." Daichi replied. And then he thought of something. "Were you watching me paint?" "Yeah." The girl shyly nodded. "You looked like you didn''t want to be disturbed so I kinda just watched." "Oh! Ok¡­ My name''s Daichi Hekima. What''s yours?" "I''m Yakumo Kurama. It''s nice to meet a fellow painter." The girl replied. "You paint?" Daichi didn''t know why but he became intrigued with this girl. "Yeah. Although it''s mostly for my Genjutsu." She replied. "You''re training in the academy?" Daichi asked. "Yeah¡­ It was nice meeting you Daichi. But I have to get home soon. I hope we see each other again." "You too." Yakumo left and Daichi started collecting his things. His mind was still on the girl. ''Why does she feel so familiar to me? I''ve definitely seen her before. But from where?'' As he was racking his brain for answers it suddenly came. And it surprised him. ''Holy crap. Now I remember. In the show, she had a filler episode or two¡­ I think. Yakumo Kurama. The Genjutsu users who once studied under Jonin Kurenai. Wow. So that''s her.'' Daichi was trying to recall the details of that episode. ''Damn it. It''s been so long. I only saw fillers like twice or something. And it''s been almost two years.'' As Daichi was thinking about this another thought suddenly popped in his head. ''Wait a minute. Does that mean filler episodes are real? Oh man! That''s gonna be a headache¡­ Whatever. No point in thinking about it now.'' Daichi stored the supplies in a storage scroll and waited till the paint on the canvas dried. He then sealed it in a separate storage scroll and slowly started to walk home. Three days ago was his 7th birthday. His grandfather took him to Shi''s restaurant and they celebrated. And it has also been two years since he awakened at the village. Tomorrow his second year in the academy will begin. He was looking forward to it. Chapter 37 – Beginning the 2nd Year Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi woke up to the usual greeting of the system. Today is the first day of April and his 2nd year in the academy. Daichi completed his morning rituals and was getting ready to start his daily quests. Suddenly new blue system boxes showed up. Ongoing quest - ''Path to the strongest'' updated. Tasks to complete this year have been updated. New item is delivered to your inventory. Wear the new training clothes when completing the daily quests. . Conditions: Complete 100 Push ups (Daily) Complete 100 Squats (Daily) Complete 100 Punches(Daily) Run 10 Kilometers (Daily) Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of this academic year. Take the top spot in your class. Learn 5 jutsus of any Rank of all the basic natures. . Rewards: Status Recovery (Daily) Random Reward(Weekly) +3 Stat Points (Weekly) Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Additional rewards for each extra dungeon cleared. New Skill for successfully learning new jutsus. . Failure: -5 Stat points. Penalty Dungeon. Death. Accept (Y/N) Daichi clicked yes and without wasting time opened his inventory. He saw a new set of clothes added in the boxes. He took them out and used ''observe''. [Weighted Training Clothes] [Rare Item: Rank C] [A training gear created by the system to help the ''player''. Consists of clothing garments that can be worn under the dress. Made from some of the most durable materials for withstanding intense training and designed to provide comfort and aesthetic appeal to the wearer. The clothes are black in color with several red intricate patterns on them. Consists of 2 leg warmers to be worn below the knee and 2 arm sleeves to be worn below the elbow. Each weighing exactly 1 KG. Consists of 1 undershirt and 1 trouser to be worn under the clothes. Each weighing exactly 3 KG.] Daichi calculated the weights in his mind. ''So a total of 10 kilos spread all across my body. Looks like the system wants me to start weight training. This is a lot sooner than I planned.'' Daichi sighed at the new requirements for completing the daily quests. He stripped and started putting them on. He had a bit of trouble wearing the inner garments but after a little bit of struggle he successfully wore them. He then wore the arm sleeves and the leg warmers and finally put clothes on top. Daichi was having a little trouble walking and even standing. He slowly moved around the room and got used to the weights. Daichi then looked at the new task added to the quest. ''Learning 5 jutsus of any rank huh. Doable. I''ll focus on simple Ninjutsu and maybe learn one or two easy Genjutsu as well. But that''s for later. Time to start my daily tasks.'' A few minutes later he left the house and went for a walk. Daichi was slowly but steadily getting used to the new weights. Once he felt confident that he wouldn''t trip and fall down he started to jog. As time went by he slowly increased his speed and when he completed his morning run, he started to work on the rest. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Academy Class. Daichi stepped into the classroom. He saw the students that arrived before him, all chatting in groups. It briefly reminded him of his time in school in his previous life. Slightly shaking his head as if to get rid of the thoughts he walked and took his place near the back. Very few people other than those from the clan were willing to engage in simple conversations with him. One of the cons of being at the top. As time passed all the students arrived and took their seats. A few moments later the bell rang and Daikoku sensei came into the room. "Hello class. Welcome to your second year. This year you''ll learn much more about being a shinobi and using chakra. Along with the courses of the previous year you''ll be taught various Ninjutsu and how to use them in a fight. You''ll also be taught the shinobi rules and I expect all of you to memorize them. We''ll get into more details as the class goes on. Let''s start." Daichi was curious about the strength of his teacher. He couldn''t see the information before. So he decided to use ''observe''. Since he was level 27 he could see the information of someone up to level 72. ''Observe'' [LV.63] [Daikoku Funeno] Age: 30 HP: 7568 CP: 7725 [Daikoku Funeno is a chunin of the Leaf village. He spent several years in the field before he decided to join the academy where he serves as a teacher. He married his former teammate Reimi several years ago. He is a jovial individual who is fond of teaching. He has high expectations from talented students. He is adept at using water and earth nature jutsus.] ''Level 63 huh. Not bad. And he''s capable of using 2 chakra natures. If he hadn''t become a teacher he probably would have made Jonin.'' Daikoku sensei handed out the curriculum for the year and classes began. As the days passed Daichi noticed that Naruto was starting to act out more and more. He was pranking the teachers and the students he didn''t like. But the teachers ignored him and that just made him act more juvenile. ''As long as I don''t annoy him I''ll be fine. I¡¯m looking forward to the day he¡¯ll paint the mountain.'' Daichi chuckled at the thought. Daichi spent his time going over various books available for students in the library. He was mainly searching for books related to earth and minerals. Daichi wanted to understand every facet of his primary affinity before he got started. He has a long year ahead of him. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was May 12. Daichi was currently in the woods where he met Ren Uchiha. He was training his shurikenjutsu and steadily improving his skills. Near him stood Ren watching and instructing Daichi on how to perfect his skills. After their first meeting Daichi and Ren met on several occasions and since several days ago, Ren decided to teach Daichi some simple tricks and skills. Daichi was in the air as the kunai flew from his hands. 7 out of the 10 hit dead center and was a perfect shot. The others only missed by a couple of inches. "Perfect shot Daichi. You''re getting better." Ren encouraged him. Due to successful control of your body and senses, you have obtained +1 DEX Daichi looked at the results. "Not perfect but I''m getting there." "That''s the spirit. But these are just training dummies. The ultimate pinnacle of Shurikenjutsu is to be able to throw on instincts and successfully strike your enemy. Hitting a moving target while under pressure is different from training." "I know." Ren didn''t know that Daichi was speaking from experience. Daichi learnt that fact from his dungeon run. "Can I ask you something? Why are you helping me with my training?" Daichi wanted to know what Ren''s motivation was for helping him. At this question Ren went silent. He was quiet for a few seconds before looking at Daichi. "It''s practice." "Practice for what?" Daichi was confused with the reply. "For when I have to train my child when they become a student." Ren had a smile on his face as he said this. "Kimiko is pregnant." Daichi''s eyes widened. "Wow!!. Congratulations. How long?" "3 weeks. I just found out a few days ago. We''re so happy." Ren said excitedly. "So that''s why you''ve had that dopey smile on your face since you got here." Daichi said with a teasing smirk. Ren just smiled. "I''ve always wanted a daughter. Smart like me and beautiful like her mother." He was anxious but also happy to be starting a family. Daichi went on to collect his weapons. "Well, it''s getting late. I gotta get home. Good luck with the parenting thing." "I''m so happy but also nervous." Ren said, also getting ready to leave. "I''m sure you''ll figure it out." Daichi turned around and only walked just a couple of feet. "Yeah. Who knows. Maybe you''ll be her sensei by the time she graduates from the academy." Ren walked away from Daichi not knowing the impact those words had on the boy. Daichi stopped in his tracks. Those last words brought back knowledge of events Daichi tried not to think about. His face went pale as he thought about what was going to happen a year from now. ''Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!! The Uchiha massacre. I repressed it so much I almost forgot about it. The only Uchihas to survive are Itachi, Sasuke and that bastard Obito. Damn it. When does the massacre take place? It''s been over two years and I''m slowly forgetting the details.'' The gamer''s mind skill took effect as Daichi was starting to freak out. He calmed down and quickly left the place. He thought about telling Ren to leave but he couldn''t bring himself to do it. ''If I tell him anything he''ll either report me to his clan head or the Hokage. Neither is a good option for me. Damn it. What am I supposed to do?... Over these last five, six months I''ve grown to like him. I''d even go so far as to say he''s a friend.¡¯ Daichi clenched his fists and slowly gritted his teeth as he walked home. When his emotions spiked the Gamer''s mind once again activated calming him down. ¡®Should I just turn a blind eye or should I do something? Even then what can I do? I¡¯m just an academy student. I was soo arrogant to think I could just change an event as big and dangerous as the massacre by myself..Damn it! Damn it!... Ok Daichi. Calm down. Take a few breaths.¡¯ He took a few deep breaths of air and got his emotions under control. ¡®I have at least one year before the tragedy happens. I''ll decide what to do by then.'' Daichi went home and trained a lot longer than usual. He wanted to distract himself from thinking about the situation with Ren and his family. He trained late till night and only when he was completely exhausted did he go to bed. ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Months passed with Daichi making progress in his chakra affinity training. Kensei had taught him the various ways earth and fire affinity could be used in battle. ¡°Once your chakra control is up to par we¡¯ll go into the more in depth training.¡± Kensei said to him. September has begun. Daichi decided that he was going to start the next dungeon during the two week break in October. It was noon at the academy. Daichi was sitting outside eating his lunch. There were dozens of other students eating their food and talking about various things. As Daichi ate his food he noticed something strange. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji were sneaking around the place. As Daichi looked closer he saw them sneakily steal food from the unsuspecting and distracted kids. Daichi looked around to see if anyone else had noticed them stealing the food. As he looked, his eyes fell on Sakura who was watching the three from behind a tree. Ino and the rest swiped a small portion of food from various students and then decided to leave. Daichi saw Sakura following them. "Now isn''t this an interesting development! What are they up to?" Daichi muttered to himself. His curiosity got the better of him. He packed up his things and followed. Daichi was following Sakura who was following Ino, Choji and Shikamaru. Ino and her friends went to the back of the academy and left the grounds. They traveled for quite a while unaware that Sakura and Daichi were on their trail. ''Sakura isn''t so bad at this. It looks like she can be stealthy when she wants to be.'' Daichi thought to himself. As he was following them, he also made sure no one was following him. They soon reached a forest and were going deeper inside. Sakura followed and behind was Daichi. ''Where the heck are they going?'' Daichi made sure to memorize the place and route he took. Soon the future team 10 reached their destination. They were in front of a shabby looking tree house with a torn up weather for sale sign hanging near it. Sakura was near them hiding behind a bush and Daichi hid himself behind a tree a few meters behind her. Daichi sneaked a peek at the tree house. ''Time to find out what''s going on?'' Chapter 38 – The Mysterious child and Chakra Training Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji reached the treehouse. "Yota¡­ Where are you?... It''s us. Come out to play?" The three called out to their mysterious friend. "Yota¡­ Are you asleep? Wake up! It''s us¡­" Ino called out to the person. Suddenly a small skinny boy popped out of the tree leaves. "Ino! Shikamaru! Choji! You''re here." The boy was smiling looking at his new friends. He then jumped onto a smaller tree branch and laughed. ''Now who is that kid? I don''t remember him from the original series.'' Daichi thought and tried to recall any information on the boy. At that moment the young boy named Yota saw Sakura hiding behind a tree looking at them. He looked at her for a few seconds and then called out loudly. "Forehead!" Sakura, startled by the shout, slipped and fell. Daichi chuckled looking at the comic scene taking place. Shikamaru and the other two turned around and saw Sakura. "Oh? You''re¡­" Choji exclaimed. "Sakura!? What are you doing here?" Ino asked. "How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his head. "Ow Ow Ow¡­" Sakura slowly stood up and looked at her classmates. Just then the little kid ran to Sakura and called out. "Forehead!" He laughed and ran around her having fun. Daichi was watching the scene from several trees behind. As he looked on, he felt something land on his head. He looked up and his eyes widened. It was snowing. ''Snowing? At this season? Something is strange with the weather.'' Daichi looked ahead to the laughing child. ''I¡¯m guessing he has something to do with this.'' Daichi stepped out of his hiding spot and went to his classmates. He saw them noticing his presence. Shikamaru heard footsteps and tilted his head. It was then he saw Daichi walking towards them. Choji and Ino also saw him coming. "Daichi!? How did you get here?" Shikamaru asked defensively. He was aware of how serious Daichi could be. He was also aware of his strength. Shikamaru had an understanding as to what makes most of his classmates tick. But he didn''t know what to make of this particular one. Daichi came near them and stopped. "I saw you guys stealing food from the students at the academy. I got curious and followed you guys here." Shikamaru almost facepalmed upon hearing this. ''Of course he''d notice. We should have been more careful.'' "Grumpy face." The little kid named Yota said pointing at him. Daichi took a good look at the kid. He was a small skinny boy with tan skin. He had spiky brown hair that reached his waist and short bangs hanging over his eyes. He had a wide smile on his face and Daichi could see a sharp tooth sticking out of the right side of his mouth. He was wearing a full green robe with a brown cloak. It was at that moment Daichi noticed something strange with the kid''s eyes. ''Those eyes¡­ He has black sclerae¡­'' It only took a few seconds for Daichi to know where he remembered that from. ''Reanimation jutsu!!? Don''t tell me he''s a reanimated zombie.'' Daichi had a serious look on his face. He instantly used ''observe'' on the boy. [LV.?] [Yota] Age: 8 HP: ?? CP: ?? [A reanimation created by Orochimaru. Yota was born into a traveling clan who could manipulate the weather and made their living. He is a naive, carefree and fun loving boy. He possesses an unusually powerful ability to manipulate the weather. Even his emotions are capable of changing the weather. Due to being born with a frail body he died of natural causes not too long ago. Orochimaru left him as a test subject and is not actively controlling him.] "What''s with the look Daichi?" Just as Daichi finished reading the information, Shikamaru questioned him. Daichi let out a small sigh. ''Thank god this kid isn''t going to wreak havoc or anything¡­ I hope.'' "It''s nothing¡­ He''s not from the village is he?" "No. If they find out an outsider is within the village, it''ll cause trouble for Yota¡­" Shikamaru said. Daichi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Especially with the current tensions between the villages. How did he even get here?" Choji had a sheepish look on his face at that question. Shikamaru sighed and answered. ¡°Choji was practicing his kunai throwing skills and he accidentally pinned Yota to a tree¡­ That¡¯s how we found him. Since he was just a kid looking for someone to play with, we figured it would be best if we kept this a secret.¡± At this point Yota jumped and stood in front of Daichi. He pointed his finger and laughed. "Grumpy!¡­ Grumpy!¡­ Grumpy!" He ran around Daichi as if he was playing around. Daichi chuckled looking at the antics of the little kid. ''For a second I thought this kid would have some malicious intent being a reanimation and all¡­ But it looks like I''m wrong. I guess there''s nothing to worry about.'' "Forehead¡­ Forehead¡­ Forehead." Young Yota then ran around Sakura laughing at her. Sakura puffed her cheeks as she looked at the kid. "Hey don''t make fun of me." "What''s your name kid?" Daichi asked even though he knew. "I''m Yota." "Where are you from?" "Nowhere!" Yota kept laughing and answered. "Kon Kon Kon¡­ it''s snowing! Kon!" "Looks like he took a liking to you guys." Shikamaru smiled. Daichi looked around and saw the falling snow. "Is it snowing because you''re happy?" He asked the boy. "Um!" Yota nodded. "That''s a pretty cool ability." Sakura chimed in. "Yeah!" Ino agreed as well. Daichi looked at Shikamaru and said, "I take it you three stole the food for him?" The young Nara sighed and simply nodded. "Here. You can have mine too." Daichi handed his food to Yota. The boy jumped with excitement. "Yay. Food for my tum tum!" "So you''ll keep this a secret? You won''t tell the adults about him?" Shikamaru asked Daichi. "No. He doesn''t look like he''s here to cause trouble. I''ll keep this between us." The young Nara simply nodded and smiled. Reputation increases with Shikamaru, Ino and Choji. All of them gathered near the treehouse and watched Yota eat the food he had. It was snowing and soon there was enough snow to play around with. Once he ate his food they started playing. Daichi build a snowman and then laid on the ground and made snow angels. They had snowball fights and rode sledges. For the first time since becoming a part of this world, Daichi had fun playing with kids his age. He enjoyed spending time just goofing off. That day he made some true friends. ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shikamaru and the others would go play with Yota everyday after the academy. Unfortunately Daichi couldn''t spend all his time playing around. But he''d give Shikamaru some food to bring to Yota. It was a Saturday morning. Daichi was currently at home trying to control his chakra and changing it to earth nature. He then took a stone and started his shape transformation training. He remembered what his grandfather had said when he inquired about the affinity training. ¡®The change in chakra nature is an advanced form of chakra control that entails molding and defining the nature of one''s chakra. Altering its characteristics and properties to use in jutsus. Then there¡¯s the change in chakra form.¡¯ He could remember what Kensei said all those months ago like it was yesterday. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Flashback: "Hey gramps¡­ How do I go about creating a jutsu?" Daichi asked Kensei one morning after breakfast. The old man thought for a few seconds before giving his answer. "Creating a jutsu is a very complicated process. As you know, to use jutsu a person weaves several hand-seals which allows them to mold their chakra a certain way allowing them to use techniques of any nature. To create a new jutsu one must have sufficient knowledge about all the hand-seals and how they mold the chakra inside the body. And that''s just the very basics." Daichi listened attentively to every word Kensei said. "The two most important aspects of creating or modifying a technique are Nature transformations and Shape transformation. Now, Nature transformation helps us change the properties of chakra. We can turn our raw chakra to fire, water, earth, lightning and wind depending on our proficiency with the skill. Do you understand so far?" Daichi nodded. Kensei continued. "Now shape transformation or change in chakra form as some say, deals with the changes in actual form, movement and range of the technique. It helps us alter the abilities of a jutsu." "I understand. But what about Yin and Yang chakra? I read that they help in Genjutsu and medical Ninjutsu!" Daichi asked. "It''s true. There are several techniques that fall under the category of Yin and Yang release. The Nara clan''s shadow jutsu''s are based on Yin nature chakra while the Akimichi clan''s body jutsus fall under Yang release." Kensei said. "Yin is based on the spiritual composition of the chakra and Yang is based on the physical part, isn''t it?" "Yes Daichi. But using the jutsus that require yin and yang nature transformations are extremely difficult even for adults. The reason that ordinary people can''t use a clan''s secret techniques is because members of a clan are predisposed to their affinity when they are born. It''s why you don''t see an Akimichi using a shadow possession jutsu and vice-versa." Kensei wanted to make sure Daichi knew the difficulty of attempting such a task. "What about elements that fall outside of the basic 5? Like ice or lave technique?¡­ Or wood style jutsu?" Daichi asked. "Reading up on the first Hokage and other villages, have we?" Kensei lightly chuckled. "Daichi! Do you think you''re the first one who had these thoughts?... There were countless people who mastered 2 affinity and tried to combine them to create a third new element. But they weren''t successful. It''s why we call the shinobi who can use elements like that, ''Kekkei Genkai'' users. One must have a genetic advantage when trying to use techniques like that." "But hypothetically, can it be done? If a person has absolute control over multiple affinities, can they create it?" Daichi was going to max out his skills and try to combine different affinities to create new elemental jutsus. Or at least that''s his plan. He wanted to know his grandfather''s opinion in the matter. Kensei thought long and hard about this question. And after sometime gave him an answer. "For a person who doesn''t have a Kekkei Genkai I''m gonna have to say no. When you master multiple natures, using those individually is an easy task. But using them simultaneously is a different matter altogether. So that''s why even if you master all 5 chakra natures, unless you have a Kekkei Genkai you won''t be able to combine them¡­ But¡­anything is possible in this world. So who knows¡­" Kensei then looked at Daichi. "I don''t want you to try and do too many things at once. You''ll only hinder yourself that way. Right now we know your natural affinity is earth. Start with earth nature chakra. Train in it. Then when you have reached advanced mastery, we''ll try the others. This is advanced stuff. I''m only starting you on it because your talent is far greater than others. But that doesn''t mean it''s going to be easy. Do you understand?" "I understand Gramps." Daichi replied in a serious tone indicating he understood the importance of the task. Kensei took Daichi outside and both of them sat down on the ground. "I want you to feel the earth. The ground, the small pebbles, the soil beneath you¡­" Kensei then gave Daichi a small stone made of clay. It was half the size of Daichi''s fist. "We''re going to start on the ''shape changing'' aspect of your chakra. This is a very simple and basic training method for earth affinity users. It''s just to get you to feel the way your chakra responds to you¡­ Now concentrate and pour some chakra into the stone." Kensei began his lesson on earth manipulation. "Your chakra is an aspect of you. And since earth is your natural affinity you have a much greater connection to it than those who do not. Remember how your chakra would feel when you use an earth jutsu? Close your eyes and concentrate on that." Daichi closed his eyes as he held the stone. He would always try to feel what his chakra would be like when he performed the 5 basic jutsus he knew. Daichi focused and started flowing his chakra into the stone. Once the outer layer of the stone was coated in his chakra he slowly pushed his chakra to penetrate into its core. Coating it completely after a few minutes. "Excellent. You''re progressing faster than I thought." Kensei complimented. Skill Chakra Flow''s level has risen by one. "Now imagine a thick sheet of paper. Use the chakra and slowly reshape that round stone into a square plane." Daichi slowly moved his chakra. He could feel every part of the small stone with his energy. It took time but he moved his chakra in and around the stone. Trying to break it down and reshaping it. After about 20 minutes he was successful. In his hand was a thin square sheet made from clay. "Wonderful. To think you actually got it on your first day. That''s impressive." Kensei was amazed at Daichi''s talent. Skill Earth affinity''s level has risen by one. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By successfully concentrating and infusing chakra throughout an object and changing its shape, the skill ''Creation'' has been created.] ''Huh.? Wasn''t expecting that.'' Daichi thought as he read the notification. Chapter 39 – Gamer’s Mind and Brewing Trouble. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi thought back to the skill he got that day. If he could level up that skill he could create items that were truly legendary. Creation - Active(LV.1): This skill is used for creating an item. As the skill increases, items with greater quality can be created. This skill can be used to even create legendary items. But blueprints are required for such creations. The items are divided into 5 grades. Common, Rare, Unique, Legendary and Mythical. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: +10% Chance when creating Common grade items. +0.5% Chance when creating Rare grade items. 0% Chance when creating Unique grade items. 0% Chance when creating Legendary grade items. 0% Chance when creating Mythical grade items. "I''ll look into this Creation skill after I''ve improved earth affinity skill." Daichi trained his shape manipulation for a few hours and improved his skills. ''I''ve been at this since morning. Time to take a break.'' Daichi stretched his arms and legs and got up. He walked around his house thinking about his second year so far. His mind was also on the massacre that''s going to happen less than a year from then. He thought about his Uchiha training partner/sensei. ''I''ve been meeting Ren less and less these days. But when he''s around he''s been training me in shurikenjutsu and stealth. I''m learning how to get around without anyone noticing and leaving very few trails behind. His proficiency with fire style jutsu is amazing and his sensory skills are top notch. If I didn''t have the Gamer''s Mind he''d have definitely noticed my freakout that day.'' As Daichi thought about that a new train of thought entered his mind. ''Gamers Mind is definitely a powerful and useful ability but it has its drawbacks as well. I haven''t experienced any intense emotions since I got here. The only thing close to that was during my time fighting that crocodile boss Krodos. But I feel that even that anger was controlled.'' Daichi thought about it for a while. He wanted to know if it was possible to turn the gamer''s mind off or something like that. He opened his skill page and clicked on Gamer''s Mind. But it just showed the details of that skill in a new box. Daichi suddenly had an idea. ''Is it possible?'' "Options" He said with the intent to open an options page. Just as he suspected, a new page appeared titled ''Options''. The new page contained only a few things. Options: Gamer¡¯s Mind - ON/OFF Gamer¡¯s Body - ON/OFF Gaia¡¯s Blessing - ON/OFF Mini-Map - ON/OFF Status Skills ''The on and off for the skills Gamer''s Body and Gia''s Blessing are grayed out. So that probably means I won''t be able to change that. But it seems that''s not the case with Gamer''s Mind and Mini-map. Ok. Time to see what it''s like with the Gamer''s Mind turned off.'' Daichi tapped the ON/OFF button near the skill Gamer''s Mind. A red warning box appeared. This skill is currently active. Deactivating this skill will make the user vulnerable to mental attacks and disorders. Emotions felt by the user will be amplified by various margins. Are you sure you want to turn this skill off? Y/N Daichi thought about it for a few seconds. He came to a decision. He pressed Y without wasting any more time. A new blue box popped up. Skill Gamer''s Mind is now turned off. Suddenly Daichi felt something in his mind snap. He felt like seeing and experiencing the world for the first time. "Wow. This is a weird feeling." He started to slowly chuckle and then after a few seconds it turned into full blown laughter. "Hahahaha¡­¡­.. Wow. This is amazing. This is soo amazing!. I should have done this long ago." Daichi started to jump around and tested his body to see how fast he could run and how high he could jump. He felt delighted at the prospect of having a superhuman body. The wind he felt on his face and the power he felt coursing through his muscles made him exhilarated. Since this was the first time he had turned off his gamer''s mind, Daichi was experiencing his emotions to a much greater degree than he normally would be. For the last two years the Gamer¡¯s Mind skill has been keeping his emotions muted. So after turning the skill off Daichi was feeling waves of several positive emotions all at once. After several minutes of running around and having fun, he finally calmed down. "Wow. What a rush! Felt like I was high on drugs. Ok Daichi, settle down." He told himself. Daichi took several deep breaths and calmed his rapidly beating heart. He sat down and started to meditate. After sometime he finally felt his emotions reach a calm normal state. "So this is what it''s like to have the gamer''s mind off huh. I think I''ll leave it this way for a couple days and see what happens. Then I''ll turn it on again." Daichi suddenly realized something. ''The day I woke up in this world¡­ Thinking about it now...I should have had a much bigger freak-out than the one I had. I was calm and just accepted this insane and almost impossible situation like it was normal. It must have been the Gamer''s Mind that made me accept the situation so easily.'' As Daichi realized this, his heart started beating faster again. Daichi¡¯s hands shook as he thought about the enemies he would have to face. Sweat poured down his face and his hands trembled. ¡®This feeling. I haven¡¯t felt it in a long time. I had almost forgotten what it felt like.¡¯ The emotion Daichi was feeling was fear. Fear of the future that''s to come. ¡®Ok. Daichi, calm down. They don''t know about you. As far as the world is concerned you¡¯re just a student in the leaf village. A genius but just a kid who doesn''t know anything. You¡¯re safe.¡¯ Daichi tried to reassure himself that he was safe and the frightening monsters roaming the world won''t come after him. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. ''I need to be absolutely careful of this skill. Should I turn it back on? No. I¡¯ll leave it like this for now.'' Daichi sat down and meditated for some time again. After a while he was able to calm down and regain his composure. He then decided to leave the house. Daichi stood up and left the house. He walked around the village taking in the sights. He had a jubilant smile on his face as he looked around. He went to Shi Fang''s restaurant. Daichi was in the mood for some tasty dumplings. "Hey owner Shi!" "Daichi? Come in. How have you been?" Shi Fang asked. "Good. Really good." Daichi replied with a smile. "I can see that. So what will you be having?" "I''m in the mood for some Rainbow dumplings. Oh and can you pack a few to go. I made a new friend who I think would love these." Daichi was thinking about the wandering child Yota. He knew the kid would definitely like these. "Coming right up." Shi went to prepare the dishes. Daichi spent some time eating and chatting with Shi at the restaurant. After he had a few dumplings and got a couple more as takeout and then he left the place. With the food safely stored in his inventory Daichi made his way to the forest. It has been several days since he last saw Yota. Daichi was looking forward to relaxing and playing around and just acting his age. As he reached the treehouse he noticed something strange. There was no sign of Yota. "Yota¡­ Where are you?" Daichi called out as loudly as he could. "It''s me.. Daichi. I brought some delicious food¡­" After waiting for over a minute and getting no reply, Daichi started to get worried. ''Where the heck is he? I should find Shikamaru or Ino. They might know.'' Daichi walked out of the forest and started looking for his classmates. Half an hour went by before he found them. There was another addition to the group besides the future team 10 and Sakura. Daichi also saw Kiba and his partner Akamaru tagging along with them. "Hey guys¡­" Daichi yelled, getting their attention. "Daichi?" Daichi ran to them and stopped. "I''ve been looking for you guys." "Yeah? What''s up?" Shikamaru asked. "Where''s Yota? I can''t find him anywhere. Did he leave or something?" As Shikamaru and the others heard Daichi''s question they lowered their heads in sadness. "What''s wrong?" Daichi had a bad feeling in his heart when he saw the downtrodden expression on his friends faces. "They took him." Ino suddenly said. "What?! Who?" "The Anbu? They came and took him away an hour ago." Sakura replied. Daichi was shocked. He didn''t think the Anbu would be interested in the small kid. ''Then again with tensions running high among the nations I suppose this was inevitable.'' "Daichi, we''re headed to Naruto''s house. Are you coming?" Shikamaru asked him. ¡°Since when are you guys friends with Naruto?¡± Daichi was curious about this development. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story but I''ll make it short. Come on. I¡¯ll fill you in on the way.¡± Shikamaru said, leading the group. Daichi nodded "Yeah, Ok. Tell me everything that''s happened." The group headed towards the residence of the current nine tails host. Shikamaru started narrating everything that''s happened. "A couple days after you stopped showing up, Yota started to go near the village. Or near the academy to be more specific." Shikamaru recalled. "That was dangerous. The Hokage building and Jonin stations are there. If anyone saw him then they would have reported him to the higher ups." Daichi gave his thoughts. "Yeah. But luckily the only person to see him was Naruto. And he didn''t say anything to anyone. A little while later Yota disappeared and we kinda accused Naruto of getting him into trouble." The young Nara had a sheepish look on his face as he said this. "That''s harsh." Daichi said, looking at the young boy. "Yeah. We could have handled that better¡­ But we apologized after we found him and we became friends. Anyway he found Yota and became friends with him and that''s when Kiba joined.¡± "Man, that was something. Did you know, he can make lightning when he''s mad." Kiba said with a laugh. "I know he can control the weather and his emotions trigger changes in the atmosphere but not the specifics." Daichi thought back to the times he interacted with the boy. "Yeah. We almost got toasted. Right, Akamaru?" "Arf." "But everything worked out and we were having fun. We were playing hide and seek and¡­ that''s when it happened." Daichi narrowed his eyes. "Those Anbu came and just took him away. They said no outsiders were allowed in the village." Sakura said gloomily. "I see. So that''s what happened." Daichi now had a clearer picture of what happened. As they walked a little further they saw Naruto''s apartment. "Come on. I bet he''s in his room sulking over the whole thing." Shikamaru and Choji jumped and headed for Naruto''s window. Daichi followed them. Naruto was at home laying on his bed. He thought about his time with his first real friend. He taught Yota how to whistle and had fun playing around with him. But now he couldn''t do anything with the Anbu shinobi of the village involved. He remembered the words Yota spoke to him. "Hey Naruto. You''re my friend." Those words brought such joy to him. ''I have to save him. But how?'' Naruto got up and looked around his room, all depressed. "Guess I''m alone again." "No you''re not." Just then the voice of Shikamaru came from his window. "There''s seven people and a dog." "Yeah. The whole gang''s here." Shikamaru and Choji climbed Naruto''s window and got into his apartment. "Yo Naruto!" Daichi saluted and followed behind them. "H-hey! You can''t just barge into someone''s home like that." Naruto pretended to be angry. "What''re you talking about? You were looking all lonely just now." Choji smiled as he replied. Daichi looked at Naruto as if he was seeing him for the first time. With his Gamer¡¯s Mind turned off, Daichi was feeling his emotions at an elevated level. Daichi was excited and elated as he looked at Naruto. He walked closer and took a good look at the blue eyed boy and then pinched his cheeks. "Aww¡­ You''re so cute with those whiskers and big blue eyes." Daichi said laughing and pinching Naruto''s cheeks. "Ahh¡­ Cut that out Daichi! I''m not cute." The boy said with a blush. Shikamaru and Choji laughed while watching the scene. "Hahaha¡­" "He looks like a cute angry kitten." The young Nara added, trying to tease Naruto. Reputation increases with Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji. Choji and Daichi laughed while Naruto tried to hide his blush and pulled Daichi''s hands off his face. Shikamaru walked to the front door of the apartment. "The weather''s perfect today and you''re here, just hiding indoors¡­At this rate no one''s gonna hang out with¡­" He went quiet and stopped in his tracks as he opened the door and looked outside. "It''s raining¡­" He said in a low voice. That brought everyone''s attention back to Shikamaru. He walked forward followed by Daichi and Naruto. They looked ahead and saw that it was raining on just the Hokage tower. "That rain¡­ It''s definitely Yota. He''s in trouble." Daichi said in a serious tone. "We have to save him." Naruto had a determined expression as he said those words. "Yeah. We''re getting him back." Shikamaru agreed. Choji, Daichi and Naruto nodded in agreement. At that moment a new quest box popped up in front of Daichi. Quest Created - ''Rescue Yota¡¯. Successfully rescue Yota from Anbu custody and get him out of the village borders before time runs out. Mission is considered a success if Yota reaches the opposite side of the border river and is freed. Time limit : 4 Hours. Rewards: 4000 Exp. Special Item Reward. Reputation increases with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. Reputation increases with 6 of the ''Rookie 9''. Failure: Conscripted into the Root Anbu. Possible death of Kensei Yasaji. Reputation decreases with everyone. [Warning: Successfully completing this quest will create a ripple effect and will have unknown consequences in the future.] Accept (Y/N) Unbeknownst to the three classmates beside him, Daichi stood still as if he was petrified after reading the quest and its failure consequences. ''What the freaking hell!?'' Chapter 40 – Rescue Mission with Rookie…6? Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Come on! Let''s go join the others." Shikamaru''s words brought Daichi out of his thoughts. Choji, Naruto and Shikamaru quickly jumped and headed to the others with Daichi slowly following them. His mind was still on the failure part of the quest. ''Why is the failure part of the quest so severe? And why the hell is there a warning for this quest? What kind of a ripple effect will this quest completion have? Isn''t that the case for all other quests? What''s so special about this one?'' Daichi couldn''t understand why this quest was different and had a warning unlike the ones he had so far. ''I thought Yota wasn''t important but then why does rescuing him trigger such a warning?'' ''Can I really complete this quest? Should I even accept this?'' Doubt filled Daichi''s mind as he landed near the group. "Alright. Now that everyone''s here, let''s begin. If we''re going to save Yota we need a plan." Shikamaru announced. "Yeah." The other agreed. "Ok. First we-..." "Wait." As Shikamaru was about to begin, Daichi interrupted him. "What is it, Daichi?" Kiba asked. Daichi looked at everyone gathered. He took a breath before saying what was on his mind. "Look. I want to save Yota too. But before we begin, are you sure about this? Have you guys thought this through?" Daichi asked them. "What do you mean?" Choji asked. "I mean we''re about to go up against Anbu ninjas from our own village to save someone not from the Leaf. Once we do this, we''ll be in big trouble." Daichi explained to them. He could see the faces of some get slightly angry after hearing him. "Are you saying we should just let Yota be imprisoned? I thought you cared about him." Naruto exploded in anger. Reputation slightly decreases with Naruto. "I do care about him! I''m not saying we should just leave him to his fate and let the Anbu do whatever they want. But right now we need to consider things from their perspective too." Naruto got angrier as he listened and he was about to walk over and punch Daichi but Shikamaru held up his hand stopping him. "What exactly are you saying Daichi?" The young Nara asked. "The tensions between the Leaf and the Stone village are high. And this in-turn has increased tensions between the 5 great nations. I''m sure you''ve heard that a spy was captured some time ago during an incident¡­" "Yeah¡­" Shikamaru slowly nodded. "My grandpa told me that small border skirmishes have been happening around the fire country for a while and things have gotten somewhat intense. The Jonin and Anbu are on high alert for any spies or intruders trying to infiltrate the village. If we cause a commotion during a time like this, we would be in serious trouble." Daichi explained his thoughts. "But Yota isn''t a spy or a threat to the village. He''s just a poor lost kid looking for some friends to play with." Ino said to Daichi. "I know that! And you do too.! But the other people in the village don''t¡­ If we do this, and we fail, Yota will still be captured and we could even lose our place in the academy. We might never be ninjas. Or maybe even worse¡­¡± Daichi paused for a moment and looked at everyone. ¡°Look¡­ I''m just saying this so you guys know the risks of what we''re about to do." Daichi said his piece. For the first time, he wasn''t sure about taking a quest or not. They listened to Daichi and understood where he was coming from. But they still couldn''t accept it. "Daichi!" Shikamaru stepped forward. "Do you believe Yota is a spy or a threat to the village?" He asked. Daichi looked at Shikamaru. After a couple seconds of silence he answered. "No. I don''t." "I''m going to save him. Those of you who don''t want to come with me can stay here." Shikamaru said in a resolute voice. "I''m coming too! I don''t care what happens to me. I''m gonna save him." Naruto joined him. "Same. Yota is no spy." "And he was fun to hang around with." "Arf." Choji and the Kiba-Akamaru duo made their decision as well. "We''re coming too." Ino and Sakura chimed in. "Well¡­ looks like the 6 of us are ready. What about you Daichi? Coming or staying?" Shikamaru asked. He didn''t know why, but as Daichi looked at everyone''s faces and saw their determination, a grin slowly widened on his face. "Reckless fools! Guess nothing I say will change your mind¡­ We''re gonna get in so much trouble for this." Daichi answered them with a wide grin. Reputation slightly increases with everyone here. "Yeah we probably are¡­" Shikamaru smirked as well. "Alright. Here''s the plan¡­" As Shikamaru was laying out his strategy, Daichi looked at the quest box. He accepted the quest hoping and praying that nothing would go wrong. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hokage Tower - Anbu Interrogation Room. Yota was tied to a chair in the middle of the room surrounded by three Anbu ninjas. Two of them were watching a monitor for variations in the chakra and effects Yota is having. The third one was interrogating the young boy. "Where did you come from? How did you get past the barrier?" An Anbu, wearing a mask with red stripes asked. "Which village sent you?" "I dunno¡­ I don''t get it." Yota answered in a small voice. "Ask me something easier." "Where did you come from? Which village sent you?" The ninja just repeated the question in a cold tone. Scared, young Yota started crying. "We''re not getting anywhere." The Anbu watching the monitor said. "Should we ask Lord Third to come down before we have to use force on him?" Questioned the other one. As they were discussing what to do with the boy, the Anbu interrogating Yota felt a malicious intent. He felt as if a dangerous predator was stalking him. ''Genjutsu?... No. That was something different.'' The masked shinobi concluded. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elsewhere in the village. Naruto was atop the Hokage monument. He was yelling loudly and throwing paint all over the carving of the Third Hokage''s face and making a mess. He had to make sure Shikamaru''s plan worked. Flashback. ¡°Alright. Here''s the plan. I''ve visited the Hokage Tower over a dozen times with my dad. So I think I have an idea as to where they might be keeping Yota. But there will be a lot of people guarding the tower. So first, we need someone to create a distraction. Something big that will draw their attention so the rest of us can sneak in¡­¡± ¡°Ohh! I have an idea! I''ll do it.¡± Naruto said excitedly. "Ok. The moment the guards are distracted we''ll sneak into the tower and get to the lower floors. That''s where the Interrogation rooms are. I know a few vents that we can crawl through to get inside the room. Once inside I''ll use my shadow jutsu to trap them and then we can save Yota." Shikamaru laid out his plan. He told Naruto where to go when he was done. Flashback - End. "Hahaha¡­. Come and get me, you fools." Naruto yelled loudly and laughed. "Oi! Stop it you brat! Get down here." A ninja standing atop the tower screamed. "You''re a moron. There''s no way I''m getting down. I''m Naruto Uzumaki, the ninja." Naruto mocked them. At this moment the Hokage was in his room listening to his Anbu''s report. "What?" "We found the child in question with several academy students." "Interesting." Hiruzen slightly smiled. At that moment they heard the commotion outside and went to check it out. "Catch me if you can dumbass. Bring every ninja you got." Naruto threw another bucket of paint on the third''s head carving. "Get back here you troublesome brat!" The old Hokage heard the people shouting at Naruto. He then noticed the rain falling down on the tower. ''Strange. Sun Shower?¡­ It seems the report is accurate. The boy is somehow able to affect the weather.'' At this moment Daichi and the others were sneaking through the hallways and were heading towards their destination. There were a few close calls where they almost got spotted but luckily they managed to make it to the lower floors without any incident. They were in front of the vents and Daichi was opening them. "Ok. Let''s go get Yota." Kiba said excitedly. "Wait. Someone needs to stay here in case anything happens." Daichi told them. "Choji, Sakura! Stay here and keep a lookout. And wait for Naruto. He should be here soon. The rest of us will go get him." Everyone nodded their heads and agreed to Daichi''s plan. Shikamaru took the lead in crawling through the small vents and behind him was Daichi followed by Kiba and Akamaru and finally Ino. After several minutes they found the room in which Yota was restrained. "Please let me go." They could hear Yota pleading. "Alright. Get ready. I''m going to trap them with my Shadow Imitation Jutsu." Shikamaru said in a low voice. Just as he was about to weave the signs, Daichi stopped him. Shikamaru gave Daichi a questioning look. "Always be aware of your surroundings." Daichi muttered to him. This was one of the many lessons Kensei taught Daichi and something he learned inside the dungeon the hard way. He took a look around the room. It was a circular chamber with high ceilings. It was then that Daichi noticed something. There were several bulbs hanging, situated above the room. ''His shadow possession jutsu will weaken if there is intense light. If Shikamaru captures them and the lights trigger, his jutsu could fail.'' "Shikamaru!" Daichi spoke in a very low voice. "Take a look at the ceiling." The boy looked and saw what Daichi had and came to the same conclusion. "The moment you use your jutsu I''ll destroy those lights. That won''t be a problem will it?" Daichi asked him. "No!" The young Nara shook his head. "Then get ready." All of them got ready to make their move. Shikamaru weaved the hand seals and his shadow extended, swiftly connecting with the shadows of the three Anbu. "Shadow imitation jutsu successful!" He smirked as he got out of the vents and stood looking at the ninjas. Daichi quickly stepped up behind him and several shuriken appeared in his hands. He aimed them at the light high above them and let them fly without wasting any time. All of them hit their marks and within seconds small glass debris was raining down on the ground. "Nicely done you guys!" Ino cheered for them. "Yota! Hey! We''re here!" They called out to their friend. Yota saw them coming and became happy. "You guys! You''re here!" He smiled seeing his friends. The academy students ran towards Yota and quickly reached him. "You''re amazing Shikamaru." "Arf." "Yeah. You caught real ninjas with your technique." Kiba and Ino praised him for his success. "Oi! Oi! Don''t go celebrating. We just got lucky. We caught these guys off guard." Daichi was the one who said it. Unlike his friends who were looking at Yota, Daichi had his eyes firmly fixed on the 3 Anbu in the room in case they made any moves. He used ¡®Observe¡¯. [??] [Asashi Bokta] ??? [??] [Jiro Itsuki] ??? [??] [Riku Sota] ??? ¡®Of course I can¡¯t read them! Their levels must be too high. Why did I even bother?¡¯ "He''s right. You greenhorns just got lucky." The cold tone in which the Anbu ninja said it, sent shivers down the student''s spine. Even though he was a little scared, Shikamaru didn''t let go of his jutsu. "You''re interfering with village security matters." "We won''t show mercy to anyone who acts against the interests of the village. Even if they happen to be kids." "This boy could well be a spy sent here to infiltrate and learn about the village." The three elite ninjas started releasing their killing intent. It was the first time Ino, Shikamaru and Kiba experienced killing intent. To them the presence of the three ninjas changed and they were terrified. You have sensed killing intent. You have sensed killing intent. You have sensed killing intent. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Due to the Gamer''s Mind being turned off, Daichi was experiencing emotions at a much higher level. So the killing intent he was feeling now was much greater than what he had experienced before. The words the masked ninjas said also frightened him. ''Is this what it means to be a ninja? To do whatever it takes for our own, no matter how cruel or vicious we have to be to others?'' At that moment a conversation he had with Kensei during their visit to his son''s grave came to Daichi''s mind. He remembered the words his grandfather had said. ¡°The leaf village isn''t the center of the world.¡± ¡°I saw teammates killing teammates to keep the secrets from spreading on the orders of the higher ups.¡± ¡°There is no right or wrong. Only those with strength can make their own path!¡± It was at that moment Daichi noticed his classmate''s expression. They were terrified. Due to experiencing such killing intent Shikamaru couldn''t keep up his technique and released it. Even though Daichi knew he was living in a dangerous world where the people could be cruel and merciless, this was when he truly understood that fact. A new emotion bloomed in Daichi''s heart. And seeing the scared, helpless faces of his friend''s, that emotion only intensified. Overwhelming Rage. Chapter 41 – The Friends We Make. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Before Daichi even realized it, his body moved. He swiftly stepped forward and stood in front of his classmates. Killing intent burst forth from his body. Just as he felt heightened fear earlier, now he was feeling extreme rage. And this amplified his intent by several magnitudes. Daichi focused his intent on the 3 Anbu in front of him. He was furious after hearing them. Skill Killing Intent''s level has risen by one. Several other notifications popped up as well but Daichi ignored them all. His eyes never left their masked faces. The Anbu were shocked. They couldn''t understand how an academy student and a child around 7 years old no less, could produce such murderous intent. "How PATHETIC! Since when did the ninja of the Leaf village become so pathetic and weak, they have to resort to threatening and interrogating little children." Those words came out of Daichi''s mouth before he even realized it. But he didn''t regret them once he said it. "You!" The masked ninjas were losing their temper. First they allowed themselves to be captured by a simple juvenile jutsu by academy students, which dealt a blow to their pride and now one of the children was trying to intimidate them. "If you stand in our way we won''t show mercy." Hearing that, a smirk came on Daichi¡¯s face. He couldn''t help but repeat the words Madara Uchiha said to Onoki during his fight with the 5 Kage. "What kind of adult goes full force when fighting children?" The mocking and insulting tone in his voice wasn''t missed by anyone. Daichi continued. "Yota''s not some spy or a danger to the village. He''s our friend. And we''re taking him with us. But since you''re looking for a fight why don''t you try me on!!" +1 CHARISMA Hearing Daichi''s fierce voice brought strength back to his friends. They shrugged off the fear and got ready to leave. One of the Anbu couldn''t take it anymore and made a move to incapacitate Daichi. In the blink of an eye he was behind Daichi and tried to knock him out with a knife handed chop. To Shikamaru and others the Anbu just disappeared and reappeared behind Daichi in an instant. But Daichi saw the movements. His senses, honed from fighting several types of beasts that attacked him when he least expected it, helped him. Daichi instinctively reacted. Chakra flowed through him and his hand moved as fast as it could. He barely caught and stopped the attack aimed at his neck. The Anbu was shocked. ''Even a genin would have had trouble following my speed let alone stopping my attack. But somehow this kid was able to do it? Unbelievable.'' "You''re gonna need to be more serious if you wanna take me down." Daichi turned around and challenged the ninja. "It seems you have some bite with that bark afterall." "Hey guys! What''s going on?" It was Naruto. He crawled out of the vent and behind him came Sakura and Choji. "Naruto?" The unexpected entrance distracted Daichi for just a moment but it was all the Anbu ninja needed. He sent a punch to Daichi¡¯s gut knocking him down. -88 HP "Gha¡­!" The hit knocked Daichi to his knees. "Daichi!!" Shikamaru, Ino and Kiba shouted. Yota was shocked at what happened. He couldn''t believe someone attacked his friend. Seeing Daichi wheezing on the ground made him mad. "Don''t... you¡­ Hurt my FRIEND!!!" Lightning burst forth from his body and targeted the three ninjas. In seconds they were electrocuted unconscious. The attack put a strain on the boy and he was breathing hard. Shikamaru and Ino ran to Daichi and helped him up while the others went to Yota. Naruto took a kunai and cut the ropes. "Yota¡­ It''s going to be okay. We''re getting you out of here." "Are you alright Daichi?" Ino questioned. "I''m ok. What about¡­" Daichi turned around and saw the tired boy. "We need to leave. Now!" "Yeah. Everyone, get a move on. We''ll have unwanted company soon." Hearing Shikamaru and Daichi¡¯s words, Naruto took Yota on his back and they made their escape. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hokage Office. Some time later. Hiruzen Sarutobi was looking over various documents and scrolls. As he was signing the documents one of his Anbu appeared. "Lord Hokage! Urgent news." He was the one who interrogated Yota. "What is it?" "The unknown child has escaped. I''ve sent my squad after them?" "How?" He was intrigued as to how a child could escape his trained elite ninjas. "Shikamaru Nara and several other academy students broke in and aided in his escape!" "Academy students?" Hiruzen thought about it for a moment. ¡°Tell me everything that happened.¡± The Anbu gave a detailed report of everything that transpired. After listening to the details Hiruzen had an idea. "Recall your squad. Let the children go." "Lord Hokage?" The masked nin was confused as to why their leader was ordering him to end the pursuit. "You weren¡¯t able to get any information from the boy. But I believe there are those who can." "Sir?" "I have a feeling the children will have more luck in trying to get the information out of him. It seems that the child trusts the academy students, so he might reveal his origins to them. Call off your squad¡­ And summon Shikaku Nara here." Hiruzen sent his Anbu away. He then took out his crystal ball and sent a chakra pulse to it. The crystal ball was connected to the village barrier and sensors. By peering into the ball, the Hokage could see current activities of anyone who''s chakra signature he knew. A perfect jutsu for monitoring the villagers and maintaining public order. But it had its limitations as well. ''Telescope Jutsu!'' Hiruzen activated the crystal ball and tried to locate Shikamaru. He had met the boy on several occasions so knew his chakra signature. After several seconds images appeared on the crystal ball. He saw not only Shikamaru but Naruto and Daichi in the group as well. The two students he keeps a close eye on among the younger generation. ''Interesting. It seems they''ve formed quite the team. How far will they go I wonder?'' At that moment the Jonin commander of his forces appeared. "You called for me Lord Hokage." "Ahh yes, excellent timing Shikaku. Come." He called his Jonin over and showed him the images on the crystal ball. ¡°Your son has been busy.¡± Hiruzen said in a jovial tone. Seeing what was happening, the brilliant Nara had an idea as to why he was called. He sighed and closed his eyes. "How troublesome!" The aging Hokage merely chuckled at that. Both of them turned their attention to the kids running through the woods. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daichi and the others were running as fast as they could with Naruto at the front. They crossed the village walls and were nearing the border. After several minutes of running they reached the border river. They were unsure as to how they could cross it. Kiba looked at the raging water in front of them. "We need to cross the river." "Yeah but, this river''s too deep." Shikamaru replied. "But we have to get across!" Ino looked around trying to find anything that could help them get to the other side. "They''ve probably got people chasing us right now. We need to go." Sakura said. "If only we knew the water walking technique¡­" "Yeah¡­" Choji and Kiba sighed sadly. "I know it." Daichi said casually, looking ahead. It took a few seconds for that answer to sink in to the others. "You do!?" Everyone looked at Daichi in surprise. "Yeah¡­ I learned it a while ago." He went to Naruto. "Here. Give him to me. I''ll carry him across the border. You guys stay here!" "We''ll come too." Naruto said. "Naruto, the river is too deep and the current is too strong. You''ll be swept away if you try to cross it. I''m the only one who can do this safely." Daichi was serious. The current would definitely wash them away if they tried to walk through. "But¡­" Naruto wanted to argue. "Do you trust me?" Daichi asked him. Naruto looked at Daichi for a few moments before answering. "Yeah I do." "Then trust me when I say I''ll get Yota to safety. I promise." +1 CHARISMA Hearing Daichi''s words, Naruto backed down. He gave Yota to Daichi who picked him up on his back. "Yota. We''re leaving. Do you have anything you want to tell them?" Daichi gently asked the boy. The little boy looked at everyone. "I''m so happy. I''m happy that I met you guys. I had so much fun. I won''t forget you all." "We''re sorry you couldn''t stay with us." Shikamaru apologized to his friend. "There''s nothing to worry about." Yota said with a smile. "We''re going to miss you Yota." Naruto had a small tear as he said those words. "I''ll miss you too, Naruto. I won''t forget what you taught me." He whistled just like Naruto taught him. "Before I came here, my life was really hard. I was always lonely. I had no one friends or anyone to play with. But then I found you guys. I wasn''t so lonely anymore. I had lots of fun after I met all of you." As he spoke those words everyone could see the snow slowly falling. "Naruto, Shikamaru, everyone¡­ Thank you. I''m going to go while it''s still fun. Don''t forget the great times we''ve had." He lightly tapped Daichi''s shoulder indicating to leave. "We won''t ever forget you Yota!" Naruto and the others were in tears as they said their goodbyes. Daichi slowly turned around and took his first step atop the river. He carefully walked on the river holding Yota on his back. Once he crossed the river he turned to look at his friends on the other side. Shikamaru gave a small nod to him and Daichi took off into the trees. Soon Shikamaru and the others lost sight of them. Back at the Hokage''s office, Hiruzen and Shikaku were watching everything. They saw Shikamaru and the others bid farewell to the boy and Daichi carrying him on his back. The moment Daichi stepped on water they were surprised. "It seems Daichi is capable of water walking. I knew he had ample control over his chakra but I didn''t think it would be to such a degree." Hiruzen muttered. "And the current of the river is pretty strong at this time of the year. So to successfully cross it while holding someone else is no small feat. Especially for a second year Academy student." Shikaku added his thoughts. "It looks like Shikamaru and the others are heading back. Why don''t you go meet them and bring them here. After everything that''s happened, If I send one of my Anbu to retrieve them, they''ll get defensive. Bring those children here first. I''ll talk to them before I speak with Daichi." The Hokage told him. "Yes sir.!" Shikaku left using the Body Flicker technique. The Hokage went back to watching the children. He focused his attention on Daichi and the young boy. He saw them traveling through the trees and Daichi taking out a few dumplings and giving them to the kid. He listened to their conversation and was shocked at what he learned. He heard a name he never expected to hear at that moment. As he kept listening to the conversation he learned several pieces of information that he otherwise would never have known. This was one of the many ripple effects that occurred when Daichi successfully helped Yota cross the river. The group near the river was anxious. Ino was worried. "What do we do now?" "We better head back. They''ll be looking for us. If we stay here and they find us, they''ll know Yota''s gone across the border and they might follow him." Shikamaru said to them. They took one last look at the forest on the other side and then slowly left. "Do you think Yota will be okay?" Sakura asked them. "He''ll be fine. Daichi¡¯s with him. He''ll be safe." Hearing the sure tone in which Shikamaru said it brought some happiness to the group. They walked for a few minutes before they saw someone leaning on a tree seemingly waiting for them. Naruto, Sakura and Kiba were cautious but Shikamaru, Ino and Choji had a small smile. They came near the person and stopped. Chapter 42 – Indomitable Stat and Atamagai’ Cloak Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Hey dad." Shikamaru said sheepishly. "I never would have expected you to be the one to cause me a headache. How troublesome!" Even though Shikaku said those words he had a small smile. "So how much trouble are we in?" Shikamaru asked. "You''ll find out once you meet the Hokage." Shikaku answered. He then looked at the children of his former teammates. And then to the other three accompanying them. "Ino! Choji!" "Hi uncle Shikaku" Ino and Choji greeted him with a small smile. "It looks like all of you had an exciting day. Come on. Let''s head to the office." He said. The group looked at each other and silently nodded. They decided to keep their mouths shut about Daichi and Yota. They started following the Jonin to the Hokage tower. "By the way, don''t worry about Daichi. I''ll wait for him here till he gets back." Shikaku said wanting to see their reactions. And they didn''t disappoint him. He internally chuckled watching their surprised faces. "I should have known you''d know." Shikamaru sighed knowing his father probably figured out everything that''s happened. "Wait, you know about that?" Naruto was the first to speak. "I do. As does the Hokage. Now come along. We don''t want to keep him waiting." He said, leading the group back to the village. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few minutes ago. Daichi left after giving Shikamaru a nod. Since he was traveling without the group he was able to quickly put a great distance between him and the border. ''We crossed the river. So why hasn''t the quest been marked completed?... Maybe we haven''t gotten far enough yet¡­?'' Daichi picked up the pace and kept going. As Daichi was jumping across the trees he heard Yota''s belly growl. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a couple rainbow dumplings from his inventory. He didn''t want anyone to know his inventory ability so this was how he took small things from his dimensional space whenever he was in public. A habit he made since his very beginning here. A habit which coincidentally saved him from the prying eyes of the hokage. Daichi jumped and landed on the ground. He let the boy down from his back. ¡°Here. Eat these. They¡¯re delicious. You¡¯ll need your strength.¡± Yota ate the dumplings and had a smile on his face. Daichi could see that the snow around them had thickened. Looking at the small boy, Daichi couldn''t help but ask. "Where will you go?" "I''ll be free when I leave here." "What do you mean?" "You see, the truth is¡­ I was already dead when I met you all. I was brought back to life by Orochimaru before I came here." Yota began telling him his origin. "What?!" Daichi was shocked for a few seconds and then he calmed down. ''Oh! Right! This kid''s a reanimation. I completely forgot about that detail in all this mess. He behaved like a normal kid so much that I didn''t even think about it. I can''t let him go back to Orochimaru.'' "Yota. Listen to me. Orochimaru is a very bad person. You can''t go back to him." Daichi was completely serious. Yota was smiling at Daichi as he heard him. "Don''t worry. I won''t." "Good." Daichi sighed in relief. Yota looked at Daichi and began telling him his story. "You see, I was born into a clan with the ability to control the weather. We made a living traveling from village to village selling weather." "That explains the weather for sale sign." Daichi thought back to the sign he saw when he first met the boy. Yota nodded. "Even among my clan I was very good at controlling the weather. But I was born with a weak body. During my travels I caught a disease and I died." Daichi lowered his head as he listened to his story. "But then someone brought me back. Snakey and Four eyes said they were testing the reanimation jutsu and left me outside your village." Yota said. Daichi was startled as he heard it. ''Four eyes?? Does that mean Kabuto was with Orochimaru?'' "Yota. Are you telling me there was someone else with Orochimaru?" "Hm." Yota nodded. ''So Kabuto already betrayed the village huh. That means he killed that orphanage matron. Damn it, I don''t remember the details clearly. Wait¡­ I have to make sure it''s Kabuto.'' All of these thoughts went through Daichi''s head in mere moments. "Can you describe the person who was with Orochimaru?" He gently asked. "Um! He had gray hair and wore round glasses. He was also wearing a purple shirt. I don''t remember anything else." "No. It''s alright Yota. You did good." ''It''s definitely Kabuto. I''m sure of it.'' "Mmm these dumplings are delicious." Yota said happily. "I''m glad you like them. Come on, it''s time to go. We need to get a bit further." Daichi wanted to move further and get Yota to safety and thus complete the quest. But young Yota had other plans. "I''m glad I met you Daichi. You and the others. I''m really happy. It''s time for me to leave." The snow started falling harder and started to cover the young boy from head to toe. "What are you talking about Yota? What''s happening?" Daichi was unsure of what was going on. He tried to get closer to the boy but the strong winds kept pushing him away. "Daichi! Thank you. I''m going to be free now. I have no regrets now." "Hey wait a minute. What are you doing Yota?" Daichi screamed as he tried to get closer. "Daichi. When I first met you, I could tell that you were like me. You were feeling lonely too weren''t you?" At this question Daichi stopped struggling and looked at him. It was true. Even though he told himself and Kensei that he didn''t want to waste time on making friends, he did want to make a few. To play around and laugh with. But his loner personality coupled with the title of genius at the academy didn''t get him any. "Daichi. Remember the bonds you made that day. And the friends you''ve made... Look after them¡­ Tomorrow, let it be another sunny day." Snow completely covered Yota. The next instant a lightning struck it, completely destroying the snow and the boy inside. Daichi stood there shocked at what happened. "Yota¡­!" At that moment the successful Quest completion notifications popped up adding to the already piled up system messages. But Daichi ignored them all. Tears fell down his face as he looked to where Yota stood seconds ago. He waited for the reanimation debris to come back and make the boy whole again, but it didn¡¯t happen. After waiting for several minutes he understood that Yota was gone forever. So with a heavy heart he turned around and started making his way back to the village. Daichi, not wanting to feel the pain of losing his friend anymore, opened the options tab and turned on the Gamer¡¯s Mind skill. The emotions running wild inside him calmed down. With an impassive face, he jumped to a tree branch and took off back to his home. Hiruzen, watching Daichi''s expressionless face through his jutsu, was saddened. ''I wonder how this experience will affect him? I suppose I''ll find out after I speak with him.'' He stopped using the ''Telescope Jutsu'' and waited for their arrival. Now that his Gamer''s Mind has been reactivated, his emotions clearly felt muted. Daichi could feel the difference as if it was a tangible thing. He felt like he could think clearly and more rationally. ''Yota I hope you''re happy and having fun wherever you are¡­ Goodbye my friend.'' As Daichi was hopping through the trees he finally saw the piled up notifications on the side. He sighed and decided to look at them. Quest ''Rescue Yota¡¯ Completed. Rewards: 4000 Exp. 600 Exp. Special Item Reward - Atamagai¡¯ Cloak. Reputation increases with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. Reputation increases with 6 of the ''Rookie 9''. You have leveled up. Skill Water walking technique''s level has risen by one. You have faced the killing intent of an enemy far stronger than you with your Gamer''s Mind switched off, and stood tall without fear and challenged him. You have reached a special condition. Special Stat Indomitable is opened. +1 INDOMITABLE You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. Indomitable is a unique stat even amongst the special stats, as it is the only one that gives the player a skill when it reaches 50 points. This stat awakened due to the player displaying an Iron Will and Tenacity against superior enemies. This stat provides the Passive Skill: Unyielding Spirit. Unyielding Spirit - Passive (LV. MAX) - Provides the Player resistance to Mind Manipulation, Emotional Manipulation, Fear Manipulation and other foreign mental attacks at all times. ''Another special stat is opened. I never could have predicted that the gamer''s mind being turned off at such a moment would be a boon. A level up, the special reward and a special stat awakening. Looks like this venture was unexpectedly fruitful¡­¡¯ ¡®Unyielding Spirit skill looks a lot like Gamer''s Mind¡­ but it seems there are differences. Based on this it only shields me from external attacks and doesn''t say about ones caused by me¡­ I''ll stick with Gamer''s Mind for now but this is still a good alternative.'' ''Now it''s time to see just what kind of a special item I got¡­'' The special item rewarded for the quest was placed in his inventory. Daichi was a bit impatient and wanted to see what he got. He stopped on a branch and used ''Chakra Sense'' to see if there was anyone around. Finding no one Daichi took out the reward from his inventory. It was a dull silver cloak with the insignia of the Uzumaki clan on its back and two chameleons in red and blue colors on its right and left sleeves. It was bigger than Daichi and looked like it was made for adults. He used ''observe'' on it and he was shocked as he read the description. [Atamagai¡¯ Cloak] [Special Item: Rank A] [An invisibility cloak created by the legendary seal master and tailor, Atamagai Uzumaki. This is a special item that shields the wearer and everything he/she directly touches from all prying jutsus and senses. This cloak was created from some of the most durable clothing materials available at the time and imbued with over five dozen intricate seals. The moment the cloak is worn the seals will activate and render the wearer and everything in contact with the wearer invisible to the world. No one will be able to sense the user unless he/she wants them to. This cloak has a limited ability to respond accordingly to the wearer''s thoughts. Although this cloak is a perfect tool for stealth, it does have its limitations. Only those who can use Mana energy can activate this cloak. It absorbs and stores nature chakra and when activated, uses nature energy in conjunction with a small amount of mana energy from the wearer.] [Note: Sages who are proficient in utilizing nature chakra can detect the cloak even when it is active. Once activated the cloak will be able to shield the wearer for 3 hours continuously or at most 10 hours from the time it was activated if used sparingly. Once the cloak is used it will take 29 days for it to be reactivated.] Daichi¡¯s jaw dropped as he read the description. As Daichi kept reading the long description his mind boggled and his eyes almost popped out of his skull as he reached the end. He was dumbstruck as he read the details. ''Holy smokes! This is like the ultimate tier stealth tool. And it''s perfect for me.'' Daichi quickly came to his senses and put the cloak back into his inventory and resumed his journey. But his mind was on the item he just received. ''I can travel anywhere in the village with this and the only person who could find me is Jiraiya. And that too if he used Sage mode. And the elder toads too but I doubt they pay the village a visit regularly. I can definitely get into all sorts of places and if I want to, escape from dangerous situations. This is just what I''ve wanted.'' In a better mood than before, he resumed his journey back to the village. Chapter 43 – The First Ripple. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi became somewhat cheered up after the depressing event that happened several minutes ago. But he kept his emotions in check and made his way back to the village. Before long he reached the river and within no time he crossed it. Daichi looked around and didn''t see anyone. ''They must have left or the Anbu got to them and they''re in the Hokage tower right now. Either way, no point in staying here.'' Daichi slowly walked forward trying to decide his next destination. Home, his friends or report to the Hokage what he had learned. ''Now I have an excuse to tell him about that bastard Kabuto. If the Hokage does a thorough investigation on him, he''ll be in trouble and Orochimaru would lose his spy.'' Daichi stopped that train of thought immediately. ''Wait. If I rat him out now, Orochimaru will just have another one take his place here. And my future knowledge will become useless and I''ll lose my edge.'' Daichi was screaming in his mind. ''Damn it! Looks like I''ll have to let him go for now. And it''s not like the Hokage could know what Yota said before he was gone.'' Just then an image of Hiruzen watching Naruto through the crystal ball came to his mind. Daichi stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened in realization. "Oh no!" Daichi thought back to everything that''s happened today. ''Anbu would have woken up soon after we had left and informed the Hokage of our situation and he definitely would have used the Telescope jutsu to find us.'' ''And since I made an impression on him, I''m pretty sure he would have been watching me. So he definitely would have heard my conversation with Yota. Fuck! I can''t lie or omit this information now. Wait, is he still watching me? Did he see me take out my cloak?... Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'' Just as Daichi was having a mental freakout the Gamer''s Mind activated and calmed him down. ''Maybe he''s seen my inventory skills, maybe not. Can''t take any risks. I''ll tell him the info on Orochimaru and Kabuto but I''ll keep quiet about the cloak and inventory skill. But if he asks about my ability, I''ll show him and give limited info on that. And if he demands a look at the cloak I''ll hand it to him. Since he''s not a Mana user he won''t be able to activate it anyway, so he''ll think it''s an ordinary item¡­ I hope.'' Due to making a logical and smart decision, you have obtained +1 WIS Looking at the notification Daichi calmed down a bit. ¡®Glad the system agrees¡¯. As he walked for a few more minutes, he saw the shadow of someone behind a tree. Daichi slowed down and was on alert. He walked a few more steps and finally saw who it was. "You sure took your time." The Jonin commander Shikaku Nara said to the boy. "I had a lot on my mind." Daichi cautiously replied. Shikaku just grunted and turned to walk. "Keep up." Saying those words he took off. Daichi knew it would be unwise to disobey, so he quietly followed the older man. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hokage Office Hiruzen sat in his chair contemplating the events that just took place. ''Orochimaru¡­ To think you would use such a forbidden and perverse jutsu¡­ It seems you might be more dangerous to the village than I thought.'' His mind went to the day his late sensei showed him the reanimation jutsu. Hiruzen let out a sigh. ''Tobirama sensei. You never should have created that jutsu¡­Orochimaru is a perfectionist and a scientist. He would definitely study and try to perfect the jutsu. If¡­ No! When Orochimaru comes for me there''s a possibility that he''ll use the reanimation jutsu. And it''ll be more powerful.'' ''It seems I''ll have to take countermeasures against it and anything else he might have up his sleeve.'' Hiruzen looked towards the location of the forbidden scroll in the room. ''Looks like I''ll have to conduct some research of my own.'' As he thought about what he should do he heard a few knocks on the door. "Come in." Shikaku entered with the students following him. "That will be all. I''ll have a word with the kids." Hiruzen said to Shikaku. The Jonin commander heard the polite dismissal and quickly disappeared. Everyone was nervous. Even Naruto, who never hesitated to speak his mind to the person he considered his family, was silent. Hiruzen''s face showed no emotion as he stared at them. He looked at each one of them and after a few seconds of silence he spoke. "You realize that you interfered with a serious village matter and have caused some commotion don''t you?" The Hokage asked them in a neutral tone. Hearing his words the kids lowered their heads. Naruto gathered his courage, took a step forward and spoke up. "We''re sorry that we caused problems¡­ But¡­ We''re not sorry we saved Yota." Hearing Naruto''s words to the Hokage surprised his classmates. They gathered their strength and looked at the Hokage. "Naruto is right. We regret the troubles we created for the Anbu but we don''t regret saving our friend." Shikamaru spoke in agreement with his friend and took a step forward standing by Naruto''s side. Hiruzen was internally surprised at the determination Shikamaru showed. He remembered the observations made by Daikoku on the files of each student. ''The heir of the Nara clan with good potential and high intelligence. But he has no ambition and energy. He only completes enough questions on the tests to get a passing score. This along with his behavior in class corroborates my observation. He won''t even go out of his way to verify his results. He would rather be considered wrong than go to the trouble of proving himself right. Lazy unless properly motivated.'' This was the observation made by Daikoku sensei in Shikamaru¡¯s file. ''Instead of being lazy and letting the situation play out, he took action. It seems his friendship with the boy Yota and this experience has somewhat changed him. And it seems for the better. Time to see how the rest of them fare.'' Hiruzen wanted to see just what the kids in front of him were made of. He was going to test them. "Is that how the rest of you feel? There will be consequences for your actions but if anyone wants to step forward and disagree with Naruto and Shikamaru now is the time." He said in a somewhat stern tone. Sakura, Choji, Ino and Kiba looked at each other and then took a step forward. "We agree with Naruto and Shikamaru." "Yeah. We''re sorry we caused trouble but Yota isn''t a bad person. We couldn''t just let anything happen to him." "Arf". Sakura and Kiba said. Ino and Choji nodded agreeing with them. Watching the students standing up for themselves and not turning on their friends brought a small smile to the Hokage''s face. "It''s not a sin to fight for the right cause. Sometimes one would be stuck between their loyalty to their family or village and doing the right thing. It can be a very difficult decision to make." The friendly tone in which Hiruzen said it brought some relief to the students. But the Hokage wasn''t done. Regaining his serious attitude he spoke. "Still¡­ This village is going through a troubled time. The security of everyone in it is the utmost concern of myself and the ninjas of this village." "You kids have caused some difficulties with your stunt. But nothing too major. So you''ll receive a black mark on your files and nothing more. But someone has to be punished for this. And since Daichi was the one who antagonized the Anbu and helped the young boy escape across the border he will face severe punishment. He will be expelled from the academy." The Hokage said in a stern tone, making them believe his words. "What!? You can''t do that.!" Naruto shouted in dismay. "Oh can''t I? I''m the Hokage of this village. Daichi committed a crime by interfering with the people who do their jobs and letting the boy escape. He will face the punishment." Hiruzen spoke with a serious tone to Naruto for the first time and it surprised the boy. Hearing the Hokage''s reasoning, Shikamaru spoke immediately. "Please reconsider this Lord Hokage. Daichi is the last person amongst us who should be punished for this. He tried to convince us to not go through with this." Naruto, Choji, Sakura, Kiba and Ino agreed and nodded their heads. "Yeah. Daichi told us that there''s tension between the villages and if we do something like this it would cause trouble for the people here. He warned us not to do it. So please don''t punish him." Ino said pleadingly to the Hokage. "Is that so?..." Hiruzen appeared to mull over the information. ''It seems Daichi knew the risks of doing something like this and still went ahead anyway. He''s got guts.'' "Regardless he still went through with it. He helped an unknown person escape the village with valuable information. He will be expelled but considering the circumstances, that''s as far as I will go." The Hokage really wasn''t going to expel Daichi. He just wanted to see how they would react. ''Would they accept this result or would they challenge it?'' Naruto had his head down hearing the Hokage''s words. He thought about his recent dream to become Hokage of the village and then to his interactions with Daichi. He remembered what Daichi said on his first day at the academy. ¡°My goal is to become the strongest.¡± It was Daichi¡¯s ambition and dream. Daichi was one of the few friends he made. Naruto thought back to the conversation they had at the lake. "Do you trust me?" "Yeah. I do." "Then trust me when I say I''ll get Yota to safety. I promise." Naruto made his decision. He looked up at the Hokage and spoke in a resolute tone. "If you''re going to expel Daichi then you might as well expel me too." Hiruzen looked surprised hearing that response. "Are you sure about this Naruto? You''ll never be Hokage if you don''t become a Ninja." "Yes." Naruto lightly glared at the old man as he responded. "If Daichi''s expelled then I''m quitting too. Besides, the academy is way too much work anyway." Shikamaru said in a nonchalant tone. Ino and Sakura also agreed with the two. "Well if you guys aren''t going, then I''m not going too." Ino said in a somewhat childish tone. "My mom''s soo not gonna be happy when she hears I quit the academy." "Arf, Arf" "Yeah. Same here." Both Kiba and Choji shivered when they thought about their mother''s reaction to the news. Looking at his classmates, Shikamaru couldn''t help but chuckle. "Guess Daichi was right. We really are a bunch of reckless fools." Hiruzen was surprised at their resolve. ''Even most genins wouldn''t have their stones. This ordeal has definitely brought them closer. And it seems Naruto has gained some truly wonderful friends. I''m glad. Time to end this charade.'' A wide genuine smile appeared on the Hokage''s face and it surprised the students. "You never turned on your friends or let one take the fall by himself. I''m impressed." Hearing the Hokage''s words, cogs started turning in Shikamaru''s head. "Wait, that was a test? You really weren''t going to expel him?" Looking at their shocked faces, Hiruzen chuckled. "No. I lied. It''s something I said to see if you would truly stand by him." Relief flooded their faces as they heard the old leader''s words. "Whooo¡­. You really had us going there for a minute, old man." Naruto said with a smile. Looking at the smiling faces of Naruto and his friends, Hiruzen spoke. "True loyal teammates would never turn their back on their friends. It''s one of the many lessons my sensei taught me. Usually you would learn this only by the time you become a genin but it seems you¡¯ve all grasped that lesson a few years sooner." "But what about the situation with Yota and everything that''s happened?" Shikamaru couldn''t help but ask. "I''m aware of the boy and after reading the reports, I have come to the conclusion that he is not a threat to the Leaf¡­ But unfortunately at a time like this, he cannot be allowed back in the village. I''m sorry." Hiruzen didn''t want to tell them that their friend had departed from this world, so he phrased it in such a manner. Hearing his words made the kids happy and sad at the same time. But they understood the situation. They knew this was the best outcome that could have happened considering everything. "Now just because this isn''t a serious matter doesn''t mean you''ll be scot free¡­ First you''re going to clean up the mess you''ve made on the Hokage monument and then you''ll clean every classroom in the academy. I''ll inform the teachers to give the cleaning staff the day off." Hiruzen chuckled looking at the dumbfounded faces of the students. "But¡­" Naruto was about to protest but Sakura gave a sharp elbow to his ribs, shutting him up. "We understand Lord Hokage." Sakura said, bowing her head. "Good. Now go on. I believe you have a lot of work ahead of you. Oh! And tell Daichi to come in. I need to speak with him." Hiruzen dismissed the students. "Daichi''s here?" Naruto was excited. He ran outside the room and the others followed. Naruto found his friend leaning on a wall waiting for his summons. "Daichi you''re back." At Naruto''s shout, Daichi looked up. "Hey Naruto." Daichi walked to him. He saw Shikamaru and the others coming as well. "Yota! Is he gone?" Naruto couldn''t help but ask. "Yeah. He''s free." Daichi nodded. Hearing the answer brought sad smiles to everyone. "Hey you better go in. The Hokage wants to talk to you." Shikamaru said to him. "And we have a giant face and an academy to clean up." The young Nara gave a long sigh. "Could''ve been worse I suppose." Daichi nodded and went inside to meet the leader of the village. He walked in and stood in front of the Hokage. Chapter 44 – Kensei and Hiruzen Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "You''ve certainly had an interesting day." Hiruzen started the conversation. "Yeah¡­ That''s one way to put it." Daichi gave a subdued answer. Noticing his lack of energy or emotions Hiruzen recalled what Daichi just went through. ''To see your friend die and be helpless to do anything about it¡­These emotions... It would drive someone down the wrong path if not properly dealt with.'' Just as the Hokage was about to ask how he was feeling, Daichi spoke up. "I''ve learned some things about Yota that I think you should know." "Oh and what is it?" Hiruzen asked playing dumb. ''Is he really going to tell me?'' "Yota is someone who died not too long ago. He was brought back by a reanimation jutsu by the missing nin Orochimaru." Daichi said to the Hokage. "I see¡­ Go on. What else did you learn?" "Yota said Orochimaru was conducting an experiment with the jutsu that brought him back. And there was someone else with him." Even before entering the room, Daichi decided to give all the information he learned from Yota to the Hokage. He wasn''t going to keep quiet when there was a chance the Hokage knew about everything. "Did the boy tell you who it was?" Hiruzen asked as if he wanted to know. "He didn''t know who it was¡­ But he gave me a description. Male, with grey hair and has round glasses. And he wears a purple shirt." He said the same thing Yota said. He couldn''t make any mistakes and give more information even though a small part of him wanted to. Hiruzen nodded to Daichi''s words. "Thank you for telling me Daichi." The boy nodded. The Hokage noticed his hesitation and clenched fists. ''Time to see how these events have affected him.!'' "How are you feeling Daichi?" Hiruzen asked him. Daichi stayed silent for a couple seconds before he answered with a question. "Can I have permission to speak freely?" "Go ahead." The Hokage nodded. "I''m angry¡­" Daichi then stayed silent for a couple seconds. Hiruzen motioned for him to continue. "I''m angry at Orochimaru for using Yota like that¡­ I''m angry at the Anbu ninjas for interrogating him like a criminal, I''m angry at the village for not letting him stay¡­ And¡­ I''m angry at myself, because I couldn''t save him." Daichi stopped. "Anger is a powerful emotion. If used correctly it can become the key to achieving your goal but if it consumes you, it will destroy you and everything around you." The Hokage said to the boy. He continued after a few seconds of silence. "Do you think under the current circumstances, the village was wrong in not letting the boy stay?" He asked Daichi. Daichi was silent for a minute before he answered. "Yes." "Why?" "Because he was just an innocent kid who didn''t mean anyone any harm." "Yes. But as you''ve said, he was Orochimaru''s experiment. The jutsu that brought him back is known as the Reanimation Jutsu. It''s a forbidden jutsu capable of controlling those it binds... If Yota had attacked the village under Orochimaru''s orders, what do you think would have happened?" Hiruzen asked him in a neutral tone. Daichi didn''t have an answer to that. Truthfully he didn''t want to answer it. ''With Yota''s capabilities he would have caused a lot of damage before being stopped. And since he was a reanimation, it would have been difficult to take him down.'' "I see you understand. It might seem unkind and extreme, but the methods and measures the ninjas take are to ensure the safety of the village and all of its citizens." The Hokage wanted Daichi to understand and let go of his anger towards the village. He was examining the boy''s chakra throughout his conversation. He could feel the slight agitation and fluctuations of his energy. ''Is this all we are? Does being a shinobi mean I''ll have to take actions like these in the future?'' As Daichi was having these thoughts, the scene of Sasuke talking with the first Hokage in the Naka shrine came to his mind. Daichi remembered the words Hashirama Senju said to Sasuke. ''Shinobi are those who endure for a purpose. But depending on their purpose, a shinobi can change.'' ''It seems Kensei was right after all.'' Daichi calmed down and looked at the Hokage. "I understand Lord Hokage." Sensing no lies, the Hokage nodded and dismissed Daichi. Daichi left the Hokage office and slowly walked down the hall. He had several thoughts running through his mind. ''The ripple effects of saving Yota. What could those be? One of them is definitely the Hokage learning about the reanimation jutsu and Kabuto but what else¡­ Nothing else comes to mind. I''m sure I''ll figure it out someday.'' As he recalled everything that''s happened his mind stopped at the failure part of the quest. ''Why was the failure part of the quest being forced to join the root and Kensei''s death? How does Danzo fit into all this?'' Daichi pondered on this question for a while before he reached a conclusion. ''If I had failed and they had recaptured Yota, then they would have definitely found out he was a reanimated person. And they would have used more intense interrogation methods and Orochimaru''s name would have come out. And then since I tried to rescue him, I would have definitely become a suspect. They would think that l was a spy. But then wouldn¡¯t Shikamaru and the others be in trouble too? '' Daichi thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion. ¡®Everyone present in the group has strong backing except me and Sakura. Naruto has the Hokage¡¯s backing and Shikamaru and the others are heirs of the clan heads. And between Sakura and me, Danzo would pick me because of my talent and he probably wouldn¡¯t see any value in Sakura. So he would leave her alone.¡¯ ''If this quest had gone sideways then all of them would have been safe except for me. Danzo keeps an eye on Anbu forces and this incident would have been brought to his attention. And knowing him and his hard-on for talented children he definitely would have forced me into root. Kensei would have been opposed to this and since the failure showed possible death of Kensei then that means Danzo would have had him killed¡­. It all fits¡­'' Daichi shuddered at the implications. He was glad everything turned out alright in the end but he vowed himself to be more careful in the future. ''Until I graduate I have to keep a low profile.'' ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once the boy left, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, took his pipe and smoked. ''He looked like he came to terms with what happened but¡­ I''ll have to keep an eye on him¡­ Maybe it''s time I go see Kensei.'' The Hokage sat in his chair pondering on what to do next? ''Before I do anything I need to figure out who it was that was with Orochimaru. If he was showing this man how to use the reanimation jutsu then he must be someone close to Orochimaru.'' ''This man most probably could be a spy inside the village. But figuring out his identity would be like finding a needle in a haystack¡­Hmm¡­'' Hiruzen taught Orochimaru almost everything about being a ninja. So the old Hokage had an idea as to how his student would think. He tried to put himself in his former student''s shoes. ''Orochimaru would never keep someone incompetent close. And definitely not a civilian. This person must have skills to defend himself, so he''s probably a shinobi. But a ninja posing as a civilian would be a waste of resources, so he''s definitely integrated himself within my forces.'' ''But he could be of any rank and there are so many ninjas in different departments¡­ Still¡­ I have his description, so that''s something. This will have to be done discreetly. When I find him and his identity is exposed, Orochimaru would use another one in his place and I''ll lose my leverage¡­. A much better strategy is to use him to feed false Intel and see if he has connections to any other spies here¡­'' ''Alright. One problem at a time. First things first. Identifying the spy.'' "Bear!" The Hokage called out. An Anbu wearing a mask with brown stripes resembling a bear appeared out of the shadows kneeling. "As you''ve just heard, we have a mole in our midst. We need to identify him as quickly as we can. Start with the genin and chunin forces. There''s a probability that he could be one of them." "Yes lord Hokage. Should I capture and detain him once I find him or¡­?" The Anbu asked. "No. For the moment, let him be. This is an opportunity to find out more about Orochimaru''s operations and if possible, we can use the spy to plant false intelligence. Right now your priority is uncovering his identity." Hiruzen made his decision. "Understood Sir." "And Bear... Keep this between us. Not even the council elders must know. And make sure this investigation is carried out discreetly. No mistakes." "Yes sir.!" The kneeling Anbu vanished into the shadows as quietly as he came. Hiruzen stood from his chair and walked to the window. As he looked down he saw Daichi leaving the building and walking home. He sighed thinking about the young boy. ''It seems I can''t delay it any longer. I''ll have to speak with Kensei.'' "I''m going out for a while. You three stay here." Hiruzen said to his guards hidden in the room. He left the tower and walked to a certain training ground. His mind was on the former Anbu captain and once close friend. He had an idea as to where Kensei would be today and that was where he was headed. After some time he reached a specific training ground in the village. It was a large area with several stumps and targets lined up. There were craters on the ground indicating the use of destructive jutsus. A wide river ran at the far end of the training ground. Hiruzen stood there for a few moments taking in the view. As he stood there he suddenly heard a voice he hadn''t heard in several years. "If you''re looking for nostalgic memories then you''re in the wrong place. This is training ground 6, not 3." Hiruzen turned around and found Kensei staring at him. "How did you know I''d come here?" Kensei asked. "This was your training ground when you were a genin and the place where you taught your students and your son. I know you come here every weekend to¡­ reminisce¡­" The Hokage replied. "Hello old friend. It''s been a long time." Hiruzen greeted him with a smile. "Not long enough¡­" Kensei said with an emotionless face. The smile on the Hokage''s face dropped. Hiruzen sighed thinking about the events that lead to their current relationship. "Are you still angry with me?" He asked him. Kensei looked at the Hokage for a while and then let out a tired sigh. "No¡­ I guess somewhere along the way I lost that anger." Hiruzen slightly smiled hearing that answer. "What are you doing here?" Kensei knew the Hokage was here for something. "Can''t I see an old friend and subordinate and mend our friendship?" Hiruzen asked in a jovial tone as he walked to a tree stump. He sat on it looking at Kensei. The smile on Hiruzen''s face dimmed as he saw Kensei''s pegleg. Hearing his words Kensei couldn''t help but grunt. He walked forward and sat on a nearby tree stump as well. Kensei saw Hiruzen looking at his leg. He started speaking. "I was angry with you." Hiruzen looked up hearing Kensei''s words. "Even though you''re the Hokage, you couldn''t do anything to Danzo after what he did to me. Even after what he tried to do to my son¡­ I was furious for a long time¡­" Kensei stopped looking at his once close friend and commander. His eyes wandered the training ground. "You know why I couldn''t¡­" Hiruzen didn''t say anything more. He felt that saying anything more would only damage the already torn friendship between them. "Yes. I understood why you didn''t do it¡­ And after years I came to accept it¡­ After the Nine tails attack and the whole Hyuga Cloud mess, I know he has had some hand in keeping the village stable... A necessary evil as you''ve said that day¡­" Kensei paused looking at his companion. "Danzo is ruthless and would use any method available to him to achieve his goal. But everything he does, he does it for the village." Hiruzen sighed and stopped. Both of them were quiet for a while. "How have you been?" The Hokage started the conversation again. "Good. I feel happy¡­ More than I did in a long time." Kensei said with a small smile. "Does it have anything to do with the young boy you adopted?" "Of course you''d ask about Daichi. You''ve seen his talents haven''t you?" "He is a remarkable young man. His progress is quite exceptional. I can only compare his rate of improvement to a handful of people." Kensei smiled as he listened. He knew about Daichi''s progress better than anyone save the boy himself. "That he is¡­" "Can I ask you something?" Kensei nodded to the Hokage. "Why did you adopt him?... Does it have anything to do with Hotaru?" Kensei thought about a certain memory as he heard the question. The memory of a promise made to his savior. After a few moments of silence he answered. "Why I adopted him?¡­ I consider it my second chance¡­ To make the right choices¡­And yes, he reminded me so much of Hotaru¡­ His looks, his talent, the way he acts¡­" Hiruzen nodded as he listened. He could understand the comparison. He had met Hotaru Yasaji at a young age and watched his growth throughout the years. "You''ve been training him, haven''t you?" "Yes!" The old man Kensei nodded. "But why push him so hard so early?" Hiruzen wanted to know Kensei''s motives¡­ "I don''t want him to have regrets¡­ I know that''s impossible but¡­ " Kensei didn''t finish his sentence. He looked towards Hiruzen. "Why are you so interested in him, Hiruzen?" "Daichi''s talents remind me of Minato and...Orochimaru. One of them died for the village and the other has become its enemy¡­. I don''t want Daichi to leave this world before his time or go down the wrong path." "Daichi is no ''Orochimaru''. I can promise you that. And I have a feeling he''ll be like a cat with nine lives when it comes to surviving." Kensei''s words made it clear to Hiruzen that he knew Daichi''s path. But the Hokage doubted Kensei would share it with him. "There was an incident a few hours ago. Nothing major. When you get home you should talk to Daichi about it?" The Hokage told him. Kensei nodded in agreement. Both of them stayed there till the sun went down discussing various topics and traveling down memory lane. Once the sun had disappeared, each left for home with their own thoughts. Chapter 45 – Reo Uchiha and Training for 2nd Dungeon Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. The Next Day. It was Sunday morning. Daichi woke up and just stayed in bed thinking about everything that''s happened. ''Looks like I need to change my plans a bit. I''ll save the dungeon fight for March. I need to train more. And I''ve built up enough chakra for the Shadow Clone jutsu. I need to increase the speed of my training.'' Daichi got up and went downstairs. He greeted his grandfather who was reading a book and went to the kitchen to get a bite to eat. Once he had his breakfast he went near Kensei and sat down. "So how was yesterday''s adventure?" Kensei asked nonchalantly. "You heard that huh!" Daichi wasn''t surprised his grandfather had heard about it. "Yeah. Not many academy students can stand up to an Anbu''s intent." Hiruzen spoke about the entire incident with Kensei and the old man was impressed with Daichi''s strong will. "How are you feeling? With everything that''s happened?" He asked in a slightly gentle tone. "I''m not happy with the way things ended but¡­ I understand." "Every experience, no matter good or bad, is a teacher to us. It shapes how we think and how we act. The smart ones are those who learn and try not to repeat their past mistakes." Kensei shared his thoughts with Daichi. "Yeah. I learned quite a bit and¡­. The whole thing was¡­ Fruitful. Helped me a lot in many ways." Daichi thought back to the special stat and item he got as a reward. His desire to become stronger had also increased. "As long as you don''t lose yourself along the way, you''re fine." Daichi nodded to Kensei¡¯s wise words. "Hey gramps¡­" "What is it?" "Can you teach me the Shadow clone Jutsu.?" When Daichi asked this, Kensei looked at him. Kensei assessed his chakra and deemed him capable of creating a few clones. Kensei took Daichi to his library and took out a couple of scrolls. He handed them to Daichi. "These are the scrolls for the Shadow clone jutsu and the Body Flicker technique. Figured it might come in handy for you." Hearing Kensei''s words made Daichi excited. He wanted to start training right away. Daichi wanted to see if he could take the Body Flicker technique to the same level or even beyond Shisui Uchiha''s perfection. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days passed with Daichi maintaining the top spot at the academy. The incident also changed Naruto''s life as well. Daichi noticed that he was more happy with Shikamaru and the gang playing around with him. They would also stand up for Naruto when others picked on him. His pranks, although lessened, haven''t stopped. And sometimes Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru would join him in skipping class. Daichi would play and hang around with them but it was only on a few occasions. His focus was on training. One of the major changes Daichi noticed was about Ino. Whenever he looked at her, she would blush and look away. Daichi wasn''t sure why at first but knowing the clich¨¦s of an anime world he had an idea. And he decided he wasn''t going to touch that topic with a 10 foot pole. Daichi¡¯s Home. It was a weekend and Daichi was currently in the middle of training with Kensei supervising it. Daichi had two of his shadow clones throw shuriken and kunai at him while he tried to dodge the incoming projectiles. His goal was to improve his ''sense stat'' and thus his senses. The next dungeon Daichi was going to open was a Key dungeon as well. But it would have enemy ninjas instead of wild beasts. He wanted to be at his absolute best and prepare for the battles that''s going to come his way. As Daichi dodged or deflected the metals aimed at him his instincts improved. +1 SENSE Over three hours had passed since he started this training. ''Come on. Just a bit more. I need to improve my stamina as well. I doubt I''d be able to rest and recover in enemy territory.'' Just as he dodged a hail of shuriken and deflected a kunai with one of his own, the special stat STAMINA had an increase as well. +1 STAMINA ''Finally!! Time to put an end to this.'' Daichi increased his speed with the Body Flicker technique and got behind a shadow clone. A hard punch to its spine and it vanished into smoke. ''Wow. That feels so weird. It seems I''m still getting used to that sensation.'' Daichi senses immediately alerted him to the weapons coming from the second clone. He deflected all of them with his kunai and rushed the clone. Both Daichi and his clone started attacking each other at a fast pace. His clone used ''body flicker'' to dodge some of the punches aimed at him and blocked the rest. Daichi swiftly switched tactics and restrained the clone with chakra threads and before his clone could retaliate Daichi dispatched it with several shuriken. ''Looks like my reaction time has improved. Not bad.'' Just as he was relishing in his victory, Daichi heard the whistle of shurikens flying. He immediately jumped high barely dodging the metal stars and watched them bury deep into the trunk of the tree behind him. Daichi looked towards the culprit. "What the hell old man.!!! That could''ve seriously hurt if it had hit me." "But it didn''t. And you''re not hurt.!" Kensei said in a nonchalant manner. Daichi looked at his grandpa incredulously. Kensei chuckled but then in a somewhat serious tone spoke. "On a battlefield you should never let your guard down, even when you think you''re victorious. That''s the moment a cunning enemy strikes his foe." As Daichi heard these words he calmed down. At that moment the scene of Tobirama Senju striking down Izuna Uchiha came to his mind. ''He''s right. I need to be absolutely careful when I''m fighting someone. I can''t let my strength get to my head.'' "I understand Gramps." Kensei nodded. Both of them ended the training and simply enjoyed the rest of the day. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------- Months passed and soon it was February 12th. Daichi just finished his training with Ren and was about to leave but the Uchiha stopped him. "Hey. Daichi. Come on. There''s someone I want you to meet at home." Ren said with a smile. "Ohh so I finally get to meet your daughter huh.!" "Yeah. Come on! One day you''ll be Uncle Daichi to her. Hahaha¡­" Ren laughed walking ahead. Daichi was glad he had the Gamer''s Mind turned on. Otherwise he would have grimaced and freaked out as he thought about their fates, and Ren would have picked up on that. ''If I recall, the Uchiha are currently under surveillance¡­ If I go to their clan¡­will the Anbu become a headache for me??... But I can''t decline his invitation without it sounding strange.'' Daichi lightly sighed and decided to go through with this. They reached the gates of the Uchiha compound. Ren''s home was near the border of the walls surrounding the compound. It didn''t take them long to reach his home. On the way Daichi noticed several Uchiha looking at both of them with contempt. Daichi expected such a look for him but he was surprised that they were also aimed at Ren. His friend walked home as if he didn''t see anything wrong, so Daichi decided he wouldn''t ask about the situation. "I''m home¡­And I''ve brought a friend.!" Ren called out. He guided Daichi inside his home. Daichi went into the living room behind Ren and found a woman feeding a bottle of milk to a baby. "Daichi! Meet my wife Kimiko Uchiha. Kimiko. This is the young prodigy I told you about." Ren introduced them. "Hello." Daichi waved. "Hi. Ren told me he was teaching a talented academy student. I''m happy to finally meet you." Daichi politely nodded and used ''Observe'' on them. [LV.50] [Kimiko Uchiha] Age: 27 HP: 3020 CP: 2900 [Kimiko Uchiha is a member of the Uchiha clan. She is a chunin ninja of average talent who awakened a one tomoe Sharingan, but retired a few years ago due to injuries she received during the 3rd world war. A year ago she married her childhood friend Ren Uchiha. She is a kind person who loves her family above all else. She gave birth to a baby girl named Reo Uchiha two weeks ago. But the pregnancy had put a strain on her body and she is now in a weakened state.] [LV.1] [Reo Uchiha] Age: <1 HP: 58 CP: 20 [Reo Uchiha is a member of the Uchiha clan. Born on January 29 to Ren Uchiha and Kimiko Uchiha.] ''It seems the pregnancy has weakened her body. Her breathing pattern is a bit weaker than the normal person but not by much. If she rests for some time there''s a possibility she could recover. But¡­ In a few months¡­ it won''t matter¡­'' It was only thanks to the Gamer''s Mind that Daichi kept a calm face. "So¡­ I hear you''re the kid who beat Sasuke." Kimiko asked in a teasing manner. "Does everyone know about that.?" Daichi was surprised that many people in the Uchiha clan would pay attention to him. "Of course. Everyone was expecting Sasuke to be just as good as Itachi and follow in his footsteps. So him taking second place came as a big surprise." Kimiko said smiling. Once the bottle was empty the baby quickly fell asleep in Kimiko''s arms. "She''s cute." Daichi said, looking at the sleeping baby. "Yeah. She takes after her mother. Thank God for that. Her name is Reo Uchiha." Ren was smiling as he looked at his family. He took his daughter into his arms and after a few seconds turned to Daichi. "Do you wanna hold her?" "What?" Daichi was startled at the question. "Are you sure?" "Yeah. Come on¡­" Ren held out his arms. Daichi slowly and cautiously took the baby into his arms. As he held her, baby Reo opened her eyes. She looked at Daichi and giggled and then slightly wiggled in his arms and soon fell asleep again. Daichi was surprised at that reaction. He looked at the cute baby sleeping in his arms that smiled at him and he couldn''t help but feel happy and protective of her. In that moment even though he didn''t realize it, Daichi formed a powerful bond with little girl Reo Uchiha. "Aww¡­ That''s so cute." Kimiko laughed looking at the two children. Daichi slightly blushed at that. "I think that''s the first time I''ve seen you smile like that Daichi." Ren added his voice as well. Daichi and the two Uchiha spoke for a while before they noticed it was getting dark. Daichi left Ren''s home soon after, with the latter accompanying him till the clan gates. Daichi left the Uchiha compound and was walking home. His mind was on the tragedy about to take place not too long from now. ''Damn it¡­ What should I do? I can''t just leave them to their fates¡­ But I don''t even know the details of the massacre. And it''s been so long I''m slowly forgetting some things from my past life¡­ I remember the key events but the smaller details are becoming foggy¡­My future knowledge is my advantage. I can''t lose that.'' Daichi reached home. He had a plan in mind to rectify his memory problem. Daichi went to his room after having dinner. He locked the door and sat on the floor. He opened his status page. ''Status'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 7 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Apprentice Dungeon Warrior. Level : 28 (12725/23250) . HP : 3435 CP : 4103.5 SP : 3255 MP: 1300 . Primary Stats Strength - 74 Vitality - 72 Dexterity - 62 Agility - 74 Intelligence - 69 Chakra - 85 Wisdom - 49 . Special Stats Sense - 65 Stamina - 86 Indomitable - 1 Charisma - 31 Persistence - 3 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 465 Ryo - 252000 . ''Looks like my level progression has slowed down considerably but my stats are steadily improving¡­ It seems I was slightly wrong. I have a ton of points right now and if I don''t use them, it wouldn''t do me any good.'' Daichi looked at his stats. After thinking about it for a while he came to a decision as to his next move. Chapter 46 – 100 Intelligence and 2nd Dungeon. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. ''I can''t stay like this. I need to up my stats fast.'' Daichi looked at the accumulated stat points and made his choice. He started adding some points to his stats. Primary Stats Strength - 74 => 75 Vitality - 72 => 75 Dexterity - 62 => 70 Agility - 74 => 75 Intelligence - 69 => 100 Chakra. - 85 => 100 Wisdom - 49 => 50 He used a total of 60 points to increase his primary stats. Several notifications popped up. Intelligence stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Absolute Recall. Absolute Recall - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when intelligence stat has reached 100. This skill gives the player the ability to recall all past memories with great details and accuracy. Absolute Recall is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. [Note: This skill has positive and negative side effects. While this skill helps the player in memorizing all details and recalling even the vaguest memories, it will also not allow the player to forget any unhappy or traumatic experiences.] The skill Lesser Mana Affinity has evolved to Mana Affinity. This increases the Mana points and power of the Mana skills of the player. Chakra stat has reached 100. The skill Lesser Chakra Affinity has evolved to Chakra Affinity. The skill Lesser Chakra Regeneration has evolved to Chakra Regeneration. This increases the chakra points and chakra regeneration speed of the player. Daichi smiled as he read the blue system boxes. ''Looks like stats increased to 100 gives passive skills or Evolves already obtained skills¡­ Should I just increase the other stats to 100 right now?...'' Daichi pondered on this question for a while before deciding against it. ''I''m about to enter a dungeon. I''ll definitely be able to increase my stats during the fighting. I''ll save the rest of the stat points for later.'' Daichi looked at his health, chakra, stamina and intelligence points. All of them have increased considerably. Especially his chakra points. HP - 3575 CP - 6010.2 SP - 3365 MP - 2270 As Daichi read the details of the absolute recall skill a frown formed on his face. ''It''s indeed a great skill to have but the negative side effect¡­ To, not forget anything bad that''s happened. That''s going to be rough.'' Just then the image of young Yota came to his mind. Along with memories that he couldn''t remember before. Daichi''s eyes widened as the memories came flooding in. ''OH My God!!. I''ve seen Yota, even before I met him in that forest. He was a filler character during the war episodes.'' Daichi started recalling the past memories. He only saw the filler episodes a couple times before moving on. But now with this skill he could remember every single detail. ''Now I know why Yota was so important. And why that quest triggered a warning. In the story, Naruto and the others rescue Yota and once they reach the river and try to cross it, they get swept away. Yota saves them and erases their memories of him and their time together¡­.'' ''But now because of my interference with the plot, they remember everything. Naruto has friends and the third Hokage knows about Orochimaru and his experimentation with the reanimation jutsu and possibly about Kabuto too¡­ So that''s why the system warned me huh¡­ '' Daichi sighed thinking about the incident. ''We''ll¡­ No point in thinking about it now¡­'' Daichi became sad as he remembered Yota and what had happened to him. But within a couple of seconds the Gamer''s Mind activated and the sadness he felt vanished. Daichi slightly shook his head as if to forget the memories and move on. He thought about the next dungeon he was going to enter. He found this particular dungeon on the day he met Ren. It was a red key when he found it but now since he leveled up to 28 it has turned to yellow. Daichi remembered the different types of keys and what they represent. ''Black keys lead to dungeons having opponents 30 levels above mine and will definitely end in my certain death. The red keys signify 15 - 30 level opponents stronger than me and are marked as extremely difficult. Yellow keys open a difficult level dungeon with opponents from 5 - 15 levels above mine. And then white keys classified as normal and green as easy.'' ''Since this key turned from red to yellow when I reached 28 that means the highest opponent in this dungeon would be of level 43. I''ll have to improve my stats as much as I can and level up too. The experience points needed for my next level up is over 10,000. And I''m pretty sure to reach level 30 I need at least 30,000 exp¡­. Soon¡­'' The first week of March arrived quickly. The students were given a week leave to prepare for the exams in the second week and then they would be given a two weeks holiday before the start of the next academic year in April. Daichi was planning on using the first week of march to complete the second dungeon. Coincidentally it was the same week Kensei had to leave for Tanzaku town. "I''ll be gone for about 10 days. Be careful and don''t burn the house down." "Oh come on!!. Don''t you have faith in me, Gramps?. I''ll be good!!" Daichi said grinning like a Cheshire cat. Kensei had a blank expression on his face as he looked at Daichi. The boy''s smile reminded him of a mischievous cat about to get up to no good the moment the owner leaves¡­ "Mmm Hmm¡­ You''re up to something, aren''t you?" The old man has known Daichi long enough to know the boy was planning something. "Maybe¡­" Daichi gave a cheeky reply with the same grin. Kensei sighed "I don''t wanna know¡­" He bid his grandson farewell and soon left. Daichi waved him goodbye and went to his room. During the last three years, Kensei had taught Daichi the hand-seals that would allow him to connect to the barrier surrounding the house. It was a simple but efficient one capable of alerting the people connected to it, of intruders or other problems. Daichi connected to the barrier and sensing that he was alone, he sat on his bed and took out the yellow dungeon key. ''Time to go to work.'' The moment he activated the key, he was teleported and Daichi experienced the sensation of falling from a great height. He was prepared for it this time. A couple seconds later his feet touched the ground. Daichi landed safely and looked around. He was in a hallway similar to the first one but this had several differences. Unlike the first dungeon hallway which was covered in moss and vines, this one was clean. The hallway seems to be made from red bricks and black stones arranged in some sort of a pattern. And at the end of the narrow hallway stood a white arched door. ''I''m guessing this is going to be a theme.'' Daichi walked to the white door and inserted the dungeon key. You have reached the entrance to the dungeon - Akagahara Battlegrounds. Would you like to enter? [Y/N] ''Yes.'' The key started rotating clockwise and within seconds the door opened. Daichi slowly took his steps and entered the dungeon grounds. As Daichi looked around all he could see were forest and rocks. A vast area just waiting to be explored and filled with danger. ''Observe'' [Dungeon - Akagahara Battlegrounds] [This dungeon is created based on the former Chunin exam ground Akagahara, but there are several differences. This dungeon is much more vast and the traps are more lethal. The strength of the enemy ninjas created for this dungeon are based on some of the Genins who survived Akagahara and these enemies are a bit stronger. There are other dangers in the dungeon as well.] ''So I was right. Based on my memories, Akagahara was only shown in a special episode. But it seems fillers are real in this world. In the episode Naruto fought against enemy puppets and had to avoid traps¡­.I''ll have to be careful when moving around. And it seems this dungeon has ninjas as well.'' Just then a new quest was created. Quest Created - ''Destroy all enemies''. Avoid the traps, kill the enemy ninjas and defeat the dungeon boss and his army. Time limit : None. Rewards: New Skill. New Title. Ryo 375,000. 10000 Exp. Failure: Death. Accept (Y/N) ''So the boss of this dungeon has his own army huh¡­ Wonder what they would be like?'' Daichi accepted the quest. Just then the title ''Apprentice Dungeon Warrior'' activated. Title ¡®Apprentice Dungeon Warrior¡¯ is now active. All your stats are increased by 10% while inside the dungeon. Daichi immediately felt the effects of the title. He smiled as he felt his strength increase. Despite the fact that it was a difficult dungeon, Daichi was confident in himself. Just as he was about to take his first step forward, he paused. He suddenly thought of something. ''Wait a minute. My Persistence stat opened when I fought a boss with my health below 3/4th of its total¡­ And my Indomitable stat opened when I switched off the Gamer''s Mind and stood up to a higher level enemy''s killing intent¡­'' ''And special stats can only be increased through training or level up and not with stat points. If I want to make the most of this dungeon then I need to turn off the Gamer''s Mind to increase Indomitable stat and keep fighting till my health points are at their lowest¡­'' ''Turning off the gamers mind won¡¯t be much of a problem because now I have Unyielding spirit to protect my mind. Still, It''s a dangerous and risky move¡­ But...It looks like I have no choice.'' Daichi opened the options tab and looked at the Gamer''s Mind On/Off button. Gathering his resolve he turned off the Gamer''s Mind. Daichi was much calmer this time when he shut it off. He felt his emotions at a higher degree but was calm and in control. Daichi slowly walked forward into the jungle. He tried to be as careful as possible but unfortunately for him, he accidentally tripped a wire. "Whoosh¡­" Several kunais came flying at a fast rate towards the boy. "Oh shit¡­." Daichi jumped to a nearby tree to avoid the weapons but the moment he landed on the branch a paper bomb activated. Daichi, hearing the familiar sound of the paper explosive, instantly flooded his body with chakra and used Body Flicker to escape the blast. He landed on the ground nearby but the next instant the area he landed on, crumbled and a wide deep dark hole appeared beneath Daichi. He fell and as he looked down, he saw numerous metal spikes at the bottom of the pit waiting to impale him. There were small metal prongs and sharp razor wires covering the inside wall of the pit as well. ''I can''t swing to the wall and use chakra to stick my feet unless I want to get shredded.'' He suddenly had an idea. He took two kunais with long wires attached to them from the inventory and quickly threw them with force in opposite directions. They struck the wall and were buried all the way to the hilt and the wires stretched taut as Daichi held their ends. It stopped Daichi in his fall just several inches above the sharp spikes. The metal wires dug into Daichi''s palm and he slightly bled but he didn''t care or even notice it. Daichi hung in the air and then looked down. He saw the spikes a couple inches away from skewering him. Daichi was breathing hard and sweat rolled down his face. "Not even five minutes into this fucking dungeon and I almost just died¡­. Something tells me I''m really not gonna like this place." As if fate was playing a cruel joke, it was at that exact moment that everything around Daichi started to shake and crumble. The rocks surrounding him started to break and fall. The ground shook harder by the second and the pit was starting to collapse in on itself. It was as if the dungeon intended to bury Daichi inside it. Daichi''s eyes widened as he looked at the crumbling walls. "OH! COME ON!!!" Chapter 47 – Shadow, Illusion and Tank. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Without wasting a single moment Daichi went into action. He leaned backwards and stretched the ninja wire as much as he could. He could feel the metal spikes poking his back. The next instant he used as much force as possible and swung himself upwards. As he flew, he quickly weaved signs. "Shadow clone jutsu.!!" Immediately two Shadow clones were created near the flying Daichi. One clone immediately went through several hand-seals and shot a blast of water at the raining debris clearing Daichi''s path. The other grabbed hold of Daichi and tossed him up with enough force to exit the pit. In a few seconds Daichi was out and above the ground. He used his chakra strings and attached them to a tree and swung himself to safety. "That was close. Far too close¡­" Even though he didn''t exert much energy, he was breathing hard. Due to the Gamer''s Mind being turned off, Daichi was feeling the shock of almost dying to a much greater degree. He felt his heart pounding away in his chest and the adrenaline pumping in his veins. His entire body was slightly quaking. After a few minutes he steadied himself and began to resume his exploration of the dungeon. Daichi was much more careful this time. Time went by as he slowly went deeper into the jungle. ¡®It''s now been over 3 hours and I haven''t seen any enemy ninjas or puppets. But my progress has been slow due to the traps.'' Daichi, although successful in avoiding most traps, still triggered a few, hidden carefully within the jungle. Luckily he escaped without much problems. Daichi had his eye on the Mini-Map as well as using ''Chakra Sense'' at certain intervals. He had no intention of being taken by surprise. As he traveled a bit further red dots started appearing on his holographic map. ''Looks like it''s finally beginning.'' According to the map there were 2 red dots coming from the front. Daichi took out his tanto from the inventory and got ready. As he slowly and cautiously walked forward, the red dots reached him and were on top of him. ''They''re hidden up in the trees and wants to ambush me. If I didn''t have the Mini-Map they might have succeeded.'' Daichi, not allowing them to make the first move, swiftly threw several shuriken and kunai at his enemies. The enemy ninjas escaped before they got hit and landed in front of Daichi. Both the ninjas looked to be around 13 or 14 years of age. They wore ordinary genin clothes and had weapon pouches strapped to their legs. Their bodies were gray and Daichi could see purple veins pulsing underneath their skin. They had dark purple sclerae and white eyes. Daichi slightly grimaced as he looked at them. ''These guys remind me of reanimation zombies. Let''s see how strong they are.'' ''Observe'' [LV.34] [Shadow Nin] HP: 4160 CP: 3230 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Nara clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja is proficient in using shadow jutsus to bind and trap his enemies. Although his plan was to catch his enemy unaware, he has no trouble adjusting to a change in tactics. Prefer to attack in a team. This enemy intends to kill you.] Just as Daichi finished reading the description of the first enemy nin, he attacked. Shadows from his feet quickly extended and tried to connect to Daichi''s but he evaded. Just then several fireballs a little bigger than his head were flying at him. It struck Daichi and burned him but the next instant the burning Daichi turned into a burning log. He substituted before the attacks struck and was high above hidden behind some thick tree leaves. He looked at the second ninja. ''Observe'' [LV.33] [Illusion Nin] HP: 3702 CP: 3050 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Kurama clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja is proficient in using Genjutsu to attack and kill enemies. This ninja prefers to fight in a group or with another as his physical strength is weak. This enemy intends to kill you.] ''Even though my Observe skill has reached level 40, I still can''t see their physical stats. Looks like I''ll have to somehow increase it in the next few months.'' ''So they''re based on ninjas from the Nara and Kurama clan huh. Then that means the fireballs might have been Genjutsu¡­ Or Genjutsu powerful enough to become a physical attack and injure the enemy.'' ''Their plan most probably is for the shadow user to trap me and for the Genjutsu user to finish me off¡­ But something seems strange. Based on their fighting style and appearance they don''t look like they could handle extreme hand to hand combat. There should be a third member. Someone with a strong physique to fight while these two hang back¡­'' Daichi''s eyes widened and looked at the map. The Mini-Map showed that the dungeon was roughly 3.5 kilometers long in diameter. A smaller dungeon than training ground 43. It was then that Daichi noticed a dot slowly moving and coming closer. Roughly 50 meters away from him. He couldn''t see any other enemies near him. ''That must be their third member. So these things are intelligent enough to form a plan and attack huh. This dungeon is entirely different from the one before. I need to be extremely careful.'' Just then Daichi felt a small headache and it was followed by several notifications popping up. Mental intrusion detected¡­. Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack. Right as he finished reading the message, several fireballs struck near him. Daichi used Body Flicker and evaded. He landed on the ground and faced the two ninjas. He ran towards the illusion nin and created several normal illusion clones and made them look like they were going to attack him. The illusion nin created fireballs and attacked Daichi and his clones. Daichi evaded but clones were destroyed. Daichi threw several shuriken towards the Kurama clan copy cat and jumped before a shadow tendril could connect to him. The illusion ninja dodged the shurikens with ease but that was also what Daichi was waiting for. He used chakra strings to guide the shuriken to pierce the nin from the back. The shuriken had ninja wire attached to it and Daichi quickly used the shuriken to surround and immobilize him. It was at that moment Daichi''s chakra sense alerted him to the third enemy ninja''s attack. ''It seems if one of them is about to be taken out then the back-up attacks, huh¡­!!'' Daichi evaded the punch aimed at the back of his head. He turned around and retaliated with a punch of his own. It struck and sent the enemy a few meters away. At that moment Daichi noticed the shadow nin cutting the wires and freeing the illusion ninja. Now surrounded by three ninjas Daichi felt a small fear but also excitement. This was going to be his first real ninja battle. His body realized the precarious situation he was in and sharpened his senses and instincts. ''Observe'' [LV.36] [Tank Nin] HP: 4807 CP: 4721 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Akimichi clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja possesses great physical strength and is capable of executing clan techniques at a much greater speed than those his age. This enemy was looking to finish you quickly from your blind spot but now has made the decision to fight you head-on. This enemy intends to kill you.] ''I need to take out the Nara first. He''s the brains of this team and if let him be he''ll find some convoluted way to trap me. I haven''t yet grown strong enough to the point where I can just ignore whatever trap someone with brains comes up with.'' You have sensed killing intent. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Daichi felt their killing intent. While his eyes were mainly on the Illusion and Tank ninja his main focus was on the shadow user. Daichi wanted to take the shadow nin by surprise. That''s why he didn''t target or even look at him yet. But that changed in an instant. Daichi weaved signs for the shadow clones and created two. Each one sprinted to the illusion and tank nins. The goal was to keep them busy and not let them interfere. The real Daichi''s target was the shadow user. In mere moments chakra flowed through Daichi''s limbs and he used sprint skill which uses stamina in conjunction with chakra enhancement to increase his speed and strength multiple folds. In an instant Daichi was behind the shadow user and he started cutting him up from head to toe. In just a little over 10 seconds Daichi landed dozens of strikes on his enemy. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. Skill Sword Mastery''s level has risen by one. By the time the other two ninjas looked to their wounded teammate, Daichi had already attacked all major vital spots and cut off a limb. The enemy health points were falling rapidly and Daichi finished it with a fast slash to the neck. Skill Death blow''s level has risen by one. The skill death blow now level 15 adds an additional 150% attack damage to the enemy. While increasing the attack speed and criticals by 26%. The vital strike and sword mastery skills also increases attack speed and deals additional damage to the enemy. So with the help of these buffs Daichi finished his opponent in just over 10 seconds. The shadow nin exploded into smoke and disappeared. [Enemy killed.] +1200 Exp. +180 Exp. Enemies killed: [01/168] [A new skill is created with a specific action.] You have linked several attacks in quick succession and killed an enemy in a single chain combo. [Through continuously attacking and not allowing the enemy to escape or retaliate, the skill ''Linked Kill Strikes'' has been created.] Daichi didn''t have time to read the information on the skill as the two other ninjas dispatched his clones and were now after him. Mental intrusion detected¡­. Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack. ''It seems he''s trying to use Genjutsu on me. Too bad for you¡­'' Watching the bigger ninja heading towards him, Daichi switched his tanto with a knuckle duster. The tank nin rushed at Daichi while the other stayed back. Daichi and the tank ninja began their battle. Daichi deflected and struck the enemies joints. Daichi coated his hands with chakra and boosted his strength. The tank nin suddenly increased the size of his right hand and punched Daichi, sending him skidding a few feet away. At that moment several lightning bolts came at him in an instant. Daichi quickly substituted with a nearby rock and escaped the attacks. "Alright. I can''t hold back if I want to beat these two." Daichi created two shadow clones and had them attack the Kurama clan ninja. Daichi''s focus was now on the ninja with the Akimichi clan abilities. Daichi quickly went through three hand seals. "Lightning style - Overdrive." Lightning coated his arms and legs and sparked over his whole body. ''Still not proficient with this. So I have to end this fight fast.'' A Shadow clone created an earth wall behind the tank nin to prevent him from escaping. Daichi appeared in front of the tank in the blink of an eye. He started raining heavy blows in quick succession all over his enemy. The tank nin expanded his body and tried to attack Daichi but he backed away and took out his dagger. ''You might be big, but your speed has been considerably reduced.'' Daichi evaded the incoming punches with ease and got behind him. He stabbed the big ninja through his neck and then buried his dagger deep into his head and left it there. ''The Overdrive jutsu is almost at its limit.'' Without wasting time Daichi rained punches on his back and watched the HP of his enemy fall. And in half a minute the battle was over. Due to the extreme physical training, you have obtained +1 AGI. [Enemy killed.] +1400 Exp. +210 Exp. Enemies killed: [02/168] At that moment he got the memories of his dispelled clones and new notifications popped up. Daichi smiled as he revised the memories. Minutes earlier: Daichi''s clones. Both clones evaded the fireballs and lightning strikes coming at them. They threw shuriken and kunai at their opponent to gauge his reaction time. They noticed something about their enemy''s fighting style. ''There''s a 2 second interval before each attack. And he can only use one type of attack at a time. Furthermore he needs to use 3 hand seals for fire and 4 for lightning. So there''s a 1 second delay there. This is going to be easier than I thought.'' A smirk came on the clone''s face. It looked at its counterpart and nodded. It seems both of them came up with the same strategy. The moment they dodged another attack, the first clone used chakra threads to immobilize the illusion ninja''s hands and feet. At that moment several kunai came from the second clone and pierced the joints making it more difficult for the illusion nin to move its limbs. But it didn''t matter as two giant fireballs were blasted in his face the next second. [Enemy killed.] +1050 Exp. +157.5 Exp. Enemies killed: [03/168] Seeing as their target is destroyed, both clones dispelled themselves. Chapter 48 – Battles in the 2nd Dungeon 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. With the three enemies killed, Daichi resumed his journey into the jungle. ''Since there are ninjas made from the Nara clan and Kurama clan then it stands to reason that I''ll encounter ninjas from other clans as well. This might be a good opportunity for me to learn how they fight first hand. Watching something from a story and experiencing it are two different things after all.'' He then looked at the new skill he acquired. Linked Kill Strikes - Active(LV.1): This skill activates once 10 fast consecutive strikes are landed on the enemy. After the 10th strike each attack deals additional damage to the enemy. This skill also increases the speed of the user. Note: Delay in between each strike cannot be more than 1 second. Effects: +1% Increase to Agility. +2% Increase in damage when using swords, daggers or other sharp weapons. +(n+1)% Increase to damage dealt for each additional strike. ''n'' represents the last consecutive attack landed on the enemy. ''Wow. This is one awesome sweet skill. It slightly increases my agility. But the last effect of this skill¡­ (n+1)% increase in damage¡­So unless I''m not mistaken then once the skill activates, the first strike lands 2% additional damage and the second strike lands 3% and 3rd deals 4% damage and so on. So theoretically if I land about 20 strikes then this skill would deal an additional damage of 21%... '' ''And this is only the first level. If I increase the level of this skill it would be even more powerful¡­ Excellent.'' Daichi became happy with the results of his first fight. He set his sights on the trees ahead and slowly moved. Daichi carefully walked through the woods. Hours slowly passed and it was starting to get dark. It was then that Daichi noticed two red dots moving slowly towards him on his map. Daichi slowed down and prepared himself. Suddenly Daichi heard the sound of trees getting crushed and looked ahead. Out of the darkness a black spiraling body came directly at him at high speeds. Before the attacker could drill through him Daichi sidestepped and got out of the way. But he didn''t escape unscathed. "Ahh¡­" -132 HP His shirt got torn and there were several bleeding lines on his chest. Luckily they were nothing serious. Before Daichi could take a look at his enemy he disappeared. He quickly looked at the map and saw that his attacker had slowed down and was now moving from behind him to a new location. ''He''s trying to ambush me again.'' Daichi got ready. And just as he predicted the enemy attacked once more. The enemy ninja shot at Daichi intending to drill through him. Daichi successfully escaped without injuries this time and he noticed something. The enemy drilled through trees and rocks behind Daichi and disappeared into the darkness once more. ''This guy is moving in a straight line. His speed is impressive but he can''t maneuver or change his direction. I think I have an idea who my next opponent is and what technique he''s using.'' Daichi kept an eye on his Mini-Map. He noticed that the enemy ninja was getting ready for a third strike. Sweat trickled down Daichi''s face as he got ready to make his move. He suddenly heard the winds howling as he saw the enemy coming at him fast. Daichi stepped out of the line of attack while going through several hand-seals. Just as the enemy was about to reach where he stood a second ago Daichi launched his attack. "Fire style - Great Fireball Jutsu." The giant burning ball of flame hit his enemy and exploded, sending the attacker flying. Daichi used Body Flickr and moved some distance away. He got near his opponent who was on the ground burning and smoking. ''Observe'' [LV.36][Beast Nin] HP:3641 CP:3408 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Inuzuka clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja possesses exceptional senses and instincts but is weak against Genjutsu attacks. He is proficient in using his clan techniques and fights alongside his partner Shibori. He is faster than ordinary Genin. This enemy intends to kill you.] ''His partner..?'' Daichi''s eyes widened in realization but he was a second too late to dodge an attack from behind from the second enemy. A powerful force slammed into Daichi''s back sending him flying. -108 HP "Ghaa¡­" Daichi flew in the air a few feet before roughly landing on the ground. He tumbled for a few meters before stopping himself. He got up and looked towards his enemy. ''So that''s his dog partner Shibori.'' A black dog half the size of an adult human was standing in front of his Inuzuka partner growling at Daichi. It had scars over its body and sharp red claws. The Inuzuka Genin was getting up and both were now looking to battle. ''I took out 310 HP points with that point blank fireball but It''s nowhere near enough. The Inuzuka clan ninjas prefer speed and combo attacks over everything else. And they have extraordinary senses. I need to separate these two and take them out individually.'' Forming the plan in mind Daichi made his move. He created a shadow clone and rushed towards the genin while his clone targeted the ninja dog. The genin also rushed towards Daichi and both of them started fighting. Daichi dodged the swipe of a clawed hand to the face and retaliated with a strong punch to the chest. It reduced a few HP and sent the ninja a few feet back but did nothing else. ''He''s strong.'' The dungeon ninja rushed to Daichi and they began their second round of fighting. Daichi evaded the sharp claws and swipes and blocked the elbow shots aimed at his chest and head. During the fight the ninja suddenly dropped a few smoke bombs and jumped out. Daichi, not wanting to fight the enemy blind jumped out of the smoke as well. The moment he got out of the smoke a powerful kick struck his back sending him back into the purple smoke. Even before Daichi landed and could get his bearings he felt several blows and cuts all over his body. The attacks came from all directions and within seconds of each other. Noticing his HP slowly dwindling, Daichi became agitated. He took his dagger from the inventory and tried to slice his opponent. But he failed in striking his enemy. ''This isn''t working. Why can''t I hit him?...'' Daichi was extremely agitated. He was breathing hard as he endured the attacks. ''Calm down Daichi. You can do this. Think this through.'' Just then several notifications popped up indicating the enemy ninja dog was defeated. He suddenly received the memories of his dispelled clone and smiled. ¡®It seems the beast slayer title was activated for my shadow clone when it forced the dog away from here. I¡¯ll have to look into how far the beasts have to be separated another time. That info might come in handy.¡¯ Daichi looked at the ninja and his anxiety lessened. ¡®I can do this.'' Daichi calmed down and used his chakra sense and superior hearing. He started hearing the low sounds of winds moving and a strong chakra coming at him from behind. The boy evaded the strike aimed at his neck and slashed at the nin. -504 HP Enemy Negative Status - Wounded buff in effect. Daichi didn''t waste time and took out his tanto. He stabbed the wounded ninja through the chest and started slashing at him with his dagger. The enemy''s health began rapidly falling. Daichi made sure to connect each attack so that his new skill Linked Kill Strikes activated. And before long he was victorious. [Enemy killed.] +1400 Exp. +210 Exp. Enemies killed: [04/168] You have leveled up. Daichi looked at his stats. ''Level 29. Nice. My special stats went up by 1 but other than a 1 point in agility, none of my other primary stats has gone up. There is still time. I''ll increase as much as I can in this dungeon and then once I''m done I''ll add points and raise them to a 100 when I leave. That way I can save some points¡­I think.'' Without wasting time Daichi moved through the dungeon. It has now been several hours since he entered the dungeon. Daichi decided to get some rest and restore some of his stamina and health points. He looked at the map and noting that there weren''t any enemies near him, he went to a nearby rock and sat down. The mental exhaustion was getting to him as the events of the day went through his mind. Daichi slowly closed his eyes. After several minutes Daichi jerked awake to the sound of a notification ring. You have sensed killing intent. The moment Daichi opened his eyes he saw a blade coming straight for his head. Daichi tilted his head and avoided a fatal blow but the blade still managed to leave a cut on his cheek. The moment the blade lodged into the rock behind Daichi, he let his chakra flow into his arms. With the chakra enhancement technique increasing his strength and speed, Daichi quickly grabbed hold of the sword wielding arm and locked it in place while he sent a powerful punch at his attacker''s face. The ninja reeled back from the force of the blow but Daichi didn''t let up. Instantly taking out his dagger from his inventory he sliced off the arm that had the sword. -669 HP Enemy Negative Status - Crippled buff in effect. The ninja jumped back several feet and tried to get away but Daichi threw several shuriken forcing him to abandon his retreat plan. ''I made sure there weren''t any enemies near me with the map. So how did this guy get so close to me??'' Daichi was angry that he let his guard down and almost got killed for it. He looked at his would-be killer and took in every detail. The ninja was covered in a black and green camouflage clothes from head to toe. Even the face was mostly covered in a black mask and all Daichi could see were the eyes staring back at him. He wanted to know how this nin evaded his map and got to him undetected. ''Observe'' [LV.35][Stealth Nin] HP: 3300 CP: 3165 [A ninja created based on a Genin who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja is weak in Taijutsu but has exceptional stealth abilities and shurikenjutsu. He is able to mask his chakra and hide his presence, thus making him an ideal assassin. This ninja is capable of detecting traps and ambushing ninjas even stronger than him. This enemy prefers to move alone, making it easier to ambush his targets. He intends to kill you.] ''Mask his chakra and hide his presence?... So that means¡­'' Daichi quickly looked at his map from the corner of his eyes. The map didn''t show any red dots near him. ''So there are ninjas who can hide from the Mini map huh. I should have known.'' Daichi quickly threw several shuriken at his target. The stealth nin deflected them with his own shurikens. He threw a kunai at Daichi with a paper bomb attached to it. ''He''s trying to escape. Can''t let that happen.'' Daichi went through the hand seals and used Body Flicker. The stealth nin was already on a tree branch and was planning on escaping when Daichi appeared before him. "Wind style - Wind bullet jutsu." Daichi expelled several fast wind bullets targeting the ninja''s torso and legs. His goal was to take his opponent''s balance. Several bullets struck the enemy nin and the tree branch he was standing on and it broke sending him falling to the ground. The stealth nin flipped in mid air and landed on his feet. He took a kunai and stopped the dagger Daichi aimed at his head. Both of them trying to inflict a fatal injury to the other. Due to being weak in Taijutsu and only one arm, the stealth ninja was at a disadvantage. It wasn''t long before the outcome of the fight was decided. Daichi blocked a thrust from his enemy and used chakra strings to tie his limbs up. Successfully incapacitating his foe Daichi launched a barrage of strikes with his dagger and in a few seconds the stealth nin dispersed into smoke. [Enemy killed.] +1050 Exp. +157.5 Exp. Enemies killed: [05/168] Once Daichi came down from his battle high, he realized that he only survived through pure luck. ''If the system hadn''t warned me I''d be dead right now. It seems I''ve become too reliant on the map. And it isn''t perfect either¡­ I suppose it''s a good thing I found this out so early. I can''t believe I didn''t notice something like this in the other dungeon¡­. Then again dungeon 43 was full of mindless beasts. They didn''t have the ability or knowhow to mask chakra¡­'' It was then that a certain memory rushed to the forefront of his mind. ''Wait a minute. There was one incident. When I went to the lake for the first time¡­ I checked my map and didn''t find any enemies but almost got ambushed by a crocodile. I didn''t think about it much then¡­'' Daichi made the decision to not rely on the map and use his chakra sense and superior sense skills to find his enemies throughout the dungeon. ''This is perfect training for tracking my opponents through unknown terrains.'' Chapter 49 – Battles in the 2nd Dungeon 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Days passed with Daichi fighting enemies from several clans. His strength, speed and skills have all improved. Both his primary and special stats gained several points through the many fights he encountered. He gained another 2 levels and after fighting members of different clans he had an understanding of how they would attack and gained knowledge on their fighting style. Currently Daichi was engaged in hand to hand combat against an ordinary ninja. One not made based on any clans'' genins. [LV.35][Ordinary Nin] HP: 3905 CP: 3000 [A ninja created based on a Genin who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. Although this enemy only knows the three basic Ninjutsu (clone, substitution and transformation) he is proficient in Shurikenjutsu and Taijutsu. He prefers to attack his enemies head-on instead of ambushing them. This enemy intends to kill you.] Daichi blocked an incoming kick with his leg and sent a fast jab to the enemy ninja''s throat. The ninja leaned back and grabbed Daichi''s outstretched hand. Daichi realized that the genin was intending to break his arm. He quickly reinforced his hands and legs with chakra and swiftly sent a knee to the genin''s chest. The strength of the attack forced the dungeon ninja to loosen his grip on Daichi''s arm. The moment the hold on his hand loosened, Daichi pulled his arm out of his enemy''s grasp. With his hand now free, Daichi jumped back and threw several shuriken towards his opponent. His enemy deflected all of them and aimed several of his own at Daichi. Daichi jumped right and evaded the projectiles. He failed to notice that one of the kunai cut a string on the tree behind him. Daichi heard the sound of several weapons being launched and immediately used substitution jutsu. ''He was trying to lure me into a trap. His taijutsu skills and shurikenjutsu are incredible. I haven''t been able to seriously damage him even after fighting for 10 minutes. One of the reasons is my height. Since I''m only about 8 years old he has an advantage over me physically. He has longer limbs and thus a greater reach. Something I can only rectify with time. I need a way to take him down¡­This guy is like another version of Lee. The only reason I could withstand the blows was because of the damage reduction skills. But even that has its limitations.'' As Daichi was thinking of a plan to take his opponent down the ninja made his move. Creating 4 ordinary clones, the ninja rushed at Daichi trying to confuse him. Daichi slightly smirked at the weak tactic. ''That''s not going to work on me.'' He enhanced his nose and ears with chakra and found the real one amongst the afterimage clones. They resumed their fight. Daichi concentrated on the real ninja and wasn''t distracted by the illusions. He ducked under a punch and tried to sweep his enemy''s legs. The ninja jumped back, escaping the leg sweep. Daichi quickly went through hand seals. "Lightning style - Overdrive." Daichi was getting used to this jutsu as he kept using it often during this dungeon raid. He bolted towards the genin and threw a strong fist which got through the enemy''s guard. -98 HP Enemy hit. The genin skidded back while Daichi ran after him. The Genin took several shuriken and threw them at the small boy. Daichi veered through the ninja stars and reached his target. Both of them resumed their battle with neither giving the other an edge. ''Even though my enemies had higher levels I managed to win against all of them. But now I see that it was due to my speed. I was able to use speed and get through their defenses and take them down¡­ But¡­ In a pure Taijutsu battle, against a fighter with the same speed as me I''m only able to defend myself and barely keep him from landing any fatal injuries.'' Skill Physical Endurance¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. ''Well¡­ At least for now anyway.'' Daichi weaved through the strikes aimed at his head and landed several blows on the enemy''s body. Due to Daichi''s speed he was able to land most of his attacks. The genin sent a fast kick which Daichi blocked. He then grabbed hold of the outstretched leg and used all his strength to pull the ninja off the ground. The dungeon ninja tried to attack Daichi with the other leg while he was in the air but he was unable to land a hit. Daichi used both hands and smashed the ninja into the ground, hard. And before the enemy could get his bearings Daichi pulled him up using his leg and smashed him into the ground again. He repeated it a couple more times before he was forced to let go. ''I''ve always wanted to go all ''Hulk'' like that.'' Daichi chuckled to himself. Both Daichi and the nin had a little over half their HP. ''It would come down to the last one standing. I could use the daggers and it would activate the Dual Wielding Mastery skill. That would be the smart choice as it will increase my attack speed and damage dealt but¡­ This guy is perfect for improving my Taijutsu skill level.'' Deciding to fight without using his weapon, Daichi sprinted towards the ninja. Both of them dodged and landed powerful strikes on their foe. Daichi tilted his head and escaped a hit to the face and retaliated with a blow to the torso. The ninja struck Daichi''s leg locking him in place and landed several jabs on his small body. Daichi blocked and parried the attacks. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. Both of them continued to fight with their health slowly falling. It wasn''t long before the winner was decided. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. With the increase in his taijutsu skill several times over the fight Daichi slowly gained the upper hand. His movements became refined and his speed increased. It wasn''t long before he finished the ninja. [Enemy killed.] +1300 Exp. +195 Exp. You have leveled up. Enemies killed: [65/168] ''To think this guy was strong enough to reduce my Health points to less than 500.'' Daichi sighed. It was getting late. Daichi went to a nearby cave he found during his exploration of the dungeon. He started using it as his base. He laid several booby-traps and alarms to make sure he would know if anyone came close. Once Daichi made sure to cover the entrance he took the small bed from his inventory and sat on it. He ate some food and quickly went to sleep. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daichi was currently unleashing several small fireball jutsus to reduce a Kikaichu swarm that had surrounded him. Before the insects could entrap him, Daichi used Body Flicker and gained some distance. ''I can''t believe I got ambushed again¡­ Let''s see what these guys are made of.'' ''Observe'' [LV.35][Spirit Nin] HP: 3603 CP: 3222 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Yamanaka clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This enemy can utilize secret clan jutsus and is exceptional in Genjutsu and medical Ninjutsu. Designated as the healer of the team and is a skilled sensor capable of finding enemies from a great distance. This ninja''s physical strength is weak. Prefers to work in a team. This enemy intends to kill you.] ''It seems she''s the one who found me. And the Genjutsu trying to trap me must be her work. Too bad I''m immune to that. It''s a good thing my body dispels foreign chakras before it can affect anything.'' [LV.37][Insect Nin] HP: 4008 CP: 3650 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Aburame clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja houses the Kikaich¨± beetles in his body. These beetles are capable of consuming chakra at a fast rate. This ninja is immune to Genjutsu due to the Kikaich¨± living inside him. Fire attacks with intense heat can damage or kill the beetles. This enemy prefers to work in a small team for maximum efficiency. He intends to kill you.] ''Looks like an ordinary Aburame genin. But I should be careful. I need to keep track of any bugs on me as well. They can track me like that.'' Daichi used Observe on the last ninja. [LV.38][Hunter Nin] HP: 4230 CP: 3701 [A ninja created based on a Genin who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This ninja is talented in detecting traps and setting them up to capture enemies. He is capable in hand to hand combat and skilled in using a sword. Prefers to work in a team. This enemy intends to kill you.] ''That hunter nin is the one with the highest level and the one who engages me in Taijutsu fighting. All the while the other two provide support or try to distract me.'' Mental intrusion detected¡­. Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack. ''If I try to go after the Yamanaka ninja then the other two intervene. And I can''t hide and ambush them because her sensory skills would tell them where I am at all times.'' Daichi stared down his enemies as he thought of a viable plan. ''The Yamanaka isn''t a problem. But if I want to defeat the hunter nin then I can''t get caught in any surprise attacks from the Aburame. His chakra-draining insects would be a huge pain if I leave him be. So he''s the one I need to deal with first.'' ''Shadow clone jutsu.'' Daichi created 3 solid clones and had them keep the hunter nin busy. Daichi quickly engaged the insect ninja in hand to hand combat. The Aburame released a large amount of bugs to swarm and drain Daichi''s chakra but a large Fireball killed most of them. Daichi released chakra strings from his left hand and tried to immobilize his opponent. But the Kikaich¨± bugs quickly came out of the insect ninja''s body and began to feed on the chakra strings. "Shit. These things can feed on raw chakra." Daichi quickly canceled his chakra threads. He took out two daggers from his inventory and blitzed his enemy. Daichi has been focused on his speed and the Body Flicker jutsu ever since he learned it. It gave him a great advantage over his foes and also allowed him to deal maximum damages quickly. As Daichi cut apart the insect ninja it quickly burst into a swarm of Kikaich¨± beetles. ''He substituted himself with a bug clone.'' Daichi quickly spotted the Aburame rip-off behind a tree being healed by the spirit nin. Daichi watched as the health points of the insect ninja slowly increase. "Damn it! Can''t let him heal." Daichi swiftly reached them and slashed down. The insect ninja dodged but the spirit ninja was slow to evade. Daichi pierced her body with both daggers and pinned her to a nearby tree. At that moment one of the shadow clones engaging the hunter nin was dispelled. "Shit. They won''t be able to hold him for much longer." Mental intrusion detected¡­. Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack. ''Genjutsu won''t work on me.'' As Daichi was about to attack the spirit nin, he sensed slight movement from beneath the earth. Trusting his instincts he jumped back and just in the nick of time. Several large black spears appeared out of the ground as if to impale Daichi. Taking a closer look at the spears, Daichi noticed something. ''Its Kikaich¨± insects. This guy can use his insects to burrow underground and attack from below.'' Daichi dodged the several shuriken coming his way and threw a few of his own with ninja wire attached. He used his chakra threads to control the path of the flying shuriken and used it to tangle the insect ninja with the wires and he was partially successful. He immediately took several paper bombs. Activating them with a 3 second countdown, Daichi threw the bombs at the insect ninja. The Kikaich¨± bugs quickly turned around and rushed to protect its host but that was what Daichi wanted. ''I''m gonna reduce those insects faster than you can make them. But first I''m gonna finish the healer of your group.'' "BOOM"... "BOOM"... "BOOM" Explosions surrounded the Aburame nin as Daichi resumed his assaults on the spirit nin. His hands were like a blur as they slashed and hacked the pinned dungeon ninja. Within several seconds the spirit nin was defeated and Daichi gained enough experience points to reach the next level. [Enemy killed.] +1100 Exp. +165 Exp. Enemies killed: [87/168] You have leveled up. He didn''t get the chance to even check his stats as he received memories of his two dispelled clones. Daichi''s eyes widened as he felt a fast moving chakra approaching him from behind. "Oh crap-baskets." Before he could escape, a powerful blow struck his back sending him flying into the air. -154 HP "Ghaa¡­." Daichi spit out a wad of blood as he flew up. His concentration slipped and he couldn''t keep up his chakra sense. Daichi lost track of the enemy. The next instant a punch landed on his face, rocketing him back into the ground. -200 HP ¡°Boom¡±. -77 HP The ground cracked as Daichi slammed into the dirt and stone, hard. He bounced up a few feet in the air due to the force of the impact and the next second the hunter nin was right beside Daichi. He landed a hard kick to Daichi''s side. -94 HP Daichi skidded and tumbled across the ground for a several meters and came to a stop as his back slammed into a tree. -60 HP "Ahhhh¡­" Tears came out of Daichi''s eyes due to the pain and force of the impacts. He coughed a few times and his vision felt blurry for a couple seconds. Daichi slightly shook his head and tried to get up but unfortunately stumbled and fell to his knees. What Daichi saw when he looked ahead, frightened him . The hunter nin looked at Daichi with the same cold, emotionless dead eyes as before. None of the ninjas Daichi faced in the dungeon expressed emotions. But the look this ninja gave him scared Daichi. ''Monster.'' His hands trembled and his heart beat loudly as he looked at the dead eyed nin. Daichi watched in horror as the enemy ninja swiftly take a few paper bombs and hurl them at him. Daichi quickly molded his chakra and went through 3 hand seals. ''Earth style - Rock Shelter Jutsu.'' The paper bombs reached the defense dome just as it formed around the small boy. It hit the earth structure and violently exploded. Chapter 50 – Battles in the 2nd Dungeon 03 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "BOOM" The explosion rocked the forest sending nearby trees and rocks flying. Dust filled the air and it took a minute for everything to become visible. The Hunter nin kicked Daichi away from the restrained insect ninja before he threw the paper bombs. And he leapt back and created some distance as soon as he launched the attack on Daichi. So neither of the dungeon ninjas were affected by the blast other than the dust and winds blowing in their faces. Once the dust cleared they got to work. While the insect nin was trying to free himself from the ninja wire, the hunter nin got close to where Daichi was. The earth dome Daichi created was completely destroyed and there was a large crater where the explosion took place. The hunter nin looked around and didn''t see a shred of his opponent''s body. As he looked around the rubble for any signs of his enemy, he suddenly heard the sound of blades piercing a body. He turned around and saw two daggers coming out of the insects ninja''s chest. Stabbed all the way from behind by a panting Daichi. The hunter nin looked at Daichi with indifference. At that moment his instincts warned him and he jumped backwards. Two hands burst out of the ground just as he jumped trying to trap him or at least that''s what it looked like. Just as he landed on the ground several fireballs erupted out of the earth and struck him. -268 HP Enemy hit. A second shadow clone of Daichi''s came out of the ground and together with the first one started fighting the Hunter ninja. Meanwhile the real Daichi kicked the Aburame ninja into the ground and went through several hand-seals quickly. He was going to use the new fire jutsu he recently learned from Kensei''s library. His mind recalled the information on the jutsu as he weaved the 5 seals. Fire Style - Dragon Fire Jutsu - Active(LV.3): The user kneads chakra and converts it to fire and expels it as a continuous stream of flames. The user can also breathe fire along a cord or ninja wire and use it to attack the enemy. The released flames, if strong enough, will engulf and vaporize the target and leave a smoldering crater on the ground''s surface. Rank: C Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Snake - Dragon - Rabbit - Boar - Tiger CP Cost: 285 Per shot. [Note: The range, power and duration of the attack can be altered by controlling the chakra kneaded into the attack. Overusing this jutsu without experience can cause burns inside the throat and mouth.] ''Fire style - Dragon Fire jutsu.'' Despite its name, when Daichi breathed fire it didn''t have a dragon head. But it was fast and reached the insect ninja in a second. The flames covered his entire body and the Kikaich¨± bugs tried to shield its host. Daichi increased the chakra and thus the power of the flames. But he was careful not to overdo it. The HP of the burning ninja was falling fast. Daichi kept up the attack without showing any mercy. As he breathed fire onto his enemy, he thought back to a few minutes ago. Flashback - A few Minutes ago Daichi looked on as the hunter nin took the paper bombs from his holster and tied them to the kunais. At that moment his brain worked faster than ever before. His neurons, firing at lightning speed. To Daichi it was as if the world had slowed down. ''His shuriken jutsu is perfect. It¡¯ll definitely hit me. And even if I somehow jump and escape the blast radius he would just capitalize on my weakened state and attack me. And the moment that Aburame ninja gets free it''s gamer over for me.'' Daichi saw the nin tying the last paper bomb and finished attaching them to the kunais. He was getting ready to throw them. ''I have to escape. And then take them by surprise. That''s the only way I''ll survive.'' Daichi had a plan in mind and made his choice. He molded his chakra as fast as he could and used the defense jutsu. Not just to try and shield him from the blast but also to block him from their view. ''Earth style - Rock Shelter Jutsu.'' Daichi saw the ninja launch the kunais at him. Everything was happening at slow-motion for him. Daichi calculated the time it would take for the weapons to reach him in an instant. ''Oh no! They are going to reach here before I can escape. Have to slow them down.'' Daichi used telekinesis on the three kunais and slowed them down by three seconds. His telekinetic powers weren''t strong enough to shift their path completely or stop them but was only strong enough to slow them down by a small margin. As the rock dome formed around him, Daichi quickly went through another series of hand-seals. He remembered the words his grandfather said to him. Kensei handed Daichi a scroll and told him about the technique. ¡°This jutsu will come in handy when you want to make a quick escape without most people noticing. Now¡­ It has its weaknesses. People from the Hyuga clan, a good earth specialist nin or a sensor nin will be able to find you. But if you train this enough, you''ll be able to use it to your advantage even against people like them¡­¡± ''Earth style - Earth Burrow Jutsu.'' Daichi slammed his hands down and softened the terrain below him. Earth Style - Earth Burrow Jutsu - Active(LV.2): This jutsu allows the user to travel through the earth undetected by most ninja. The chakra kneaded in the body is spread into the ground and softens the earth around the jutsu caster. The user sinks and disappears underground while the earth hardens on the surface. This jutsu allows the user to create a small tunnel by compressing and softening the earth around the person and helps the user move underground in any direction. Once the chakra dissipates the tunnel collapses on itself. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Snake - Boar - Bird - Ram. CP Cost: 175 Per Use. [Note: The movement speed of the user and creation speed of the tunnel will depend on the chakra supplied and the proficiency in earth nature of the user.] Daichi sank deep into the ground and disappeared just as the explosion took place. ''Don''t have much time. I have to take a decisive course of action now.'' Daichi quickly thought of his next move and an idea formed in his mind. ''I''ll use shadow clones and distract the hunter nin while I take down the Aburame. Then I''ll deal with that troublesome fucker one on one.'' Daichi used his chakra sense and approximated their location and created two shadow clones. He swiftly went to where the insect ninja was and quietly rose out of the ground. He kept an eye on the hunter nin as well. Seeing that the two were distracted, Daichi struck. Taking two daggers from his inventory he rushed and stabbed the insect nin through the back. He buried his weapons all the way to the hilt. Due to the mounting exhaustion Daichi was breathing hard. But he still kept going. Taking the blades out and putting them back into his inventory he quickly kicked and slammed the insect nin into the ground. He waved signs and started his vicious fire attack. Flashback - End Daichi watched with a satisfactory smirk as the last health point of the insect ninja disappeared. [Enemy killed.] +1350 Exp. +202.5 Exp. Enemies killed: [88/168] His shadow clones were keeping the hunter nin busy and were trying hard not to get themselves dispelled. They had to buy some time for Daichi to kill the insect nin and recover some strength. Daichi sat down a small distance away from the fight and tried to rest. He had to recover at least some stamina and strength if he was going to engage the strongest nin he found so far in the dungeon. ''I need a passive skill that recovers my stamina and chakra quicker. Hope I get something like that soon. Or else I''ll have to start putting points into the stats.'' Daichi didn''t close his eyes but he tried to calm himself and enter a meditative state. But it was unsuccessful. ''It seems the stress of the battle not too far from here is taking up my focus. It was a long shot anyways.'' A minute was all Daichi received as the first clone was dispersed. As he recalled the memories of the dispelled clone, he smiled. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Thread''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Enhancement''s level has risen by one. Skill Lightning affinity''s level has risen by one. ''Looks like the skill level rises even if it''s my clones who experience it. But I''m guessing it''s mostly for Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu techniques. To level up Physical body skill, I need to personally fight huh.¡¯ Daichi took several foods and bottles of water and quickly finished them. They restored his HP and CP to more than a third of his total. ¡®Then I suppose it''s my turn.'' Just then his second clone was also dispelled and he received the memories. Skill Fire affinity''s level has risen by one. Skill Earth affinity''s level has risen by one. Daichi slowly walked forward. He could sense the ninja coming for him. ''Fighting stronger and stronger opponents is the only way to quickly gain strength and field experience.'' Despite the near death experience and fear he felt a few minutes ago Daichi was fired up. The ninja roused the fighting spirit within Daichi. The Hunter ninja quickly appeared in front of him. Daichi was not scared this time. A wide crazed smile appeared on his face. Bloodlust, chakra and killing intent burst forth from him. The hunter nin also responded in kind. Both of them, looking to tear into each other. The ground slightly cracked and they disappeared. The next instant they met in the middle of the field and clashed. Forearms met fists and palms blocking knees. Their speed was much greater than what an ordinary genin would be capable of. Daichi attacked with all his might. Every punch contained his full force and his intent to kill. The hunter was fighting the same. He met Daichi punches head on or directly blocked them. Both the ninjas had had no intention of saving their stamina or holding back. Daichi''s senses sharpened several fold. The mad grin on his face never left as he battled the ninja. Daichi tilted his head and avoided what would have been a devastating blow to the face. He locked the outstretched arm of his enemy and quickly headbutted the nin and immediately followed it up with a strong hit to the gut. The enemy ninja quickly recovered and tried to snap Daichi''s knee with his leg. Daichi avoided the blow but had to let go of the trapped hand. The nin swiftly roundhouse kicked Daichi but the boy quickly raised his hands and blocked the kick with his arms. The force of the kick sent him skidding backwards several feet. As Daichi slid back he saw several shuriken speeding his way with his enemy taking more from a storage paper on his wrist. Daichi smirked at the tactic. ''You wanna compare shuriken jutsu with me? Fine¡­ Have it your way.'' He stopped himself and took his weapons from the inventory and started his counter attack. Daichi aimed his shurikens to deflect and even counter attack back at the ninja. Sparks flew in the air as black steel clashed. The force with which each of them threw their shuriken was so great that it destroyed both fighters'' weapons when it came into contact. Destroyed shuriken flew everywhere as they threw dozens and dozens. This clash only lasted for about 40 seconds but they both used over a hundred shurikens and not one landed on each other''s bodies. Skill Shurikenjutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. ''Whoever this guy is based off of, it has to be someone powerful. His shurikenjutsu is on the same level as mine.'' Notifications were popping up as Daichi fought the nin but he ignored it all. ''I can''t afford to get distracted even for an instant.'' The hunter nin decided to switch tactics again and took out a sword. A standard katana used by swordsmen. Seeing this, Daichi smirked and took out his Tanto as well. It was not as long as the katana but Daichi didn''t mind it. Both of them held their swords and waited for the right movement. They both knew that if they were careless it would be the end for them. The ground around them was littered with broken shuriken. And on top of that if they weren''t careful they would fall victim to the traps in and around the jungle. This was a test of not only their sword skill and power but also of situational awareness. Daichi had his eyes firmly fixed on his enemy but he was aware of his predicament. ''We would have to battle at high speeds while maintaining absolute awareness of our surroundings. The first one to make even the slightest mistake would die. A situation like this would definitely push someone''s mental fortitude to their absolute limits.'' Daichi gripped his tanto as he looked at the ninja. Sweat rolled down his face as both ninja sized each other up. Just then a tree branch snapped and fell. The sound was like an unspoken signal for them. In an instant they rushed towards each other and began their final bout. Chapter 51 – Battles in the 2nd Dungeon 04 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. The two fighters moved at the same time. Within a second they reached the middle of the field and resumed their battle. "Claang¡­" You have sensed killing intent. Blades clashed and sparks flew in the air. Murderous killing intent filled the air as both fighters looked to cut down their enemy. Even though their fight was gruesome, it had its elegance. Every step, every motion, the dungeon ninja made was elegant and covert. While Daichi''s sword swings were filled with fierce intent and brute force. But it had its own beauty as well. Every second several swings rained down against each other. Daichi and his opponent blocked, deflected or outright avoided the attacks while maintaining vigilance on their surroundings. Daichi''s current sword skills paled in comparison to the dungeon ninja. ''This guy. He''s far better than me. If it wasn''t for my speed he would have taken my head by now. I need to keep fighting him and improve my sword skills. That''s the only way I''ll beat him if I fight like this.'' Daichi concentrated on every motion his enemy made and tried to study it. His intelligence gave him faster understanding of not just theory or concepts but also of the physical skills he observed. Skill Sword Mastery''s level has risen by one. Daichi slightly smirked as he parried another slash from his enemy. Seeing his attacks not getting through, the dungeon ninja decided to switch attack patterns. He disappeared from Daichi''s field of view. ''He vanished. His footwork is incredible. His speed increased and he was able to completely evade my attacks.'' Daichi immediately used the chakra sense skill and enhanced his eyes, ears and nose. Suddenly like a specter appearing out of nowhere the ninja appeared behind Daichi and slashed down. But luckily Daichi found his enemy in time to block the attack. The moment Daichi blocked the attack the enemy disappeared from his view. ''Damn it! Disappeared again. Right now the broken shuriken all around is definitely slowing him down. This terrain is to my advantage. His speed decreased by a small margin when he came to attack. So I was able to block it. But I doubt it will be like this for long.'' Daichi didn''t want his enemy to take him by surprise. He wanted to be the one to make the next move. "Claaang¡­" Sparks flew as Daichi blocked another sword swipe. Seeing his attacks blocked, the dungeon ninja jumped back and focused chakra into his sword. A blue hue could be seen around the weapon. ''What is he doing?'' Daichi wondered only for a second before his eyes widened in realization. The enemy ninja slashed several times in a second sending strong gusts of wind and several wind blades. The moment he realized what was about to happen, Daichi pushed chakra to his legs and jumped as fast as he could. The next instant the area he was standing in was blown away by several powerful wind slashes. Most of the scattered sharp metals on the ground all got blown away by the strong wind attack. Daichi safely landed several meters away from the destroyed ground. His eyes never left his foe. The ninja lowered his hand and looked at Daichi. The next instant he disappeared and appeared in front of Daichi and slashed down. Daichi used both hands and coated his sword with chakra flow and deflected the attack. Both of them started to fight ferociously. Their blades clashed several times per second. The strength with which they clashed caused a small wind storm to be formed around them. Sparks scattered all over the place as they battled each other. Daichi was on the defensive due his lack of sword skill. ''This guy''s sword skills are incredible. It''s not just fast. His movements¡­. It''s almost impossible for me to predict them at my level.'' As the battle raged on, Daichi was analyzing his opponent. He barely dodged a swing aimed for his neck but the next second a thin line appeared across his chest. ''If I hadn''t leaned back at the last second that would have been a serious injury. His ability to quickly change the attack trajectory and paths. His insane accuracy, and the swords ever changing orbits¡­ Whoever he is¡­ He''s based on someone powerful.'' Skill Sword Mastery''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Flow''s level has risen by one. +1 SENSE +1 Dexterity ''But I''m also getting stronger. My sword skill improvement speed is much faster than I expected. Maybe it''s because I''m fighting an expert.'' As they clashed, Daichi''s skills improved. He was starting to keep up with the ninja. He blocked a strike and deflected the sword away from him and quickly sent a slash towards his enemy. The dungeon ninja recovered from the failed strike quickly and used more chakra to increase his speed and block Daichi''s strong incoming slash. Due to the force generated from the clash both of them were thrown away from each other. They stood opposite to each other and stared down. ''His speed is almost equal to mine but his strength is slightly less. But he still successfully suppressed my attack¡­ Unbelievable. I need to restrain him.'' Daichi wasted no time and rushed forward. He was a ninja before he was a swordsman. And his life was more important to him than anything else. He was going to use every arsenal he had to win. He reached the ninja quickly and tried to restrain him using chakra threads. He used his left hand to create the several threads to keep his enemy in check. His threads connected with the enemy ninja''s hands and feet and rooted him in place. Daichi swung his sword with his right hand intending to deal a huge amount of damage. But there was a problem with this strategy. The moment the ninja was restrained he used his chakra coated sword to cut the strings and was able to barely block the attack. Daichi''s eyes twitched as he saw his strike blocked. ''Of course it wouldn''t be that easy. Grr¡­.'' The dungeon ninja rushed and aimed for Daichi''s heart but Daichi with the help of his superior senses and agility evaded and didn''t allow the attack to land. The swords clashed once again. As the battle progressed Daichi focused on the trajectory of the enemy''s sword more and more and his mind unknowingly disregarded the enemy''s empty hand. ''If I can just hold on and increase my sword skill I can¡­'' "Ku¡­ ock'' -216 HP Negative Status - Bleeding. Daichi''s eyes widened and trembled as he felt a dagger stab into his side. The enemy ninja quickly pulled the dagger out and was ready to attack again but Daichi immediately used Body Flicker and gained some distance. He placed a hand on the wound. "FUCK!!!" ''I was careless. He made me focus on his sword so much that he was able to get a sneak attack in. Bastard''s smart.'' Despite his opponent landing a wound on him, Daichi smiled. '' A sneaky attack like that. So it looks like you''re a shinobi before you''re a swordsman too after all.'' You have sensed killing intent. At that moment the enemy ninja rushed in and began to fight using both the weapons. The ninja''s swordsmanship became more dangerous and threatening as he started using two blades. The gap time between the attacks was reduced and the path of the attacks became more complicated. Daichi responded in kind and took a dagger from his inventory. Due to using two bladed weapons, the Dual wielding mastery skill was activated. It increases the damage inflicted, speed, critical rate and balance of the user. Due these buffs and the effects of the sword mastery skill, Daichi was able to match his opponent and bring the fight to almost equal terms. Both of them fought vigorously. Daichi was getting wounded and coughing up blood but he was also able to reduce the health points of his enemy. The fight went on for several minutes with neither side able to get in a decisive blow. They were only able to inflict non lethal strikes on each other. But soon the tides turned and the battle began to favor a certain side. When Daichi''s health fell below 25% the effects of the persistence stat activated. It gave an 8% stat boost, increasing Daichi''s speed and power. The ninja held on but was unable to block attacks due to the new increased speed. But he was still able to inflict damage on Daichi. His chakra flowed through his sword and dagger and blocked Daichi''s attacks and slashed at Daichi''s left leg wanting to take the boy¡¯s footing away. -355 HP Negative status - Broken leg, Bleeding. The powerful attack landed and Daichi went down to one knee. "Aaahhhhh¡­. Fuucck¡­." Daichi desperately blocked the attacks coming his way but he was somewhat unsuccessful due to the injury. At that moment another skill activated, saving Daichi from the onslaught. Health points have fallen below 20%. Skill ¡®Ozark¡¯s Resilience¡¯ is activated. +2% to Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 20 seconds. This boost, coupled with the stat boost from the persistence skill, pushed Daichi''s speed and strength beyond his enemy. Daichi swiftly deflected the bladed attacks and slashed the hands of his enemy. The hand holding the sword severed and the one holding the dagger was torn up. -622 HP Enemy Negative Status - Crippled buff in effect. +1 PERSISTENCE ''I only have 14 seconds left. Need to make it count.'' Daichi quickly stood on one leg and started his fierce counter attack. He used chakra thread to make sure the enemy didn''t escape and attacked him with his tanto. He was able to link over 10 strikes in quick succession and activated the skill Linked Kill Strikes. Several other skills activated and Daichi''s hands became a blur. Brutal strikes landed on his enemy and in less than 10 seconds his health was reduced to zero. [Enemy killed.] +2500 Exp. +375 Exp. Enemies killed: [89/168] "I won. Finally...It''s...over¡­" Daichi was breathing hard. He let go of his tanto and fell on his back. He looked at his Minimap to make sure there wasn''t anyone around. He slowly took his sword and crawled to a nearby tree. He sat and looked at the piled up notifications. "Oh man! That''s a lot of messages." He started treating his wounds and bandaging them while going through the messages one by one. Skill Dual Wielding Mastery''s level has risen by one. Skill Ozark¡¯s Resilience''s level has risen by one. Skill Sword Mastery''s level has risen by one. Skill Death blow''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Thread''s level has risen by one. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Skill Vital Strike''s level has risen by one. Skill Killing Intent''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Enhancement''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Flow''s level has risen by one. Skill Physical Endurance¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. [Due to defeating a special enemy of this dungeon, you have received the Passive skill Combat Arts.] Combat Arts - Passive (LV.1): This skill allows the user to be more proficient in hand to hand combat and usage of weaponry. Effects: Passively increases the user''s minimum and maximum melee Damage, Critical rate and Balance. Make the user ambidextrous. 2% Increase in Damage inflicted. 2% Increase in Attack speed. [By fighting on dangerous terrain and quickly adapting to it, the skill ''Light steps'' has been created.] Light Steps - Passive/Active (LV. 01): This is a footwork skill that increases the movement speed and terrain adaptability of the user. When fighting an enemy this skill could also be used as a charging skill or avoidance skill according to the user''s proficiency. Effects: Increases balance of the user when in unstable and dangerous terrain. 3% Increase in movement speed. CP Cost: 50CP/min ''Wow. Fighting this one guy really pushed a lot of skill to the next level. And I even got two new skills.'' Daichi looked over the details of the skills and its effects. ''Not bad. Not bad at all.'' Daichi finished his rudimentary treatment. He stood and slowly made his way back to the cave. After drinking plenty of water and eating the foods stored in his inventory he was able to replenish some of his HP. He reached his cave and took his sleeping bed from his inventory dimension. "Time to take a good long rest." Daichi slowly breathed in and out. His mental exhaustion was extreme due to the battle he just went through. Since he was in a relatively safe space, within seconds his eyes closed and he fell asleep. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------- Author''s note: Sup guys! Saw the Dr. Strange movie a few days ago¡­ Only One word. Awesome! Now onto other matters. I realize that this dungeon run is way too long. When I first started writing this arc, I thought I would complete it in like 4 chapters. But by the time I was done with the boss battle, the whole dungeon arc was almost 9 chapters. Even I know that''s waaay too long. But I couldn''t bring myself to cut down the chapters because I had fun writing it. Especially some of the fight scenes. But fear not! There will only be a couple more dungeon runs before he becomes genin and I''ll be sure to keep those arcs 3 chapters or less. Now I realize the story has a slow pace. The truth is¡­ even I didn''t expect that. When I first planned out the story, even before writing the chapters, I thought I would complete the academy arc by chapter 50 or max. 60! Chapters. And eventually reach the chunin arc by chapter 100 or 120. Never did I imagine it would take soo long. Once this dungeon is completed I''ll try and pick up the pace. I''ve also taken into consideration how often I show skill stats and what not. I have reduced it in the coming chapters. There will be a skill list at the end of this dungeon arc but then there won''t be any skill stat updates on for a while. Like for 20 chapters at least! And how do you like the fight scenes in this dungeon¡­ I wanted to show that Daichi was strong but not too OP. Anyway guys, thanks for the reviews. I read all of it. It helps me improve my writing. Thank you for the love and support. Chapter 52 – New Quest and Skills Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi woke up from his peaceful sleep to the sound of the notification ringing. He let out a small yawn and got up from his bed. Daichi got ready and prepared for the challenges ahead. He left the cave and looked at his Mini-map. "It''s been a week since I began fighting in this dungeon. Up until now of the 168 opponents, I took down 89 enemies of this dungeon. And now I¡¯m at level 33. Along with the skill level ups this is turning out to be quite a productive dungeon run. Not bad for a week''s worth of fighting." Daichi looked at his stats and skills and he was satisfied with the results. He walked forward and headed to the red dots shown on the map. Daichi wanted to complete the dungeon as soon as possible but he also didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard. But still with the experience of fighting over 7 dozen ninjas, he was ready to face whatever this dungeon could throw at him. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Days went by with Daichi fighting several types of ninjas. Most of them were based on a Genin from a clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds but there were some that weren''t from any clans. Daichi experienced what it was like going against enemy ninjas and learned their various tactics. He fought some ninjas in one-on-one combat. While others he fought were in a team of two or three or sometimes even four. During one such fight where he had to engage four shinobi''s at once, he used the Atamagai'' cloak for the first time. He completely disappeared from the enemy senses and he successfully ambushed them within a short time. Enemies killed: [110/168] You have leveled up. ¡°Yes. Level 34! Finally.¡± Once the battle was over Daichi sat down on a nearby tree stump after making sure he was safe and took off the cloak. "Wow. So that''s how it feels to be invisible." Daichi marveled at the abilities of the cloak. ''I remember in the observation info on this thing that it can respond to the user''s thoughts in a limited capacity. I didn''t understand what that actually meant until now¡­ '' ''The moment I put it on it reduced its length to match my height and size. I was just thinking that it was too big and wished it was smaller and this thing shrunk. I can''t even begin to imagine what kind of seals were used to create something like this. If anyone in the world knew that this existed they would do almost anything to get their hands on it.'' During the fight Daichi tested some aspects and abilities he thought the cloak might have and he was satisfied with what he learned. ''Once I put it on it takes 100 mana points to activate but other than that there is no other cost. At least not if I continuously use it. If I try to extend the time by switching off the invisibility then I have to spend another 100 MP to activate it again¡­ And It seems the moment I put it on, I can somehow tell how long the invisibility of this cloak could last. It was as if the cloak had connected to my mind¡­ Strange¡­ I remember that the max time I get is 3 hours and if I stretch it I can maybe extend it to 10 hours but that''s going to be difficult. Right now my mana is limited. So I have to use this thing carefully and maximize the usage efficiency.'' At that moment a new quest box popped up. Quest Created - ¡®Obtain the 5th Cloak.¡¯ Atamagai Uzumaki created 5 cloaks with special abilities. The first three cloaks were destroyed. You are currently in possession of his fourth cloak. Although the 4th cloak has exceptional abilities, Atamagai deemed it imperfect and a failure due to its limitations and thus he even refused to name it. He used the information learned from creating the previous cloaks and used it to create a perfect final work. Find out more information on Atamagai Uzumaki and obtain his masterpiece. Time Limit: None. Rewards: The Abyss Cloak. New skill. Failure: None. Accept (Y/N) "A new quest? Didn''t expect that¡­" Daichi looked over the quest information and he accepted it immediately. "Wow¡­ My current cloak is incredible and this guy deems it a failure.?!! Then what the hell does he consider perfect? I wonder what kinda abilities the final cloak has?" Daichi decided he would look into the quest once he left the dungeon. Refocusing his attention to the current dungeon quest, Daichi moved forward. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daichi spent another 3 days exploring through the dungeon. He avoided traps and tracked his enemies. His stealth skills increased by a wide margin and he learned how to leave as little evidence behind when escaping a dangerous situation. Daichi was currently battling a ninja with the abilities based on a member from the Hyuga clan. [LV.40][Gentle Fist Nin] HP: 4421 CP: 4002 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Hyuga clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. This enemy is immune to Genjutsu and has powerful Taijutsu abilities capable of destroying internal organs. Capable of tracking the enemy from long distances and confronting them head on. This enemy prefers to fight alone and he intends to kill you.] He had been fighting for a while and managed to reduce the HP of his opponent to less than 150. Daichi went through several hand-seals as he evaded the palm strikes from the dungeon Hyuga genin. ''Water Style - Hydro Blast jutsu'' A powerful point blank spiraling water blast sent the ninja flying back to a tree. He crashed and it took his last remaining health points. +1200 Exp. +180 Exp. Enemies killed: [137/168] You have leveled up. "Level 35 huh. With the number of ninjas remaining it looks like I''ll be able to increase my level by one more by the time I finish this Dungeon." Daichi looked over the experience needed to reach level 36. ''Almost 34000 huh. With the experience points from the ninjas and the reward of the quest that should be enough to get me to 36.'' As Daichi was looking over his stats a new skill notification appeared. [Due to defeating a special enemy of this dungeon, you have received the Passive skill Absolute Chakra Mastery.] Absolute Chakra Mastery - Passive (LV. MAX): This skill allows the user to expel chakra from all Chakra points on the human body. It helps the user have more control over the chakra used in jutsu and other chakra related techniques. This skill also passively increases the speed of the user''s chakra control mastery. Once the user reaches the pinnacle of chakra control they will be capable of using Yin and Yang chakra in various ratios. As Daichi read the first part of the information his mind recalled everything he remembered about the chakra points. ''This will come in handy. Most people are only capable of expelling chakra from the hands or feet but the Hyuga clan, Naruto and a few others are capable of releasing chakra from every part of their body. I figured it might be possible for me too with the gamer''s body and all that but I definitely would have needed to train more. So this skill helps in that regard. And it reduces my chakra control training time. So that''s a bonus as well. All in all¡­ Not a bad reward.'' As Daichi read the full description his mind boggled at the possibilities. ''Oh yeah. This is definitely a great passive skill. If I can use Yin and Yang release as I want then theoretically it''s possible for me to create and use jutsus resembling secret clan techniques. The possibilities are limitless.'' With a smile on his face Daichi resumed his hunt. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another 4 days passed. Daichi took his time and didn''t rush to battle his enemies. He spent several hours a day training and improving his skills. And his training bore fruit. His skills have all seen tremendous growth during the last week. It was currently noon and Daichi was fighting a ninja based on someone from the Uchiha clan. [LV.41][Copy Nin] HP: 4391 CP: 4064 [A ninja created based on a Genin of the Uchiha clan who survived the Akagahara exam grounds. A powerful enemy capable of Genjutsu, Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Proficient in fire attacks and has a two tomoe Sharingan. His speed is much greater than the average Genin and is capable of exceptional shuriken jutsu and swordsmanship. This enemy fights alone and intends to kill you.] Daichi blocked a punch with his palm and retaliated with a fast, strong kick. It sent the ninja several feet back. Daichi took several breaths of air within the few seconds he bought. This ninja had forced him to go all out and Daichi pushed himself to his limits. Once he got a few breaths of air, he rushed towards the red eyed nin. The enemy ninja threw several shuriken at Daichi but he deflected the weapons and defended himself with a kunai. Mental intrusion detected¡­. Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack. ''That''s like the 10th time he''s tried to ensnare me in a Genjutsu. It''s getting annoying.'' Daichi blocked a stab from a kunai and punched the head of his enemy. His opponent exploded into smoke. "Shadow clone jutsu huh. This bastard is using my tactics against me.* The copy ninja created a clone and used Genjutsu on Daichi. But seeing his Illusions ineffective, the clone engaged Daichi, buying the real one time to set up another attack. The real copy nin threw several shuriken with ninja wire attached to them. The shuriken wasn''t aimed to hit Daichi but rather confine him to a certain area. Once he let the ninja stars fly he quickly weaved several hand-seals. In just a couple seconds he completed the seals with the last one ending in a Tiger seal. By the time Daichi finished off the clone the shurikens surrounded him with flames speeding along the wire. ''Dragon fire jutsu huh. You won''t get me that easily.'' Daichi weaved signs for the substitution jutsu and landed on a nearby tree. The moment his feet touched the branch his senses alerted him to someone coming his way. Daichi looked behind him and saw the enemy flying at him with his leg outstretched and aimed for his back. Daichi dodged by jumping down from the tree branch. He landed and looked up to see a fireball jutsu heading his way. Daichi went through several seals and slammed his hands into the ground. ''Earth style - Rock shelter Jutsu.'' The rock dome formed and protected Daichi from the burning ball of death. The fireball hit the rock dome and exploded creating dust and smoke. Daichi''s ears picked up movement and he parried a kick coming from his side. The two ninjas engaged in hand to combat once again. Daichi quickly took out his dagger and sword and battled the ninja. The buffs due to using the bladed weapons gave Daichi the advantage and after some time the fight came to an end with Daichi as the victor. +1250 Exp. +187.5 Exp. Enemies killed: [167/168] You have leveled up. [Due to defeating a special enemy of this dungeon, you have received ¡®Fire Style - Phoenix Fire jutsu¡¯.] Fire Style - Phoenix Fire Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user kneads chakra and converts it to fire and then spits several volley of small fireballs into the air. The small fireballs move wildly through the area and quickly surround the target. With enough control over the fire element and the jutsu, the user can guide each individual flame with his chakra and direct them towards the target. Shurikens can be hidden within the flames and make this technique even more deadly. Rank: C Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Rat - Tiger - Dog - Ox - Rabbit - Tiger CP Cost: 240 Per use. [Note: Currently the user is only able to create 6 small fireballs per attack. But with enough mastery over the fire nature chakra this limitation can be removed.] "Hmm¡­ This is an excellent offense. Looks like I''ll have to focus on fire nature chakra control along with earth nature. One for offense and other for defense. I suppose for the moment that will create a balance in my Ninjutsu skills.¡± Daichi dismissed the blue boxes and opened his status page. ''Status'' Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 7 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer,Apprentice Dungeon Warrior. Level : 36 (650.5/35550) HP : 3995 CP : 6532.2 SP : 3730 MP: 2395 Primary Stats Strength - 85 Vitality - 81 Dexterity - 80 Agility - 83 Intelligence - 105 Chakra - 107 Wisdom - 55 Special Stats Sense - 80 Stamina - 97 Indomitable - 13 Charisma - 39 Persistence - 14 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) Stat Points - 505 Ryo - 252000 Daichi smiled as he looked over the numbers. He was happy with the increase in stats so far. "Looks like all my stats have increased by a substantial margin. I can feel the strength and power of my body so clearly. Must be due to the sense stat. And now I have over 500 points accumulated. Once I complete this dungeon I''m gonna increase the primary stats to a 100." As Daichi was pondering on his next move several notifications appeared. You have defeated all the ninjas and as a result has awakened the boss of this dungeon. The dungeon boss has 100 minions. Defeat all of them to complete and exit the dungeon. Reading the message Daichi prepared himself. The ground started shaking and several meters in front of him Daichi could see a rising platform made of white and red stones. And standing on it was Daichi''s final opponent. ''About time. Let''s get this over with.'' Daichi took out his tanto and braced himself. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. Chapter 53 – 2nd Dungeon Boss Battle Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. The platform rising from the ground was composed of white and red stones. They were arranged in a clover pattern. And on top of it was a menacing 6 foot figure wearing a black worn out cloak. Daichi immediately used ''observe'' on his final opponent. [LV. ??][Raidon] [HP: ??] [CP: ??] [A semi intelligent humanoid puppet created by the dungeon. This puppet activates after every ninja in the dungeon is destroyed. It is the strongest puppet and the boss of this dungeon. It has 100 minion puppets and can command them to attack the enemy. This puppet is capable of using Ninjutsu attacks and is proficient in Taijutsu. Favors lightning nature. It wants to kill you.] A humanoid puppet with a powerful physique stood on the platform. Its face was devoid of everything except the eyes in the shape of two small horizontal slits. Daichi scrutinized his enemy. It had bulky arms but lean legs. The body was a combination of wood and metal. Its joints, arms and legs were metal but its chest and lower torso were made of wood. Bright blue eyes looked at Daichi as he looked at it. ''What the hell? Why can¡¯t I see how much HP and CP this thing has? Is it far beyond my level? Does that mean I can''t win?'' Doubts slowly formed in Daichi''s mind. But he quickly calmed down and regained his composure. ''You can do this. Keep your head in the fight Daichi. It''s just a dumb puppet. You can win.'' Only a couple seconds passed with both of them staring at each other but then the puppet made its first move. It raised its left hand with the palm facing Daichi. You have sensed killing intent. ''What are you up to?'' Daichi''s mind came up with several attack scenarios and he prepared himself. The next instant Daichi barely dodged a water blast aimed at the middle of his head. A small thin but powerful water blast was coming out of the puppets'' raised hand. Daichi dodged and looked at the puppet. Daichi could hear the trees and rocks getting destroyed behind him. He saw a small round opening in the middle of the palm and the water jutsu coming out of it. The puppet Raidon, seeing that his prey had evaded the attacks, stopped the water blast and then raised both hands. Blue lines of light came to life on its arms from its elbow to its wrists. It then spoke a single word. "Arise." ''Da faq?'' Daichi was gobsmacked as he looked at the puppet. ''It can talk?... And why am I getting a strong solo leveling vibe?'' The ground all around them started shaking and within seconds from the earth came dozens and dozens of puppets. Daichi jumped back and gained some distance from the new foes. The new puppets were around 5 feet tall and didn''t look as strong as their leader. "So these must be Raidon''s minions. Observe." [LV. 25][004] [HP: 2500] [CP: 2500] [A puppet under the command of Raidon.] [LV. 25][073] [HP: 2500] [CP: 2500] [A puppet under the command of Raidon.] [LV. 25][020] [HP: 2500] [CP: 2500] [A puppet under the command of Raidon.] Daichi used the skill ''observe'' on several of the new puppets. ''It looks like except for the name, everything else is the same for all of them.'' ''Looks like I''ll have to take out these guys before I deal with the boss.'' Daichi didn''t waste time and rushed towards the nearest one. His speed and strength were much greater than the minion puppets and he was able to easily destroy them. [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. All the other puppets got into action and started attacking Daichi. The battle began between Daichi and the smaller puppets. He ducked and weaved through the punches aimed his way and smashed the puppets. It broke apart quickly due to Daichi''s immense strength. His senses alerted him to a stream of fire headed his way. Daichi used substitution on a nearby puppet and escaped. ''So using substitution on my enemies is possible huh. I needed to confirm that.'' As the battle progressed Daichi made several notes on his enemies. Each minion puppets could only use one type of Ninjutsu attack and there are several seconds delay after each attack. And they can turn their arms into bladed weapons. Daichi blocked a blade with his tanto and sent a powerful punch to the head blasting it apart. [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. ''10 down. 90 more to go. Time to speed this up.'' Daichi created two shadow clones and all of them went through several hand-seals. ''Fire Style - Great Fireball Jutsu.'' ''Fire Style - Dragon Fire Jutsu.'' ''Fire Style - Phoenix Fire Jutsu.'' Flames rushed in every direction and engulfed dozens of puppets. In seconds several of them exploded and were destroyed while others burned to the ground. [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. . . . . [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. The kill confirm boxes kept piling up. The clones went off to battle the remaining puppets while Daichi refocused his attention back to the boss. ¡®I need to play this smart. I can''t read its level, HP or CP. That means this thing is much stronger than the ones I''ve faced just now. Can''t make any rash mistakes.¡¯ Daichi went through the hand seals for his lightning overdrive jutsu. With his body coated in small lightning currents Daichi sped to the enemy. Daichi sent a lightning fast punch to the center of his opponent''s head. But something unexpected happened. Lightning burst forth from his enemy and he blocked Daichi''s attack. The puppet stopped Daichi''s powerful momentum in his tracks. The moment they made contact a small boom occurred and the force of the impact created small winds blowing all around them. You have sensed killing intent. Daichi''s eyes widened in realization. ''Shit! This thing can either copy my moves or it can already use lightning to increase its speed.'' The boss puppet Raidon punched Daichi but the boy blocked the fist with both arms. They began their battle with both of them attacking and defending against enemy onslaught. The bottom half of Raidon''s face lowered. And from its open mouth several volley of small kunais were launched. Daichi used Body Flicker to increase his speed and evade the attacks. Both of them rushed at each other. Fists met fists and knuckles met knuckles as neither one backed down. At that moment memories from one of his clones came and Daichi inwardly smiled. All of the minion puppets have been destroyed and now only the boss remains. Daichi now had a plan in mind. He dodged another kick coming towards him and used chakra threads to contain his enemy. The moment the threads connected and stopped the enemy''s movements, the clone who was hiding behind him came. In a second it sent a strong powerful punch to the back of Raidon''s head and was able to shatter the wooden skull. ¡®That was easy.'' Daichi thought as he looked towards his headless enemy. Raidon fell on his knees and then a second later fell forward onto the ground. Seeing the plan work, Daichi''s clone let go of the shadow clone jutsu and disappeared. ''Its over?? That was a lot easier than I expected.'' As Daichi was thinking about this, a thought suddenly came to his mind. ''Wait. If I defeated him then why haven''t I gotten the notification yet?'' As Daichi was pondering this question something unexpected happened. The shattered pieces of the head moved as if it had a life of its own and rejoined the body. Once its head was reattached it stood up and looked at Daichi. "What the freaking hell? Is this thing immortal?" As Daichi was freaking out lightning coated Raidon''s body and the puppet boss rushed at the small boy. Daichi took out his dagger and tanto and they began their second round of battle. Lightning condensed and coated the puppets'' right hand and the current suddenly blitzed towards Daichi. Daichi used chakra enhancement to augment his speed and strength. And due to the buffs of using bladed weapons his speed increased by a considerable margin. It was only due to these conditions that he was able to avoid the lightning attack. The spot where the lightning struck charred. Daichi evaded several strikes from the lightning and sent several volley of fireballs as retaliation. Both the puppet and the boy dodged and resumed their hand to hand combat. Skill Combat Arts''s level has risen by one. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. As the battle progressed Daichi''s skills leveled up and before long he found an opening and slashed at the enemy''s torso. The puppet jumped back and gained some distance. It was what Daichi was waiting for. He quickly threw his weapons a few feet into the air and created 2 shadow clones. Daichi then used the lightning overdrive jutsu and caught his falling weapons. Daichi and his 2 clones dodged the water and fire blasts coming from the enemy puppet. They surrounded it and started attacking from all sides. The puppet, while strong and fast, was not able to successfully defend against three enemies at the same time. One of Daichi''s clones used his chakra threads to limit Raidon''s movements and the next moment the clones sent several strong punches from the back while Daichi used chakra flow on his weapons and cut through from the front. Both of them attacked ferociously and destroyed the entire upper body of the puppet. What was left of it fell to the ground. Daichi was waiting for the completion notification box but seeing it not appear he quickly realized that his job was not done. Daichi watched as the puppet started putting itself back together. "Not this time." He quickly weaved through hand-seals and let out a flaming ball where the puppet lay. Watching the original Daichi attack the fallen puppet, the two clones joined as well. Several wind bullets and streams of flames were let loose and impacted the fallen enemy. The three didn''t let up and continued attacking for a while before stopping. The ground was a burning smoldering mess. The puppet was charred. As Daichi looked he still didn''t get a notification. ''What the hell? Why is it still not dead? What do I have to do?'' As Daichi was frustrated at the lack of victory his eyes suddenly caught something shining. It was a small pebble like blue stone in the middle of the charred ground. Daichi walked towards it and picked it up. He felt chakra coming from it and quickly used ''observe''. [Raidon''s Core.] [This special sphere was created to supply near limitless chakra to the puppet Raidon. With this core the puppet can fight forever and regenerate its lost parts.] ''So that''s the secret huh.'' Daichi, having an understanding of what was going on, looked closely at the chakra sphere. ''Can I take this with me? A near limitless chakra sphere would come in handy.'' As Daichi pondered on this question he could feel the sphere shaking in his hand and Daichi could see several wooden and metal debris coming towards him. Daichi tried to place it in his inventory but the action was denied. "It''s trying to form its body again." Letting out a sigh, Daichi closed his fist around the small sphere. It was a sturdy small ball and Daichi had to use quite a bit of force before cracks started appearing. And seconds later he crushed it. The core turned to dust the moment it broke and the wooden and metal debris coming towards Daichi fell to the ground. You have defeated the boss Raidon. Enemies killed: [168/168] +1600 Exp. +240 Exp. You have leveled up. Reward: Skill ''Lightning style - Lightning Strike Jutsu''. Quest ''Destroy all enemies'' Completed. Rewards: New Skill: Mana puppetry. New Title: Executioner. (This title will increase all your stats by 7% when fighting enemy ninjas.) Ryo 375,000. 10000 Exp. You have successfully defeated every enemy in this dungeon. You have been granted access to the return key. Just as Daichi expected, the golden key appeared in front of him as soon as he cleared the dungeon. Daichi was in a much better condition compared to the last time he was in the dungeon. He took the key and used ''Observe'' on it. [Dungeon exit Key.] With this key the player can open the exit door and can leave the dungeon. Key valid for only 24 hours in dungeon time. Once the key becomes invalid, the door will be locked and the player will be trapped inside the dungeon forever. [Time remaining: 23:59:30] "Just as I thought. So each time I finish a dungeon I have 24 hrs to get out huh." Daichi looked around the place. He spent over 2 weeks fighting for his life here. He let out a sigh and opened his map. Daichi decided that he would rest and check his stats and skills in his home rather than here. Once Daichi ascertained the location of the entrance door he left the place. He quickly reached the door and placed the golden key inside. ''Time to go home.'' You have used the return key. Would you like to leave this dungeon? Y/N "Yes." The door opened and as Daichi stepped into the hallway he was teleported back to his home. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 54 – Powerful Growth Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi appeared in his bed. He looked at the clock nearby and saw that only 4 seconds had passed. ''This is really convenient. I spent over 2 weeks there and only 3 seconds had gone by here. Time to check out my rewards.'' Daichi opened the status page and saw that his cash reserves as well as stat points had increased significantly. He then saw the newest title. Daichi clicked on it and the information popped up. Executioner. (This title will increase all your stats by 7% when fighting enemy ninjas.) "A very useful title indeed. I''ll have to find ways to get more titles. It looks like they''ll be able to increase my battle prowess by a large margin." Daichi opened the status page next. Many skills had increased several levels thanks to the dungeon battles. He wanted to go through each and every one of them and see how far they had improved. "Skills." Daichi''s current list of skills opened up. He went through each one and noted their improvement. His eyes landed on the skill Observe. ''Looks like ''observe'' has increased. But I still only see the level, HP, CP and info on my enemies and not their physical stats¡­ Seems I''ll have to increase it beyond level 50 or more to get that Info.'' He moved on to the next skills with great improvement. ''Seems all the training these last several months and the battles inside the dungeon helped with the Basic Body conditioning skill. It''s already level 64. But I feel that the progress will slow down soon.'' Daichi went down the list. He stopped on the Minor Jutsu creation skill. ''I haven''t used this skill as much as I wanted to. I''ll need to get on this as soon as I finish the shape transformation training.'' He moved on and looked over the increase in the various sense skills. ''I''ll have to get my senses to level 50. I wonder what an evolved skill would be like?'' Since superior Sight is close to level 50 I''ll focus on that first.'' Daichi went over the effects of the academy Taijutsu skill next. "Wow. My Taijutsu skill level went way up. I doubt any genin or even chunin will be able to fight me in straight hand to hand combat now." ''My Shurikenjutsu is close to Max level. I''ll be able to level it to 100 by the end of the next dungeon run.'' ''Physical endurance has reached level 57. It seems my damage reduction has increased greatly. And coupled with the damage reduction of the other skills I''ll take very little damage from blunt attacks from enemies on my level or below me. But the effects of the damage reduction skills decreases the higher level my opponent is and if they have bladed weapons.'' Daichi moved down the list. He stopped at the skill chakra threads. "Ahh one of my favorite skills. Since it''s reached level 70 I''ll have to start adding different applications to this technique. Soon I''ll be able to add Nature to this skill. Then it''ll be truly awesome." As Daichi moved on and went down the list he saw the three basic academy jutsus. "Seems I haven''t been practicing two of the academy jutsus as much as I should. I need to practice the rope escape and transformation jutsu more and Max them." The next skill he went over in detail was the sword mastery skill. Daichi''s sword mastery skill has now reached level 21. "Hmm¡­ This skill definitely saved my ass more than a dozen times. But still¡­ Should I be a weapons type fighter or not?... Questions for later I suppose." Daichi then noted the level of his tree walking technique. ''I''ll have to Max this skill as soon as I can and then complete the water walking skill as well. After that I can focus on the Shape transformation and Nature transformation training of chakra.'' ''The Ozark''s Resilience skill is a powerful skill that I need to level up as fast as possible. A 14% increase in stats for 45 seconds. That''s not a small effect and it''s only level 7 right now. But it only activates when my HP falls below 20. I deliberately let some attacks land on me during some fights in the dungeon to increase this thing. And I didn''t like it at all. Is there another way to increase the level of this??'' Daichi pondered on this for a little while before moving on to the next skill. Daichi looked over the Mana Affinity and Telekinesis skill. "Need to start training this skill actively. Don''t know when it might come in handy." He went down the list and reached the affinity skills. "Hmm. So earth, fire and lightning are the three natures I''m frequently using huh¡­ I suppose that explains their increase over the other two natures. I can use earth for defense or escape jutsus while fire for attacking. And lightning can be switched with offense or defense. I''ll leave it like that for now." Daichi then reached the last skill on the list. "Mana puppetry!? Implant suggestions??" Daichi clicked on the latest skill he received. Mana puppetry - Active (LV. 01): This skill allows the user to control various animals and humans with mental commands. Mana is used to implant suggestions or orders into the target''s mind and the user can control them as they see fit. Since this skill is Mana based, Chakra defenses and seals will be useless against it. [Note: At the current level you can only implant a simple suggestion into human targets and your mental strength is not strong enough to actively control them. But with training and at higher levels this limitation can be removed.] Effects: Can implant suggestions into a target''s mind. MP cost: 800/ Target "HOLY SHIT!!!" Daichi couldn''t help but shout as he read the skill. His eyes widened like dinner plates as he understood the implications of the skill. ''This is the equivalent of Shisui Uchiha''s Mangeky¨­ Sharingan abilities¡­'' Daichi''s mind boggled at the ideas that suddenly came to him. He forcefully calmed himself and looked over the skill. "According to this, right now with this skill, I can only implant suggestions and not active control. And furthermore even after I develop this skill, there is no way it wouldn''t have further limitations. I''ll have to test this out and see what it''s capable of to determine the full power of this skill." Daichi made the decision to test out the skill after a few days. "I''ll test it on some wild animals first and then test and check the effects on humans." After he made the decision he opened the jutsu list. He wanted to see the details of the newest lightning jutsu he got. Lightning Style - Lightning Strike - Active(LV.1): This jutsu allows the user to create an electric current that can hit multiple people at the same time. Additionally it can extend to incredible distances and can even avoid obstacles. Rank: C. Type: Ninjutsu. Hand Seals: Tiger - Snake - Dog. CP Cost: 260 Per use. [Note: Current Range is 2 meters. Once the user has become more proficient in using the jutsu and lightning nature chakra, this limitation can be removed.] "A Decent attack jutsu. Not bad. Time to check out my status page." "Status." Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 7 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Apprentice Dungeon Warrior, Executioner. Level : 37 (150/37250) . HP : 3960 CP : 6532.2 SP : 3750 MP : 2395 . Primary Stats Strength - 85 Vitality - 81 Dexterity - 80 Agility - 83 Intelligence - 105 Chakra - 107 Wisdom - 55 . Special Stats Sense - 81 Stamina - 98 Indomitable - 14 Charisma - 40 Persistence - 15 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 510 Ryo - 627000 "A little over 37000 exp for the next level up¡­ Looks like the exp requirement is going up as I expected. I''ll have to focus on improving my stats then¡­ 2 more points in Stamina stat and I''ll probably get a new skill. Most probably a passive one." Daichi looked at the special and then the primary stat points. He decided he would raise all of the primary stats above 100 points. His eyes focused on the last two special stats. "Dignity and Luck. Damn it! It''s been 3 years and I still haven''t unlocked these two. I have a theory as to how the Dignity stat might be unlocked but that would take years. And the Luck stat¡­" Daichi let out a tired sigh. ''Damn it, I''ve tried everything I could think of. I learned gambling from the old man although he wasn''t very happy that I learned it at such a young age. I tried flipping coins and tried to predict the outcome. I tried to predict the lotto and it didn''t get me anywhere. And several other methods that came to my mind but nothing''s worked so far¡­ What do I have to do??'' Daichi let out another sigh. "I''ll deal with it later. Can''t do anything about it now I suppose." He started adding stat points. Primary Stats Strength - 85 => 101 Vitality - 81 => 101 Dexterity - 80 => 101 Agility - 83 => 101 Intelligence - 105 => 111 Chakra. - 107 => 110 Wisdom - 55 => 101 "Looks like I needed to add 130 stat points." Stat Points - 380 HP : 6728 CP : 7010.7 SP : 4045 MP : 4310 "Oh yeah!! My points are way up¡­ Chakra is still the highest with HP coming second. And SP is the lowest. But I have a feeling that once my stamina stat rises over 100 that won''t be the case." At that moment several blue boxes started appearing. Strength stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Giant¡¯s Strength. Vitality stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Life Recovery. Dexterity stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Lithe Body. Agility stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Swiftness. Wisdom stat has reached 100. You have gained the passive skill Hermit¡¯s Wisdom. "OH MAN!!! I feel so strong." Daichi clenched his hands as he felt the strength and chakra in his body increase. He punched forward and he could feel the force of his strength flowing through him. Daichi started checking out the new passive skills. Giant¡¯s Strength - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when the strength stat has reached 100. This skill passively increases the strength of your body and the damages dealt to an enemy. It also reduces damage taken by the user''s body. Giant''s Strength is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. "I definitely feel much more powerful. I need to see just how strong I am soon." Daichi closed the Giant''s Strength skill window and opened the next one. Life Recovery - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when the vitality stat has reached 100. The recovery ability of your body has been increased by 5 times. You can regain HP at a much faster rate. This skill also reduces the sleep time needed to restore your body down to 4.5 hours. Increases the HP of the user. Life Recovery is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. "I feel like I''m becoming a tank fighter. The ability to take tons of damage and now my insane recovery speed. This will definitely help me in the tough situation to come." Lithe Body - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when the dexterity stat has reached 100. This skill increases the evasion rates, balance and weapons handling of the user. Accuracy of several skills are increased by multiple times depending on the skills. Lithe Body is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. "Hmm¡­ Evasion, accuracy, balance and weapons handling huh. Nice. It seems my shurikenjutsu, sword mastery and other such skills can be leveled up even faster." Swiftness - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when the agility stat has reached 100. This skill passively increases the movement speed of the body by 5 times. Swiftness is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. "I could always use more speed. With this I''ll be able to dodge and land multiple strikes within seconds. And with this speed I can use ''Linked kills strikes'' skill more often." Closing the swiftness skill page, he opened the last one. Hermit¡¯s Wisdom - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when wisdom stat has reached 100. This skill strengthens the mind and increases the Mana powers of the user. Effects and strength of Mind skills are increased. This skill also helps the user cope with the negative side effect of the skill Absolute Recall. Increases Mana Points of the user. Hermit¡¯s Wisdom is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. ¡°Seems wisdom also greatly helps with Mana abilities. I have to test them soon¡­ Hmm¡­ Looks like I don¡¯t have to worry about the negative side effects of the Recall skill. That''s good.¡± Daichi went through all the skills. He was very happy with his progress and growth. ¡°Each day brings me closer and closer to my goal. Soon I won¡¯t have to fear anyone.¡± Daichi closed the notification boxes and status page. Daichi got up from his bed and stretched his body. He could clearly feel the changes that happened. He went to get freshened up and then feeling hungry, he went downstairs to get something to eat. Author¡¯s Note Yes yes, before you guys start cursing my name, I know! This was already a way too long dungeon and you guys are in no mood for another system update related chapter. I get it! But please bear with me. This chapter is the last one with such a focus on the skills and gamer aspect in the story for at least another 30 chapters. The plot will move forward From the next chapter onwards. Well¡­ Daichi will make some important training plans in the next chapter and then the plot picks up after that and it picks up steam. Stay tuned. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skills Effects: 87.5% increase in speed when dishwashing. Effects : 116% Increase to base HP regeneration per minute. 116% Increase to base CP regeneration per minute. 116% Increase to base SP regeneration per minute. Effects: 72% Increase in Damage inflicted. 73% Increase in Movement speed. 25% Increase in Physical stat growth. 50% Decrease in Damage taken. Effects: 25% growth rate of Chakra stat. 60% Strength increase to all chakra-based skills. 58% Defense increase against chakra-based attacks. 45% Increase to maximum CP. -28% CP cost to all chakra based skills. Effects: Regeneration Increased by 89% of base CP. 15% Increase in Regeneration speed. 25% Growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 108%. Effects: 22% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. 22% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -14% CP requirements for new Jutsu created. Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1/sec. -50% CP cost to chakra techniques. Effects: 60% Increase in taste CP cost : 1/sec. Effects: 86% Increase in hearing CP cost : 2/sec. Effects: 80% Increase in smell. CP cost : 1/sec. Effects: 92% Increase in sight. CP cost : 2/sec. Effects: 89% Increase in attack power. 87% Increase in defense. 91% Increase in speed 78% Decrease in damage taken. Effects: 97.3% Increase in accuracy. 92.1% Increase in damage dealt. Effects: 51.4% Decrease in damage taken. Effects: 62% Increase in critical rate. 75% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. 61% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 7 per hit. Effects: 50% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. 50% Increase in plating technique. Effects: +38% Increase in visual appeal. +42% Increase of accuracy in painting. Effects: 140% Increase in thread control. 140% Increase in thread speed CP cost: 2/sec for single thread. Effects: 75% Increase in running speed. SP cost: 28 SP per minute. Effects: 30% Increase in success when escaping bindings. Effects: 75% Accuracy Increase when creating identical clones. CP cost: 35 CP per clone. Effects: 60% Increase in accuracy and details when transforming. CP cost: 10 CP per transformation. Note: This skill requires a sword to activate. Effects: 42% Additional damage when striking the target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. 42% Increase in attack speed. Effects: 57% Additional damage when hitting target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. 22% Increase in attack speed. Effects: 160% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 4/sec. -52.8% CP cost to chakra techniques. Effects: Current range - 80 meters. Effects: 184% Additional attack Damage to the enemy. 30% Increase in attack speed. 30% Increase in critical rate. Effects: 176% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 5/sec. 27.9% Decrease CP cost to chakra techniques. Effects: Current Range - 70 meters. CP Cost : 10/meter. Effects: 14% Increase in Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 45 seconds when HP falls below 20%. Cooldown time: 8 hours. Effects: Enemies with a (+ or -)3 level gap between the user are paralysed for 30 seconds. Enemies less than 4 levels and below the user are struck with terror and paralysed for 40 seconds as well as 10% reduction of their physical stats. Effects: Passively increases the player''s minimum and maximum melee Damage, Critical rate and Balance. 19% increase to Damage inflicted. 19% Increase in attack speed. Effects: 22% Increase in water attack jutsu. 22% Increase in water defense jutsu. 10% Increase in success when creating water style jutsu. 5% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using water style jutsu. Effects: 26% Increase in wind attack jutsu. 26% Increase in wind defense jutsu. 8.8% Increase in success when creating wind style jutsu. 5.3% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using wind style jutsu. Effects: 12% Strength increase to all Mana-based skills. -4% MP cost to all Mana based skills. Effects: 8% Increase in Mana attacks. 8% Increase in Mana defenses. 2% Decrease in Mana cost. Effects: 40% Increase in fire attack jutsu. 40% Increase in fire defense jutsu. 17% Increase in success when creating fire style jutsu. 11% Decrease in Chakra cost when using fire style jutsu. Effects: 48% Increase in earth attack jutsu. 48% Increase in earth defense jutsu. 40% Increase in success when creating earth style jutsu. 20% Decrease in Chakra cost when using earth style jutsu. Effects: 36% Increase in Lightning attack jutsu. 36% Increase in Lightning defense jutsu. 15.8% Increase in success when creating Lightning style jutsu. 8.7% Decrease in Chakra cost when using Lightning style jutsu. Effects: +16% Increase in Skin sensitivity. CP cost : 20/sec. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill and increase in abilities, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: Increase the attack and defense power. Increase Strength, Stamina, Agility and Vitality. Decrease the damage taken. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: 38% Strength increase to the object. 38% Increase in chakra flow. 8% Decrease in chakra cost. [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: 16.5% Chance when creating Common grade items. 1% Chance when creating Rare grade items. 0% Chance when creating Unique grade items. 0% Chance when creating Legendary grade items. 0% Chance when creating Mythical grade items. Effects: Chakra usage depends on the user of the jutsu. CP cost: 490 CP/Clone Effects: 38% Increase in Mobility. CP cost: 50 CP Effects: 12% Increase in Damage inflicted. 12% Increase in Movement speed. Effects: 5% Increase in Agility. 10% Increase in damage when using swords, daggers or other sharp weapons. (n+1)% Increase in damage dealt for each additional strike. ''n'' represents the last consecutive attack landed on the enemy. Effects: Increases balance of the user when in unstable and dangerous terrain. 6% Increase in movement speed. Effects: Can implant suggestions into a target''s mind. MP cost: 800/ Target Chapter 55 – Training Plans and Shortcuts Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi pondered on his next move as he sat on the porch and ate some dumplings. There were many skills he had to focus on. But he wasn''t sure what to tackle first. "Chakra control, my stats, the jutsu creation skill¡­. Then there''s the change in chakra nature and change in chakra form training. I have plenty on my plate already. Enough to keep me busy for at least 3 or 4 more years¡­ But what should I start with?" Daichi looked at the stats again. He wanted to train his special stat stamina and raise it to 100. Currently the SP was the only remaining one that hadn''t increased significantly. "Based on my training time, I''ll be able to raise my stamina points by the end of the week if I really push myself¡­ So that''s one problem solved." Daichi then thought about an important skill he had neglected. The ''Minor jutsu creation'' skill "To create or modify a jutsu I''ll need excellent control over my chakra and proficiency in shape transformation and the various chakra nature. So that will be my next focus¡­" As Daichi went through the memories of his previous life a new thought occurred to him. ''During Naruto''s wind chakra nature training, Kakashi said that the rasengan was the highest form of shape transformation. Chakra spinning wildly in every direction and contained in a sphere. With mastering just one jutsu, Naruto essentially skipped several years of training.'' A smile slowly formed on Daichi''s face as he thought about the implications. ''If I can master the Rasengan, then I''ll have completed the Shape transformation training. And it''s a perfect jutsu to get me out of tight situations¡­. That''s the pros of learning Rasengan. The cons are Kakashi, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Danzo and probably everyone else who''s seen the fourth Hokage fight would have their eyes on me. That''s not a good thing. At least at my current level anyway.'' "I can keep that jutsu a secret but¡­ I know that no secret stays buried forever. The only thing I might have any control over is how long I could keep it hidden¡­" Daichi weighed the pros and cons of learning that technique. After a couple of minutes he came to a decision. "Hmm¡­ No risk, no reward¡­ I''ll train the rasengan but I''ll have to tell the old man. I won''t be able to train it to perfection if I keep it a secret from him. But I need a convincing story for my knowledge on the Rasengan." Daichi came up with several ways he could explain the knowledge but immediately disregarded them due to the holes in the explanations. As he thought about it, an idea came to his mind. He got up and went to Kensei''s library. Daichi started going through scrolls and books trying to find ones that detail Chakra training. After a few minutes of searching he came across a handwritten notebook detailing various jutsu. Curiosity won and Daichi decided to check them out. "This must be the old man''s notes." Daichi flipped the pages and came across various techniques of all natures. "Damn. Based on these notes the old man has studied plenty of Jutsu'' during his time." As Daichi flipped another page he suddenly stopped. The jutsu listed on the page was the one he was looking for. "Rasengan¡­ So the old man did see it and tried to study the technique." Daichi read the observations made by Kensei. ''An A rank technique created with no hand seals. Based on my observation it is a spinning ball of chakra held in the caster''s palm. Upon closer look I concluded that the chakra is spinning in several directions. The chakra control and power needed to create such a technique must be beyond normal shinobi. I have also noticed that once the ball is formed it maintains its shape without the chakra dissipating until it comes into contact with something.'' ''Somehow Minato is able to maintain its form once the jutsu is created. And lastly it is powerful enough to drill through even the hardest stones. Based on my understanding this jutsu represents the ''Change in Chakra Form'' (Shape transformation) taken to a high degree. Tried to recreate the jutsu with not much positive results. Needs further observation on the jutsu to replicate it.'' "Oh wow!! He''s figured out most of the jutsu components from just seeing it¡­ He''s a lot smarter than I thought." Daichi looked over the notes some more and then closed the book. He started putting everything back in their place. "The old man had shown me detailed notes on various techniques in this library. I had hoped it would be the case for the rasengan too. And looks like my guess was right. This gives me the excuse I need. I''ll just say that I read the notes and am now interested in recreating the jutsu. Hopefully he''ll believe it." As he put the books and scrolls back in their place something came to his mind. ''My chakra reserve is considerably larger than before. I have almost as much chakra as a Chunin. Currently the only person who has more chakra than me in my age group would be Naruto. If any teachers in the academy or someone else tried to sense my chakra level then they would get suspicious of my growth speed¡­ I need a jutsu to mask my chakra volume.'' Daichi once again started going through books looking for the information he needed. Before long he found the technique required for the task. He read the details on the jutsu. It was a C-Rank supplementary jutsu. "Chakra suppression technique. Lowers the chakra to the point of being near undetectable. But the person wouldn''t be able to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu while this technique is active." Daichi looked over the notes. "I only need to lower my chakra to the point where I would look like I''m only above average in chakra reserves. That way I can use the jutsu and still keep myself under the radar." Daichi went outside and sat down cross legged. He calmed his breathing and focused on his chakra. Just like when people force their chakra and unleash it so much that it becomes potent and visible to he naked eye, a person can do the opposite and suppress their chakra to hide themselves from almost everyone. By lowering the amount of chakra flowing through the chakra pathways one can become less distinctive and can slip past the enemy senses. Daichi concentrated and slowly started reducing the amount of chakra flowing through him. He sat there concentrating on the task and after a minute he received new notifications. [Through continuously suppressing your chakra volume, the skill ''Chakra Suppression'' has been created.] Chakra Suppression - Active (LV.01): This technique allows the user to suppress their chakra volume making it difficult for others to sense the user. The higher the level the more chakra you suppress. This is a supplementary ninjutsu. This technique is activated with the Tiger Seal. Effects: 1% Chakra suppression. "Hmm¡­ Not bad. I need to see if I can use this technique while still performing basic academy jutsu." "I also need to complete the tree walking exercise. Once that''s maxed out, I¡¯ll raise the water walking technique to level 100. Then I''ll start on the Rasengan. I have 5 days remaining before the exams begin. Better make it count." Daichi walked to the backyard of the house and walked several meters away. He went through several seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. "Earth style - Mud wall." A large wall several meters in length and height erupts out of the ground. This is the first and only B rank jutsu Daichi currently knows. Earth Style - Mud Wall Jutsu - Active(LV.2): This jutsu allows the user to create a protective wall out of earth. There are two ways this jutsu can be performed. The user can convert their chakra to an earthen material that they spit from their mouth. The more skilled the user, the more powerful the wall. The second method is to use pre existing earth. By placing the hands on the ground, the user can raise the ground as a barrier in front of them Rank: B. Type: Ninjutsu Hand Seals: Tiger - Hare - Boar - Dog - Ox - Snake. CP Cost: 280 Per Use. Daichi created two clones. One went near a tree and sat under its shade. The clone started to use the chakra suppression technique in conjecture with transformation and clone jutsu. Meanwhile, the real Daichi and his second clone jumped to the wall. "I''m gonna abuse the hell out of the Shadow clone jutsu. And since I have the gamer''s body I''ll be up and ready in less than 5 hours." Daichi and the clone stood vertically on the wall and started their fight. Or more specifically Daichi dodged or blocked the strikes coming from his doppelganger. Both of them were using chakra suppression as well. Daichi also wanted to level up his tree walking skill and he figured fighting on a vertical surface while focusing on another task would be the best way to do it. He also used transformation jutsu to see its effects while performing the suppression technique. Daichi trained like that till nightfall. He mainly focused on the academy jutsu since he felt they were a bit lacking. Once he was done he dropped down to the ground and released the clone one at a time. Immediately several blue boxes appeared. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. x3 Skill Clone Jutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. x10 Skill Transformation Jutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. x18 Skill Combat Arts''s level has risen by one. x7 Skill Chakra Suppression''s level has risen by one. x26 Skill Tree walking technique''s level has risen by one. x6 Daichi¡¯s taijutsu skills, tree walking skill, clone jutsu, transformation jutsu and chakra suppression technique all saw great growth. By concentrating on several tasks while fighting an opponent Daichi was able to push himself and this increased his skill level up speed. Leaf Academy Taijutsu - Active (LV.68) Effects: 96.3% Increase in attack power. 96.5% Increase in defense. 98.2% Increase in speed 79.5% Decrease in damage taken. Clone Jutsu - Active (LV.90) Effects: 90% Accuracy Increase when creating identical clones. CP cost: 30 CP per clone. Transformation Jutsu - Active (LV.48) Effects: 67% Increase in accuracy and details when transforming. CP cost: 8.5 CP per transformation. Tree walking technique - (Active/Passive) (LV.86) Effects: 172% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 4/sec. -54% CP cost to chakra techniques. Combat Arts - Passive (LV.13) Effects: 26% Increase in Damage inflicted. 26% Increase in Movement speed. Chakra Suppression - Active (LV.27) Effects: 27% Chakra suppression. "Perfect. It seems using clones is really efficient. In just 7 hours I was able to level up the clone, transformation and chakra suppression by several levels." Just at that moment a huge fatigue hit him. Daichi''s stamina and chakra points rapidly fell to less than 500. "Wow¡­ " Daichi wobbled and fell to his knees. He clutched his head as if he felt it was going to explode. "Ohh my head." Daichi slowly got up off the ground and made his way to his room. He slowly got on his bed and quickly fell asleep. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi woke up to the sound of the system message. He got up and looked around. "That was nasty headache. And I only used 2 clones for about 7 hours. How in the world did Naruto survive with a 1000 clones training without having his brain melt?" Daichi sighed and stood on his feet. "I need to make slight adjustments. I can''t throw away such a useful training tactic. But I also can''t overdo it." Daichi thought of the best way to make use of the training method. After a short while he came up with a plan. "I''ll use two clones to train but will dispel them after 2 hours. That way I''ll be able to reduce the strain placed on me. I''ll also have another clone meditate and that way I can bring myself to optimum level without wasting much time and can reduce the risk. If I use any more clones with my current chakra level, then my training won''t be effective." Daichi went over the plan and decided to proceed with this method. Having just slept and now energized, Daichi went outside. He jumped to the roof of his home and sat down. It was a full moon that night. Daichi sat there gazing at the brightly lit moon thinking about what the future might bring him. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 56 – End of the 2nd Academic Year Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. It was the second semester exam week for the academy. Daichi stepped into the classroom and saw some students revising the lessons, a few not doing anything and the rest playing around. Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba belonged to the last group while Sakura and Ino were in the first. The moment Daichi stepped into class he knew he got their attention. "Hey Daichi! Come on, come on!! We''re gonna prank Daikoku sensei when he gets here. You wanna join us?" Naruto excitedly ran up to Daichi and asked. He had a wide smile on his face. Ever since the Yota incident he gained several valuable friends and he was happier than ever. "Good morning to you too Naruto!" Daichi slightly sighed but still happily greeted his friend. "And to answer your question, No! I''m not going to join you in your pranks." "Aww¡­ Come on¡­ It''ll be fun!!" Naruto started whining. "Give it up Naruto. He''s not gonna join." Shikamaru came along and greeted Daichi. "Hey Shikamaru. Didn''t think you''d join him in pranks." Daichi smirked looking at the young Nara. "I''m bored and didn¡¯t have anything better to do. Also Naruto threatened to dump water on my face whenever I take a nap if I didn''t join him¡­Such a drag." Shikamaru sighed saying this. "I didn''t threaten you. I only implied it." Naruto said with a devilish grin. "Hahaha¡­." Daichi let out a small laugh, hearing him. "The fact that you even know the word ''implied'' is in itself scary¡­ Have you studied for the exam?" Daichi asked Naruto even though he knew the answer. "I''ll be fine. I studied all day yesterday. Now it''s time for some fun." "Let''s just get to our seats before sensei comes." Daichi moved to his usual spot in the back. But Naruto went to the teacher''s chair and put some glue on it. "This is gonna be awesome." Shikamaru sighed looking at his friend''s antics. "Our teacher is a chunin. He''s not gonna fall for that." "Oh yeah? Then what''s your plan?" "My plan was to sleep till the teacher got here and then answer just enough questions to pass and then go back to taking my nap. But since that''s not gonna happen¡­ I might as well help you." Shikamaru had a deadpan look on his face as he said the words. Shikamaru helped Naruto set up a simple trap and went back to their seats. Meanwhile Kiba and Choji were near Daichi watching Naruto and Shikamaru. Choji was munching on some snacks while Kiba tried to goad Daichi into a bet. "Come on Daichi. Let¡¯s make this exciting. 20 Ryo says Daikoku sensei isn''t gonna fall for that." "That''s obvious." Daichi muttered. "He wouldn''t have been made a chunin if he fell for such a childish trap." "What about you Choji? Wanna bet?" "Arf Arf?" Kiba and Akamaru looked at their big boned friend. "No. If I lose my money then I won''t be able to buy my snacks." Choji said, munching on the crisp potatoes. It was at that moment that Daichi saw Sakura and Ino approaching. Daichi noticed Sakura subtly pushing Ino towards him. "Hey Daichi! How was the holidays?" Ino asked. She had a small almost imperceptible blush on her cheeks as she spoke. Having watched all sorts of anime and cartoons for a lifetime, Daichi was well aware of the romance cliches. ''Oh my god!! Does she have a crush on me? This can¡¯t be happening¡­ Ok!! Keep cool Daichi. Just answer the question and pretend everything is normal.'' "Yeah. It was nice. Got to relax. And I spent most of my time reading some books. So you know¡­ The usual¡­ How have you been Ino?" "Oh I''m great! Was helping out at my shop and studying and all that¡­ Say Daichi¡­ My father got some new flower seeds in his stock. You wanna come by and check them out later?" Ino asked boldly. "Sure. I''ll drop by the store sometime next week." Daichi nodded and politely smiled at her. Reputation increases with Ino Yamanaka. Reputation slightly increases with Sakura Haruno. "Good luck with the exams Daichi. I know you''ll be first." "No way. Sasuke will be first this year." Sakura chimed in. Both Ino and Sakura went back to their seats arguing who would be first. Daichi slightly smiled looking at them. ''Even though they''re arguing I can''t sense any real malice¡­ I guess their friendship didn''t end because I took Sasuke''s place in Ino¡¯s mind. Another ripple effect from the Yota rescue mission no doubt!... Ino is cute but this feels really weird. I have no interest in a romantic relationship right now. Should I tell Ino that? No¡­ That might complicate things¡­ '' Daichi sighed and leaned back. ¡®I¡¯ll tell her some other time. That¡¯s a future me problem.¡¯ As Daichi sat in his chair, he noticed Sasuke eyeing him every so often. He could sense the anger coming from the Uchiha from where he sat. Daichi gave a small eye smile and mouthed the words good luck. Sasuke glared at him and averted his gaze. Since it was almost time for class to start, everyone got to their seats. Naruto was sitting a couple rows in front of Daichi while Shikamaru was sitting next to him. "Why did you help him set up the prank Shikamaru?" Daichi asked in a slow voice. "I told you¡­ He threatened to take away my nap time. Besides, I only gave him a few suggestions. He''s the one who set it up." Daichi smirked, hearing his answer. "Come on. I know you better than that. You wouldn''t help him with pranking a teacher knowing you could get detention. And you and I both know Naruto was just making empty threats. The real reason you did it was because you''ve seen it, haven''t you?" Daichi stared at Shikamaru with a knowing look. Shikamaru looked at Daichi for a few seconds and then sighed. He spoke in a low voice. "Nothing gets past you does it?... Yeah. I noticed that most teachers don''t like Naruto for some reason. They haven''t punished or yelled or even spoken harshly to him but¡­ I can tell that they don''t like him. And it''s not because of the pranks. I just don''t know why¡­ But something tells me you do." "I know most people in the village feel the same about him but other than that nothing." Daichi said with a straight face. He continued. "So then you''re helping him because you want to see how Daikoku sensei reacts?" Daichi asked him. Shikamaru nodded. "We set up a simple harmless prank. I doubt he''d fall for it. But it''s still a prank. I want to see how he responds to it?" They spoke some more and then fell silent. After a few minutes the bell rang and Daikoku sensei opened the doors. "Good morning class. I hope all of you are ready for the exam." As he said the words he reached the chair. He then noticed something peculiar and instantly recognized it as glue. ''Do they actually think they can catch me with this? I''m almost disappointed.'' It was then that he noticed an almost imperceptible, thin ninja wire tied to the chair. It went all the way up to the top of the board and Daikoku noticed a water balloon strapped to the wire, right on top of where he was standing. ''So, the glue was a distraction huh. If I had moved the chair the balloon would have dropped.'' Daikoku signed. He turned to the class and questioned them. "Alright, who did this?" "Oh man! You almost fell for it." Naruto''s loud voice of disappointment could be heard. "Were you the one behind this?" Daikoku asked in a neutral tone. "Yup. Next time I''ll definitely get you. Hahaha." Naruto boisterously said those words. Daikoku looked at him with indifference and then sighed. "Just sit down, Naruto." The joy Naruto felt dimmed and he sat down in his chair and crossed his arms. Shikamaru noted Daikoku sensei''s look. He understood what it was. ''Indifference. He''s ignoring him and pretending Naruto doesn''t exist. That¡¯s harsh. I''ll have to see why everyone dislikes Naruto so much.'' The written exams began shortly after. ''The questions are easy enough.'' Daichi completed his exam faster than anyone else. He then meditated till Daikoku sensei collected everyone''s papers. The students were taken outside to test their shurikenjutsu skills. Daichi and Sasuke scored perfect hits. Naruto was among the lower end of the class rankings in the shurikenjutsu test. Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba were among the middle to upper tier of the class. The last part was the Taijutsu spar. For the exams the students were paired up with someone similar in their strength level. The spar started with students at the lower end ranking. Everyone knew the rules and the spars started. A pair of names would be called every few minutes. Naruto was paired up against Hibachi. The sparing started once both of them made the seal of confrontation. Even though Naruto''s books knowledge and aim were poor, he trained his body and tried to improve his Taijutsu skills. And with the added benefit of exceptional stamina and chakra, Naruto won the spar a minute after it started. He was able to knock Hibachi out of the ring thus securing the victory. The fights continued and before long it was Daichi and Sasuke''s turn. This time no quest like ''defeat the opponent'' popped up. Daichi figured it must be because of his overwhelming strength. The spar began but neither one made any moves. Sasuke observed Daichi and seeing that he wasn''t making any moves Sasuke rushed at him. Daichi stood in his spot and easily blocked the incoming attacks. He wanted to see how fast Sasuke had become before counter attacking. ''He''s definitely been training harder than before. Based on his current speed and strength he could easily defeat anyone in the class and maybe even several senior students. It seems being second has given him a driving force.'' Daichi casually blocked a punch aimed at his face and held on to the fist. Sasuke immediately tried to get out of it by attacking him with his other limbs but it was for naught. Daichi easily evaded the strikes and counterattacked. Within a few seconds Sasuke was on the ground wheezing. He looked up and saw a finger pointed at the middle of his forehead. "Match over. Daichi is the winner." Daikoku sensei called the match. He was observing Daichi much more than Sasuke. ''He''s gotten a lot stronger since the last spar. His chakra hasn''t fluctuated and neither has his breathing. This was far too easy for him. He won''t learn anymore if he stays in this grade. I should speak with the Hokage.'' Daichi and Sasuke made the seal of Reconciliation. Even though Sasuke was displeased with it. And with that last spar, the exams came to an end. A couple days passed and the results were out. Daichi retained his top spot with Sasuke as the second. Naruto was somewhere in the middle to lower end of the class rankings. The last day of classes for the second year came to an end. Kensei had come home from his trip a few days prior. He shared stories with Daichi and took him to Shi Fang''s restaurant the day the academy closed. Both of them had special meals in celebration of Daichi results. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daichi was laying in bed looking at the clock. A few seconds after it struck midnight several notifications popped up. Ongoing Quest - ¡®Path to the strongest.¡¯ 2nd Year tasks successfully completed. Distributing the Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Distributing New Skill reward for learning new jutsu. Special Reward: Title: Dungeon Warrior. Note: Apprentice Dungeon Warrior title has been replaced by the new title ¡®Dungeon Warrior¡¯ (This title will increase all your stats by 15% when fighting inside a dungeon.) New Skill: Plunderer. "Plunderer huh¡­ I wonder what kind of a skill that is?" Daichi clicked on the skill. A new information box popped up. Plunderer - Passive (LV. MAX): This passive skill allows the user a certain chance to plunder a skill, special ability or a jutsu from the targets the user kills. The user can choose to absorb or abandon the plundered reward. The user will only get a single reward per kill if the Plunderer skill is triggered. The chances of obtaining skill or jutsu from the killed enemy is 10%. The chances of obtaining special abilities or bloodline limits is 1%. "HOLY FUCK¡­" Daichi''s eyes almost popped out of his skull. ''I can get jutsu or special abilities from people I kill? Is that limited to the real world or would this skill activate if I kill dungeon ninjas? Even if there is only a 10% chance for a skill or jutsu to drop, it is still a massive advantage. I had killed 167 ninjas in the last dungeon. If I had this skill before, I could have had about a dozen new skills. This is definitely an OP passive ability.'' ''And the chance of obtaining a special bloodline limit¡­ Even if it''s only a 1% chance¡­ I need the ¡®luck¡¯ stat. Have to find a way to unlock it somehow. That stat would definitely help me with this skill.'' Daichi thought about the usefulness of this passive ability. He wanted to test it out immediately but he restrained himself. ''This skill description clearly says the targets I kill and not defeat¡­ I can''t go around killing people in the real world. But in the dungeons it''s an entirely different story. If this skill works on the dungeon ninjas then my dungeon runs just became much more crucial to my growth.'' ''This is an excellent reward. Thank you system. I''ll be sure to put it to good use.'' Satisfied with the rewards, Daichi went to sleep. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 57 – Interlude 02 – Daichi and the Rookie 6 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Ghaa¡­ That written exam was so tough. I didn''t even understand some of the questions." Naruto sat under the shade of a tree near the Academy and lightly wailed. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Kiba and Sakura were sitting nearby. They sighed hearing him complain. "Well that''s what happens when you don''t study and goof off." Sakura replied. "But Sakura I did try to study. I spent all day yesterday trying to learn the chapters." Naruto said in an almost whiny tone. The pink haired academy student just sighed and shook her head as she listened to him. Even though her mother warned her to stay away from him she didn''t. One of the few times she has disobeyed her parents. After he helped rescue Yota, she decided to give him a chance and soon became friends with him. "Calm down Naruto. You''ll be fine. You''ll pass." Shikamaru said in a nonchalant tone. "Why do you say that Shikamaru?" Naruto was curious as to how he would know. "Because I''ve looked over all the questions. And some were easy enough that I''m sure even you got them right. That along with your Taijutsu results will definitely get you a passing grade. You''ll be in the lower half of the rankings though." Shikamaru said while looking at the clouds. He found them relaxing and it would always help sleep quicker. "But I don''t just wanna pass¡­ I wanna be the best. I want to take the number spot." Naruto smiled and boldly said. "HA!! Keep dreaming. That''s not ever going to happen." Ino immediately replied in a haughty tone when she heard him. She was fixing Sakura''s hair and was in the middle of adding some colorful flower to match the pink hair when she heard Naruto. "Oh yeah?" Naruto stood up and challenged her. "Yeah." Ino stood up as well and glared at him. Both of them glared at each other. Metaphorical sparks could be seen flying between them. But before it escalated Choji spoke up. "I''m sorry Naruto but I''m gonna have to agree with Ino on this. You could become strong and climb up the rankings but I don''t think you''ll be able to take the number one spot." Choji was eating his favorite brand of chips as he said those words. Naruto looked incredulous as he heard those words. "Choji''s right you know. Besides you do realize who you have to beat to take that spot, don''t you?" Kiba fed Akamaru some dog treats as he asked Naruto that question. Naruto knew the answer to that question. He sighed and sat down. "I''m gonna train hard and one day I''m gonna beat Sasuke and then Daichi too." He declared to the group. After a few seconds of silence he asked the question that was on his mind. "How is he so strong anyway...? Well it doesn''t matter. Soon I''m gonna defeat him." Ino smirked hearing him. "Well it''s not a crime to have wishful thinking." "Hrr¡­Now you''re just asking to be pranked." "Oh yeah. Just try it." Ino narrowed her eyes and looked at Naruto. After a few seconds Naruto averted his gaze and mumbled something about girls and wisely decided to keep quiet. Shikamaru listened to his friends and shook his head. "What a drag." "Speaking of who, Where is Daichi anyway?" Kiba asked the group. "I think I know." Sakura had a thoughtful look on her face as she tried to recall where she saw Daichi. "I saw him go to the library to take out a few books. He''s probably there reading." "He''s always reading. You''d think after the exams he''d loosen up a bit¡­ He hasn''t even joined me in playing pranks on anyone yet." Naruto crossed his arms and said. "And you wonder why he''s at the top." Ino remarked from the side lines. It was at that moment, Choji who was eating his snacks saw Daichi heading towards them. "Speak of the devil, look who''s coming." The group looked ahead and saw Daichi coming. Ino slightly panicked. "Oh my god!!! Daichi''s coming here.!! Sakura, how''s my hair?" "Calm down Ino. You''re fine." Sakura smiled at her friend and her reaction to Daichi. It was obvious to everyone in the group she had a crush on Daichi. Naruto decided to get some payback and started teasing her. "Looks like somebody has a crush on Daichi¡­" Ino looked at Naruto''s smirking face. "You better keep quiet or I''ll beat you up." Naruto was about to retort when Shikamaru placed a hand on his mouth, stopping him. "Do you want her to be annoying for the rest of the day?" Shikamaru whispered to Naruto. Naruto thought for a few seconds and answered. "You have a point." He decided to stay quiet and quit while he was ahead. By that time Daichi reached them. "Hey guys. What are you all up to?" "Nothing much. Just sitting around. You wanna join us?" Ino smiled and asked him. "Sure." Daichi sat near Kiba and Choji. "So what are you guys talking about?" "Oh you know. Nothing interesting. Tell us about your day. What were you up to?" Ino asked as she scooted closer to him. She had a small blush on her face. Everyone except Daichi looked at her and thought the same thing. ''Wow. She¡¯s got it bad for him.!" "It was boring Ino. Nothing interesting happened. Just took out a few books from the library." Daichi replied while taking some chips from Choji''s bag. "What kinda books?" Kiba was curious. He wanted to know what Daichi took now that the exams are over. "Just a few on chakra nature." Daichi replied nonchalantly. Everyone except Shikamaru didn''t know the implications of that statement due to their lack of knowledge on the subject. They thought it was something that would be taught next year in the academy and didn¡¯t think much about it. But Shikamaru knew. He was keeping a calm face but inwardly he was startled. He pretended to look at the clouds but discreetly looked at Daichi from the corner of his eyes. ''Chakra Nature? When dad taught me the shadow imitation jutsu, he talked about this stuff. I remember him saying that I would only start learning about it after I became a Genin or Chunin. He said most people only start on it after they become chunin. Was he wrong?... No. That''s not it¡­ The fact that Daichi is already taking out books on that topic means he''s intending to train in it. And soon¡­ This guy. Just how far ahead of us is he?'' He looked at the books in Daichi''s hand and quickly memorized their titles. The young Nara watched Daichi make conversations with everyone around him. He remembered the Taijutsu fight between Daichi and Sasuke. ''He''s gotten a lot stronger than before. He was able to easily beat Sasuke. Even more easily than the last time they fought. I''m sure Daikoku sensei saw it too. So there is a chance Daichi would be allowed to skip a grade or two. How is he getting so strong so quickly?'' Shikamaru sighed and looked back at the clouds. ''Its too much of a drag to think about it. And it''s none of my business anyway.'' "Hey Daichi! Since there are no classes for the next two weeks, you wanna hangout and play? We built a kick-ass tree fort near the one we made for Yota. You wanna join us?" Kiba was excited at the prospect of playing around with his friends. "Arf.." Akamaru walked up to Daichi and licked his palm. "Hahaha¡­ That tickles Akamaru." Daichi rubbed Akamaru before looking at Kiba. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he answered Kiba. "Sorry Kiba. But I won''t be able to make it. Got some training to do." "You always say that. We hardly ever get the chance to hangout with you." Naruto said to Daichi. "Yeah. Come on Daichi. It''ll be fun." Ino joined Naruto in trying to convince him. Daichi politely smiled at them and declined. "Next time guys. I promise." Hearing his words dimmed Naruto and Ino''s smiles. Seeing this, Daichi quickly added. "I''m here now. Why don''t we play some games." They smiled again upon hearing him. The group stayed there for over 3 hours playing around and goofing off before most of their parents showed up. Naruto waved his friends goodbye with a smile on his face. Now it was only Daichi and Naruto left in the grounds. Once they left, Naruto turned to Daichi. "It''s getting late. I better head home." Naruto had a wide smile as he said those words. Daichi had an impassive face as he looked at his friend. He sighed as he saw right through Naruto''s facade. "It''s okay you know." He slowly spoke. Naruto looked at him with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?" "To feel sad. Lonely. You don''t have to keep pretending." Daichi''s words erased the smile from Naruto''s face. He kept quiet and looked downcast. "It hurts sometimes." Naruto spoke in a low voice. "I know¡­ But I want you to remember something¡­" Daichi placed both hands on Naruto''s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I want you to always keep these words in your heart." Naruto looked at Daichi and waited for him to speak. "No one in this world is born to be alone. No matter who tells you what, remember these words. Everyone has someone. You may not have a family¡­ But you have great friends. Loyal friends. Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Kiba and me. And you''ll make a lot more in the future. Friends that have your back no matter what. So turn that frown upside down and cheer up blondie." Daichi smiled as he said the last part. Naruto looked at him with wide eyes. He quickly rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and smiled. Daichi could tell that it was a genuine happy smile. "Thanks Daichi." "Come on. I''ll walk you home." Daichi and a happy Naruto left the grounds. Naruto was elated and so happy that not even the glares of the villagers bothered him. Once he reached home, he parted ways with Daichi in a cheerful mood. ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile Shikamaru was walking alongside his father as they headed for their home. Shikaku turned to his son and noticed the pensive look on his face. "You look like you have something serious on your mind. What is it?" The Jonin commander asked. Shikamaru looked at his father and sighed. "Yeah¡­ Can you tell me about ''change in chakra form'' and ''change in chakra nature'' ?" Shikamaru''s question startled Shikaku. He never expected such a question to come from his son''s mouth at this moment. "Where did you learn those terms?" "I saw someone take a few books out with those labels. I was just curious." Shikamaru gave a vague reply. Shikaku looked at his son for a few seconds and then answered. "Change in chakra form and change in chakra nature are an advanced form of chakra control. They''re something we start to learn when we become chunin. Those who are talented learn about them when they¡¯re genin and start training in them earlier. Those are two important aspects that deal with creating or modifying a jutsu." Shikamaru nodded as he listened to his father''s words. Shikaku continued, seeing that he had his son''s undivided attention. "Now change in chakra form or shape transformation as some call it, controls the form, movement and potency of a person''s chakra. It determines the size, range and purpose of a jutsu¡­ Now, change in chakra nature or nature transformations deals with molding and defining the nature of a person''s chakra¡­ Do you remember what I told you about chakra natures?" Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. You said there were 5. Wind, fire, water, earth and lightning. And each person has one of the 5 chakra natures." "Yes. But there''s a lot more to it than that. I''m not going to get into all the details so I''ll be brief. Everyone has a certain chakra nature predisposed to them when they are born. It''s their primary chakra affinity. Jutsu that uses this nature would be easier for them to learn and uses much less chakra. But with enough training a person can acquire a secondary affinity and maybe even a third. But people who achieve this are usually Jonins." "What? It''s that difficult?" Shikamaru was surprised. "Yes. Training these chakra control techniques takes years and years to master. Most people only acquire a secondary nature by the time they become a Jonin. It''s extremely difficult training. That''s all you need to know about that for now." "I see." Shikamaru looked ahead as he heard his father. He only now understood the true distance between himself and Daichi. "Why the sudden interest in this topic Shikamaru?" "It''s nothing dad. I was just curious about something." Seeing his son not intending to elaborate, Shikaku let it go. Shikamaru was once again deep in his thoughts. He remembered Daichi''s words during the first day in the academy. "My goal is to be the strongest." He also remembered the scene of Daichi confronting the Anbu. ''When we couldn''t even see those people move, Daichi was able to not only see them but he was fast enough to react and block their strike. And their killing intent didn''t even faze him¡­ Now he''s taking out books on advanced chakra control stuff. He''s getting ready to take his training to the next stage.'' Shikamaru sighed thinking about the goals and ambition of his other friend. ''Looks like your goal of taking the first spot just got a lot harder. I wish you goodluck¡­ Naruto.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 58 – Interlude 03 – The Council Elders and Ren Uchiha. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage Residence In a private chamber in the Hokage residency, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his three advisors were having a meeting. Homura Mitokado, a former member of Team Tobirama sat to his right while Koharu Utatane positioned on Hiruzen''s left. And directly across from him is his friend/rival and the commander of the root forces, Danzo Shimura. The meeting had a slightly tense atmosphere due to the topic of their discussion. "The Uchiha are getting more and more restless with each day. It won''t be long before they launch the coup d''etat. We need to handle them before anything happens." Danzo''s voice was stern and it showed no hint of mercy. "The Uchiha clan are formidable. It won''t be easy to do something like that. And besides they are one of the founding clans of the village. We can''t just attack them out of nowhere. It would destabilize the village." Hiruzen countered. Hearing Hiruzen''s words, councilor Homura gave his thoughts on the matter. "I understand your points and concerns Hiruzen. But if Fugaku launches the coup d''etat, then there will be severe casualties. And the village will become destabilized nonetheless and the other nations will take that opportunity to attack us." Hiruzen grunted hearing him. He knew Homura was right but it didn''t sit right with him to attack the clan out of nowhere like that. "Both Danzo and Hiruzen make good points. But both of those plans have demerits to them as well¡­" Koharu said. The rest turned to her. "If we launch a preemptive attack and kill the conspirators then we can stop the coup before it even starts. But it would lead to resentment from the Uchiha''s that remain alive. And they could plot another coup again. And also, the other clans would become wary of us. This would build a rift within the village and any outsider would be able to take advantage of it." Koharu stopped for a moment and looked at them. She continued after a few seconds. "On the other hand if they successfully launch the coup d''etat then there will be deaths on both sides. The village and the clan will suffer casualties and it would weaken the village and the Fire nation as a whole. The Tsuchikage and Raikage are currently looking for any weaknesses we might present. They would definitely attack us and it would start another war." She stopped and sighed. "Both options have their merits and demerits. So we need to proceed carefully." Hiruzen and Danzo became quiet after hearing her words. They knew she was right. This was a delicate matter that had to be dealt with carefully. "Whatever decisions we make we have to do it quickly. Time is running out. We need to come up with a plan." Homura crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Has Itachi given any updates?" "Yes. They haven''t yet decided when to launch the coup. But Itachi tells me they are gathering resources like battle gears and weapons and preparing themselves. But it''s a slow process since they don''t want to bring attention to themselves." Hiruzen replied with a downcast expression. "Tobirama sensei warned us of the Uchiha. We should have kept a much closer eye on them. If we had we wouldn''t have suffered an attack and lost a Hokage." It was a slight jab at Hiruzen from Danzo. The third Hokage reduced some restrictions placed on the Uchiha clan during his reign before the ninetails attack. He believed the Uchiha would become more comfortable and integrate more with the village with time. Hiruzen didn''t rise to the bait and stayed quiet. "This is no time for your old rivalry Danzo. We need to stick together and figure out a plan." Koharu slightly rebuked the one eyed root leader. "Right now we have Itachi working undercover and he''ll inform us if they decide to try anything. So for the moment let''s try to settle this diplomatically. The Uchiha clan hasn¡¯t attacked us yet. So there is still time for negotiations." Homura remarked and they all sat in silence. "What a truly troubling time." Hiruzen mumbled but the other three heard it. Hiruzen looked at his advisors. "I had hoped Itachi would have been able to persuade Fugaku from this course of action but with each day it seems more and more unlikely. Still¡­ You''re right Homura. They haven''t done any damage so far. I''ll try to come up with a viable plan and settle this peacefully." He sighed and got up from his seat. "Let''s adjourn for now. I still have much work to complete back at the office." The Hokage was about to leave when Danzo stopped him. Danzo looked his friend in the eyes and had a serious expression. "Hiruzen. The Uchiha is an important military force in the village. If anything happens to them we will be severely weakened. I understand that. But¡­ If they decide to move forward with this ridiculous plan of theirs, then they will force my hand¡­" "Danzo¡­" Hiruzen saw his resolute face and knew he wouldn''t be able to change his mind. "If anything happens¡­ I will move to protect the village. No matter the cost¡­" Danzo stared at Hiruzen for a few more seconds after saying those words and then slowly left. "He''s more extreme than usual¡­" Koharu muttered looking at the retreating back of their fellow advisor. "Let''s just hope everything gets settled peacefully." Homura added and both of them left. Hiruzen stood there with a heavy heart. ''I should be enjoying my retirement right now. Spending time with my family and smoking myself to death. But instead I''m here trying to stop what might become the linchpin to the fourth great war¡­ I can''t believe I''m resenting you for dying, Minato..'' The Hokage then left his residence and made his way to his office. Hiruzen stamped the documents piled up after going through them. He assigned missions to the teams and went through the budget of the village. He looked over the various papers and after several hours he was almost done. At that moment a chunin walked in with his schedule for the next day and a message. "Lord Hokage. Daikoku Funeno is here to see you." She informed him. "Send him in." Hiruzen motioned. The chunin left and shortly afterwards the academy instructor came in. "Lord Hokage." Daikoku sensei greeted his leader. "I take it the academy exams have been completed." Hiruzen asked him. "Yes sir. They went without any problems." The class instructor nodded. "So what''s this about?" The Hokage asked him. "I came mainly for two reasons. Both of them are in my class." Daikoku started. "Go on." "The first is regarding a student named Daichi Hekima. He''s at the top of the class and I''ve gone through his exams papers shortly before coming here. He''ll retain his top spot in the class for the second year as well.." "Hmmm¡­ Daichi huh. I''m aware of the boy. I know he''s talented. But you wouldn''t be here if it was just that, would you? So what is it?" Hiruzen asked him. He was curious as to what the teacher wanted. "I''ve been keeping an eye on his progress throughout the year. And during his latest Taijutsu fight with Sasuke Uchiha I noticed that he was holding back by a wide margin. He is far above the current grade. He won''t learn anything from class if he stays with the current year students. So I believe it would be best for him to skip a year and jump ahead¡­" Daikoku stopped and looked at the Hokage. Hiruzen went over the information he had on the boy. After reading the reports from Anbu on Daichi''s skills from the Yota incident, he was inclined to believe and agree with the academy instructor. "So he''s grown to such a point huh. If you''re telling me he''s ready to jump ahead then I believe you. I''ll take your words into consideration. I''ll talk with Daichi and see if he''s interested in skipping ahead¡­" "Thank you sir¡­ He has great potential. It would be a waste if he stayed in the academy any longer than he had to." Daikoku said with a smile. He was always happy to spot talents and help them. "Now what''s the second thing you wanted.?" At this question Daikoku''s face became somewhat serious. "The next matter is somewhat more difficult to address¡­" Seeing Daikoku''s face Hiruzen had an idea as to what it might me. "Does this have anything to do with Naruto.?" He asked in a neutral tone. Daikoku sensei took a short breath and answered. "Yes sir." Hiruzen sighed hearing the answer. He knew the boy was a troublemaker. ''It seems the boy''s antics are getting to the teachers.'' "What did he do?" Hiruzen asked the chunin ninja. "Well¡­.." Daikoku knew that the Hokage looked out for the boy. So he chose his words carefully and began his explanation. ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Somewhere in the Uchiha Clan district. Ren Uchiha was walking down the road with a solemn gaze. He had just left another secret clan meeting in the Naka Shrine. The agendas put forward in the meeting were weighing down on him. Before long he reached his home and was embraced by his beloved wife. "You look¡­ afraid. What''s wrong?" Kimiko asked him. "It''s the clans'' decisions. They''re going to go through with the coup. They''re preparing." Ren said with a tired voice. "How long¡­ ?" Kimiko knew what would happen if the clan launched an attack on the village. "There isn''t much time left. 1 or 2 months at most. They''re gathering weapons and other utilities to fight¡­ It''s going to be a bloodbath." Ren was loyal to the Uchiha but he was also someone who deeply cared about the village. He couldn''t go against the clan but he was determined to not attack the village. Kimiko held her husband tightly. "I still don''t understand why Fugaku would go through with something like this¡­" "It''s not just Fugaku. Yashiro is providing him with some top secret information. I have no idea where he''s getting them from¡­ But he was able to convince a lot of members that this is the only way. And Inabi and Tekka are also backing Yashiro with this plan." "So they were able to convince everyone.?" "Most¡­ Some still disagree and think that launching a coup is extreme but¡­ Those numbers are dwindling with each day." Ren saw that his friends and co-workers were getting swayed to the other side as each day passed. "I can understand their frustration and anger." Kimiko''s words shocked Ren. "What? So you agree with them?" "No I don''t agree with the coup d''etat plan¡­ But considering how the village treats us these days¡­ I can understand their anger. I''m not siding with them. But I get where their resentment comes from." Kimiko replied. Ren knew what she was talking about. Ever since that night 7 years ago, everything changed. "Nobody trusts our clan after the Nine tails attack. They think we had something to do with it. And now¡­ Everything is spiraling out of control." It was at that moment they heard the cries of their daughter. Kimiko went to her crib and picked her up. "If the clan attacks the village, one of two things will happen. We win but suffer many deaths and weaken the clan. It will lead to other clans or other villages taking advantage of the situation and it will only create more chaos." "Two¡­ We all die. Or even if the leaf decides to be merciful and spare those of us who were against the idea, the villagers would look at us as traitors for the rest of our lives." Kimiko then looked at the baby in her arms. "They would look at our little girl as if she was a criminal. Treat her like a traitor. Like they''re doing to that Naruto boy¡­ Even if she had nothing to do with this¡­ The people would still blame her and take their anger out on her." Hearing his wife''s words Ren closed his eyes as if he was in pain. Kimiko looked at her sleeping daughter. After a few moments she made a choice. "I don''t want that¡­" Ren looked at his wife. Kimiko looked at Ren and spoke of an idea she just had. "I don''t want our daughter to grow up and be treated like a criminal¡­Let''s¡­ Lets leave the village?" "What?" Ren had wide eyes as he heard his wife. "When the clan launches the coup, we leave the village. Both the clan and the village will be fighting each other. That will be our opportunity to escape. Once we leave, we don''t look back. We''ll find someplace far away... I can''t go against the clan but I won''t support their decision either. This is the only solution I can think of." Kimiko explained. "Kimiko. If we do this¡­ we''ll be leaving everything and everyone behind. And where would we even go?" Ren asked her. "I''m sure we can find some place. Don''t forget. I do have some training in infiltration and espionage. I''m sure we can find someplace safe and survive. What do you say?" Ren thought about the plan. After thinking about it for a while he wanted to make sure this was what she wanted. "Are you sure about this Kimiko?" "Yes. For our daughter." Kimiko nodded. Ren hugged his wife and child. "For our daughter¡­ It''s decided. The night the Uchiha clan launches the coup, we escape the village. And we don''t look back." In the coming weeks they would make preparations to leave undetected. Ren memorized an escape route that would have the least resistance. They slowly liquidated their assets without attracting attention. They would go through the plan everyday to make sure they covered everything. But what they didn''t know was that they would never get the chance to enact that plan. Author¡¯s Note: Just Read One Piece 1051. SUPERB!!!! Who else thought Momonosuke turned into a handsome adult.? If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 59 – A Decision to Make. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage¡¯s Office. Hiruzen watched Daikoku leave his office. He let out a tired breath. He rubbed his forehead as his mind went through the events of the day. Hiruzen had a lot on his plate and he was beginning to feel the strain. ''More and more problems keep popping up¡­ One headache at a time I suppose.'' Hiruzen took his pipe and filled it with something strong to calm his nerves. He lit it and started smoking. ''I better look into what Naruto is up to right now.'' The Hokage took out the crystal ball and used the Telescope jutsu. He focused on Naruto''s chakra and within seconds he found who he was looking for. He saw the little troublemaker playing with his classmates on the grounds near the academy. He saw the smile on Naruto''s face and it made him feel slightly better. It was then that he noticed the parents of the other children coming to collect them. Once they were gone only Daichi and Naruto remained. Hiruzen noticed Daichi intently looking at Naruto. He focused chakra to the ball so he could listen in on their conversation. He listened to their conversation and became happy that Naruto had found such a good friend. He watched Daichi comfort Naruto and accompany him to his home. ''He has a good heart. I was not wrong about him.'' Hiruzen then thought about Daikoku''s notes and request to allow Daichi to skip a year. ''Naruto just found a good friend. If I allow Daichi to get ahead he''ll lose that friendship¡­. But at the same time Daichi has great potential. Daikoku was right about that. If he stays in that class he''ll be wasting his time.'' Hiruzen wasn''t sure about what to do. ''On one hand I don''t want to separate Naruto and Daichi. But on the other hand Daichi could get more benefits from the academy if he gets ahead and it''ll also save him a year¡­. What should I do?'' After some time thinking it over, Hiruzen made a decision. ''I''ll ask Daichi. This is his decision after all.'' "Eagle." Hiruzen called out in a low voice. An Anbu appeared in an instant, kneeling before the Hokage. "Inform Kensei Yasaji and Daichi Hekima that I have summoned them for a meeting tomorrow morning." "Yes lord Hokage." The Anbu vanished as quietly and quickly as he came. Kensei Yasaji''s Home. Daichi got home about an hour ago. He freshened up, ate some food and went for a walk around the house. Daichi enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and the beautiful nature. He sometimes missed the modern technologies he was accustomed to in his previous life but when he thought about what he currently had, those feelings disappeared. Daichi reached the garden he had grown over the last 3 years. He started watering the plants and removed a few dying stems. It started out with 3 flowers but as time passed by he bought more and more and added to the garden. With how careful and meticulously Daichi worked on the garden it wasn''t long before the results started showing. He was able to grow it from a weed filled disaster to a gorgeous wonder of nature. As Daichi watered the plants he heard the footsteps of his grandfather. Kensei reached and stood next to his grandson. "How were the exams?" Daichi smirked hearing the question. "Do you really have to ask questions you know the answer to, old man?" "You cheeky brat." Kensei''s lips twitched upwards hearing his grandson''s reply. He looked at the garden Daichi had built. He watched the boy work on it 3 or 4 days a week for the last 3 year. Daichi never missed a single week where he didn''t tend to the garden. And now after 3 years it has grown into something magnificent. The garden reminded him of his wife and brought back memories of Fumiyo standing proudly as she looked at the blossoming flowers. "It''s beautiful, Daichi¡­ You''ve worked hard on this garden for the last three years... I never did thank you for it, did I?" Kensei slowly asked. Daichi looked at his grandfather from the corner of his eyes. "And you''ll never have to¡­ Just enjoy the view, Gramps. No need to get so sentimental." Daichi looked at his old man and smiled. Kensei laughed hearing his reply. As both of them stood there enjoying the relaxing moment, they suddenly sensed chakra fluctuations within the barrier of their home. Someone was calling out to them via injecting chakra into the barrier. They went to the gates of the house and found an Anbu waiting for them. "Kensei Yasaji and Daichi Hekima. You have both been summoned for a meeting with the Hokage tomorrow morning. That is all." The Anbu vanished after saying those words. ''So fast. I didn''t even get the chance to use ''Observe'' on him¡­Wonder what that''s about?'' Daichi looked at the empty spot where the Anbu was seconds ago. "You know what that was all about?" Kensei turned to Daichi and asked him. "No clue." Daichi shrugged and replied. "Well he wants to see both of us. So I''m guessing this has something to do with you¡­ I suppose we''ll know when we get there tomorrow." Kensei said and went back to the house. Daichi followed him shortly after. Daichi cooked a simple meal and both of them ate dinner discussing various subjects. Daichi''s mind wandered to the meeting that would take place the next day. ''What does he want with me?'' ¡ª----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Root Base - Somewhere Underground. The sounds of a cane tapping on the hard ground could be heard throughout the dark hallway. Danzo Shimura slowly walked towards his office, hidden deep inside one of the many bases around the village. He reached one of the most guarded rooms in the base. Danzo''s office contained secret documents and other top secret scrolls and items locked inside. 2 Root Anbu were standing guard, along with another hidden in the shadows. "Lord Danzo." They greeted their leader as he came. Danzo entered the room and out of the shadows came a root operative. He kneeled waiting for his orders. "Summon Nero here." "Yes sir." As the operative vanished Danzo sat down and closed his eyes. He had a plan in mind for the Uchiha clan. As he sat there thinking about the future, a Root Anbu appeared. Danzo opened his eyes and looked at the operative. He had two files in his hand. "Did you complete the mission I tasked you with?" Danzo asked in a cold tone. "Yes sir. All the information I''ve compiled on the two targets are here." The root agent handed the folders to Danzo and was dismissed. Danzo opened the first folder. In it was the picture of Sasuke Uchiha. ''Itachi''s one weakness¡­ Sooner or later we will have to go to war with the Uchiha clan. Even though right now Itachi is on the village''s side, there is no guarantee that would be the case for the future. Especially if his little brother''s life is in jeopardy.'' Danzo went over the information contained in the file. He noted the routes Sasuke takes from the Academy to his home. He notes where he spends his time and with whom. His personality, characteristics and even the scores he received in academy were noted in the file. ''In war you must know the weaknesses of your allies just as much as your enemies. You might never know when you have a need for such information.'' The words Tobirama Senju once said to him came to his mind. ''This boy is the key to keeping Itachi under control.'' As Danzo looked over Sasuke''s information he noticed something he half expected. ''It seems he''s in second place again. So I was not mistaken.'' Danzo placed the young Uchiha''s folder beside him and opened the second one. Target number 2 - Daichi Hekima. He started going through the pages inside the file one by one. ''When I heard that a child not from any clan was able to take the first place in a class with the heirs of most clan heads, it really surprised me. It seems my intuition was correct. This boy was able to maintain his position and it seems based on Nero''s observations the boy is considerably stronger than his peers.'' His agent was able to copy the information Daikoku sensei made as well. ''A great potential. His personality needs some corrections but he will be an excellent addition to my forces¡­ Now lets see who his parents are¡­'' Danzo stopped reading when his eyes reached a familiar name. His jaws slightly tightened and his face had a frown as he read the name in his mind. ''Kensei Yasaji¡­'' Danzo read the information his agent gathered. ''Daichi Hekima was adopted three years ago by Kensei Yasaji¡­. Why is it you''re always getting in my way¡­Kensei?'' Danzo closed his eyes and thought about his last confrontation with the man. After a few moments he let out a sigh and opened his eyes. ''Kensei won''t forget his grudges. It seems acquiring the boy will be much more difficult than I thought.'' Danzo read the remaining information on the file. ''Sarutobi will no doubt have this information in his hand. So he would see the value of letting the boy graduate early. I''ll let him go for now. When the boy graduates, I''ll have one of my men be his sensei. That way I can control what missions get assigned to him. I''ll test and see if the boy shows the same potential then, as he shows now. And then he¡¯ll soon be mine.¡¯ Danzo closed both files and locked them in a small safe along with other documents. He then started going through the mission reports his agents had placed on the desk. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hokage¡¯s Office - Next Morning. Daichi and Kensei stood in front of the Hokage as he placed a few documents on the table. He looked at the two and smiled. Daichi smiled back but Kensei simply grunted. "Daichi! Kensei. Thank you for coming." "Of course Lord Hokage¡­ Umm, What is this about?" Daichi greeted and asked the aging leader. "Daikoku sensei came to see me yesterday. Based on his reports and your performance in the academy I''m willing to let you skip a grade. I believe you''re qualified for that." Both Daichi and Kensei were surprised. Daichi thought about the advantages of moving ahead but he was having some doubts. He weighed them in his mind and he was leaning slightly more towards advancing. The indecision was present on his face. Both Hiruzen and Kensei noticed this. Daichi looked at the Hokage and asked. "Can I have a few minutes to think this through?" "Of course. I''ll need to speak with Kensei on another matter. You can wait outside and think it over. I''ll call you back in a few minutes." Hiruzen replied. As Daichi was about to leave Hiruzen spoke up. "Daichi. Before you make a decision, I would like you to hear me out. If you want to advance a year you are free to do so. I will make the arrangements immediately. But I would like you to stay with your peers for a couple more years. I understand that it will not be much beneficial for you but if you do this I will owe you a favor." Daichi and Kensei''s eyes widened as they heard this. A favor from a kage was no small thing. "Are you serious?" Daichi couldn''t help but exclaim. "Yes. A small reasonable favor! But a favor nonetheless." Hiruzen smiled as he looked at Daichi. He could understand that such an offer would be tempting. "Now go on. I''ll call for you in a short while." Daichi left the office thinking about what had just transpired. ''Wow. I did not expect that. The old guy must really want me to stay with my class huh. But why would he care If I stay with them or not¡­? Well it doesn''t matter. I could choose to get ahead. Then I''ll probably be in Neji''s class but¡­ If I stay then the Hokage would owe me a favor. But what should I ask for?'' As Daichi contemplated on what he should ask for, a memory came to him. He suddenly had an idea in mind but he wasn''t sure if it would work. ''I need to be careful. I need to word this right or I might get in trouble.'' Several minutes passed and the doors to the office opened and Kensei came. He and Daichi talked for a minute before they both went inside. "So have you made a decision Daichi?" Hiruzen looked at the young boy. Daichi steeled his nerves and proceeded with his plan. "I have lord Hokage. I''ll stay with my class." Hiruzen slightly smiled hearing the answer. "Thank you Daichi." "Lord Hokage¡­ About that favor. Can I ask for it now?" Daichi cautiously asked. Hiruzen smiled at the boy. He was curious as to what the child would want. "Do you already have something in mind?" Hiruzen asked. Daichi nodded. What he said a few moments later shocked Hiruzen. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 60 – The Favor Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage office - A few minutes ago. Kensei and Hiruzen were discussing the current affairs of the Leaf village. Since what was going to be discussed was issues of a sensitive nature, the Hokage had already dismissed his Anbu and personal guards hidden in the room before Kensei and Daichi came. They talked about the various ongoing events in the village and throughout the 5 great nations. And their talks were winding down. They had a disagreement at the end of their conversation regarding someone. "I suppose only time will tell us who is right." Hiruzen sighed and leaned back in his chair. Kensei merely grunted. "I believe we''ve given Daichi enough time to make a decision. Why don''t you call him in!" Kensei left the room and walked towards Daichi. "Have you made a decision?" He asked the boy when he reached him. Daichi nodded. "I have. But before we go inside... I want to ask you something." "What is it?" "The thing is, during your time away a few weeks ago, I sorta went through some of the scrolls and books in your library." Daichi said with a sheepish smile. "Well I didn''t exactly forbid you from going through them¡­ So I don''t see a problem with it¡­ But what does that have to do with the Hokage?" Kensei was confused as to why his grandson was asking that. "Does he know you research jutsu?" Daichi asked his grandpa. "He does. I was¡­ A former Anbu captain. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were my specialties. He knows I try to study any interesting techniques that appeal to me¡­ That''s not a problem. Most ninjas who are smart and capable do it. It''s not a crime...Well not unless you do something illegal¡­ Again, I don''t understand why this has anything to do with your current predicament.¡± "You''ll see." Daichi only smiled at him and they both went to meet the Hokage. "So have you made a decision Daichi?" The Hokage asked. "I have lord Hokage. I''ll stay with my class." "Thank you Daichi." Watching Hiruzen smile, Daichi decided to put his plan into action. "Lord Hokage¡­ About that favor. Can I ask for it now?" "Do you already have something in mind?" "Yes sir." "Let''s hear it. You''ve piqued my interest." Hiruzen slightly leaned forward and looked at the boy. Daichi took a small breath and continued. His Gamer''s Mind doing an excellent job of keeping him calm and focused. "You see, the thing is, I''m interested in creating Ninjutsu. I want to focus on that field with Taijutsu as secondary. So recently I''ve been looking into some advanced chakra control exercises. And I came across two advanced chakra control exercises required for me to pursue my field of interest." Hiruzen was amazed when he heard Daichi. The fact that a second year academy student would be studying such subjects was very very rare. "You''re talking about change in chakra form and change in chakra nature techniques aren''t you?" The kage wanted to confirm it. "Yes sir." Daichi nodded. "Daichi. I know you''re talented but those are advanced stuff. It would take years to learn, understand and master those chakra control exercises." Hiruzen advised the boy. "I''m aware of that lord Hokage. But I would like to give it a try." Hearing Daichi''s response, Hiruzen sighed. ''He''s talented but it looks like it''s getting to his head. If he starts on those techniques now, it might impede his growth.'' "Daichi. Do you know why most people start to work on those control techniques only after they reach chunin strength?" Hiruzen asked the boy. Daichi shook his head. Seeing this Hiruzen started his explanation. "The training required to master the change in chakra form and change in chakra nature requires a high level of chakra. A person must have at least chunin level reserves before starting on them. Because those chakra control exercises put immense strain on one''s chakra coil and their body. If one doesn''t have enough chakra and try to attempt that training, they would damage their chakra pathways. The only time someone from your age group is eligible to work on those techniques is if they have an exceptionally strong body. They must have at least chunin level chakra reserves and a powerful physique." Hiruzen finished his explanation and he was surprised that there was a smile on Daichi''s face. Daichi couldn''t help but smile as he heard the Hokage. ''It seems my chakra suppression technique is better than I thought¡­ They haven''t been able to sense my true reserves. Time to loosen some of my restraints.'' Daichi slowly released the chakra suppression technique but not all the way. Just enough to show the Hokage that he was capable. Hiruzen and Kensei were shocked as they sensed the chakra increase in the boy. ''He''s been suppressing his chakra!!? Since when did he learn that?'' Kensei looked at the boy in bewilderment. ''I''ll ask him on the way home.'' Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. Hiruzen was also equally shocked. ''His chakra reserves have grown far beyond what someone his age should have. Only someone like a Jinchuriki would be able to surpass him in reserves amongst his peers. And not only that¡­ The chakra suppression technique¡­ It¡¯s almost flawless. He hasn''t yet mastered it but still, to learn and use it to such a degree¡­ I may have severely underestimated his talent.'' Reputation increases with Hiruzen Sarutobi. "I believe I''m eligible to learn those control techniques¡­" Daichi looked at the Hokage with a small smile. Hiruzen had an unreadable expression on his face as he looked at Daichi. His mind was running a mile a minute. ''This child¡­ I made a mistake. Since he has gotten this strong he will only be wasting his time if he stays in the academy. With his growth rate, it would be best if he graduates right now. I have no doubt he''ll ace the graduation exam¡­ But¡­ I''ve already set the minimum age requirement for graduation to be 11¡­. Should I make an exception for him?... No!¡­ This village already has a history of screwing up geniuses before they even reach puberty¡­ Let him stay with his class. This is for the best. Let him grow with his friends. I don''t want him to end up mentally scarred like Kakashi and Itachi. And I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll form some strong bonds with his classmates these next few years.'' Hiruzen sighed and then replied. "Yes. Yes you are qualified. I take it the favor you want, are some control techniques for both those exercises?" He asked. "Not quite." Daichi''s reply confused the old man. "Alright. What is it you want?" Hiruzen asked him with no shortage of curiosity. "A few weeks ago, I was going through some notes Gramps here had in his library. And I came across an interesting jutsu that I think would be perfect for my training." As he heard this, Kensei mentally recalled the techniques he had researched and recorded in his library. But he couldn''t figure out which one caught Daichi''s interest. "What jutsu?" Hiruzen enquired. "The Rasengan." Daichi''s reply was completely unexpected and it shocked both Kensei and Hiruzen. But the Hokage quickly regained his composure. Hearing the name of the jutsu, Kensei thought back to the day he studied it. The fourth Hokage was in his late teens and he had just developed the jutsu. He showed him the technique once. ''I noted down everything I could remember about the technique and I¡­. I stored it in my library¡­ Of course¡­. So that''s your end goal huh Daichi¡­ Not bad.'' "And why do you think the Rasengan would help you with this training?" Hiruzen asked the boy. He wanted to know if Daichi found out the secret of the late fourth Hokage''s jutsu. "Because that jutsu represents the shape transformation technique taken to the highest degree. At least that''s my understanding after reading the notes." Hiruzen narrows his eyes. He wanted to know just how much Daichi knew about the jutsu. "Tell me. What have you figured out about the Rasengan?" Daichi gathered his thoughts and after a second replied. "There were only a few things noted down about the Rasengan. The basics. But based on the information I¡¯ve read I came to a few conclusions. The Rasengan is a powerful jutsu that represents pure shape transformation. Based on my understanding, I would say the jutsu has 3 main components. Rotation, containment and power. The chakra spinning wildly in several directions represents the rotation aspect. And since the chakra is stable and maintains its form, it shows containment of chakra in a specific spot. In this case, the palm of the user." "And finally power. It was noted in the old man''s book that the jutsu was capable of drilling through even solid rocks. It wouldn''t be able to do that if the chakra of the user wasn''t powerful enough." Hiruzen maintained his poker face as he listened to Daichi but in his heart he was astonished. ''To think a child in the academy would figure out the secrets to one of the most powerful and the signature jutsu of a kage¡­ Unbelievable.'' Hiruzen discreetly looked at Kensei to see if he had any direct hand in this. But based on his former Anbu captain¡¯s reactions he concluded that Kensei was just as shocked and surprised as he was. ''Hmmm¡­ Now that I think about it I vaguely remember Kensei asking Minato for a demonstration of the Rasengan. I recall some of the information Kensei noted down. It certainly wasn''t as detailed as Daichi''s analysis.'' Daichi continued. "I believe this jutsu is a shortcut to mastering the change in chakra form. The usual shape transformation exercises would help me but it would take me much longer to master my chakra control with them. But if I master this jutsu I''ll be able to significantly reduce my time." ''And now I have an excuse to use this jutsu if I get into any tight spots. I have no interest in making this my signature jutsu like Naruto but this will definitely come in handy in tough situations.'' Daichi thought in his mind. "It seems you''ve figured out most of the jutsu. So what''s the favor you want." Hiruzen spoke once Daichi finished his explanation. "On my own I''ll be able to figure out how to learn the jutsu and I will. But it will take me time. Time I could spend on other subjects. So it would help me a lot if you know any training methods to master the Rasengan at a faster rate." Daichi asked politely and kept a calm face. Hiruzen looked at the boy for several seconds and then sighed. Reputation increases with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Daichi saw the notification and became excited but he kept a cool face. "I suppose I do owe you a favor don''t I?... Alright. It would be beneficial if you had something challenging to keep you occupied during your time in the academy¡­" The Hokage looked at Daichi and became serious. "The fourth Hokage, after creating the jutsu, invented training methods to make learning the Rasengan easier. I''ll tell you those methods on two conditions. You must not break those conditions under any circumstances. Do you understand?" Looking at the serious face of the Hokage, Daichi quickly nodded. "Yes sir. You have my word." He quickly replied. Hiruzen merely grunted. "The first condition. You must never tell anyone else about the information and secrets you''ve learned about the Rasengan. No other party must get access to this jutsu, especially an outsider or a foreign ninja. In the wrong hands this jutsu is capable of great death and destruction. So tell no one. Not even your peers. The only people that are exempt from this condition are Kakashi Hatake and Jiraiya. Remember those names." Seeing Daichi nod, the Hokage slightly relaxed and smiled. "The second condition is¡­ When you master the Rasengan, you come and show me. If you do in fact master the Rasengan by the time your next semester ends, then I''ll give you some beginner change in chakra nature control techniques¡­ Deal?" Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard the offer. He didn''t hesitate a second and agreed. "Yes sir. It''s a deal. And I''ll have this jutsu mastered by the end of October." "I look forward to it." Hiruzen smiled at the boy. ''His eagerness to learn. His intellect and ability to analyze a jutsu. He reminds me a lot of myself.'' "Now, listen carefully. There are 3 steps to mastering the Rasengan¡­" Hiruzen began his explanation and told Daichi of the training methods. It was the methods Jiraiya showed Naruto during their search for Tsunade. ''Popping the water balloon for mastering rotation, destroying a rubber ball for power and maintaining a balloon without it blowing up¡­ It seems the training is the same as the ones I know. Good¡­'' Daichi thought to himself. The meeting between the three soon came to an end. Daichi left the office in a much happier mood. ''When I thought of this plan, I was banking on my Charisma stat and good will with the Hokage on making this work. I had a feeling that my Charisma stat would influence his decision. And I was right. Now not only do I get the Rasengan but also some control techniques from the Hokage if I master the jutsu in about 7 months. That will be far too easy with my Gamer''s Body. What an ultimate cheat.'' Daichi then thought about the real reason he asked for the Rasengan. ''I could have learned the Rasengan in secret and asked for any other favor. And if I had to reveal it, then when asked I could have just said that I figured it out on my own based on the old man''s notes¡­ But this was the right choice¡­ The Uchiha massacre will happen soon and I see no way to stop it from happening. I''m just an academy student with no real power. If I do anything in regards to the clan then, Itachi, Obito, Fugaku, Hiruzen, Danzo and Zetsu will be after me. I''m not ready to deal with them. If I interfere then the outcome will most certainly be my death and the destruction of the clan will still happen. That is their inescapable fate¡­ The coup is already set in motion. Or at least that should be the case. There are too many powerful people involved in this¡­¡¯ ¡®The outcome of the clan is inevitable¡­ Once the massacre happens there will be friction between the Hokage and Danzo. And if I prove that my talent is greater than the rest then Hiruzen will no doubt want to make sure I don''t end up in Danzo''s hands. The Hokage is a valuable shield that will protect me from the root leader. Learning the Rasengan is an important part of achieving that. Not only that, staying with my year has one other advantage as well.'' "What are you thinking so hard about, kid?" The voice of his grandfather reached Daichi''s ears. Daichi lightly smirked. "Move your enemies. But do not let them dictate your moves¡­ Isn''t that what you once told me, Gramps?" "Hmm! True! I did say that. I also remember saying ''you also shouldn''t underestimate your opponents''..." "Don''t worry. I''m cautious. I always am." Kensei didn''t say anything else and kept walking. Daichi had a calculating glint in his eyes as he looked at the people around him. ''They think I''m a genius but the truth is¡­ I''m just an ordinary guy who possesses the world''s greatest advantages. Future knowledge and my greatest asset - A powerful Gamer System. I so do love the Gamer''s ability.'' Daichi internally smirked as he walked down the road with his grandfather. ''You are right Sun Tzu. Opportunities multiply as they are seized.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 61 – 1st Special Stat Awakening Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei and Daichi were walking down the cobbled street. Their heads, still processing what had happened. "That was a dangerous game you played." Kensei said lightly to Daichi. Daichi looked at the old man from the corner of his eyes. Noticing the boy''s look, Kensei elaborated. "The Rasengan is a jutsu exclusive to the leaf village and even then only 2 people currently alive know it according to my knowledge. So you, asking for that technique¡­" Kensei trailed off and he let out a small sigh. "Still I guess everything worked out in the end." Daichi knew what his grandfather had meant. ''It was a dangerous gamble. But I''ve won. Still¡­ He''s right. I need to keep my head down and not cause any more wild waves. Now that the Hokage knows I''m much more than ordinary he''ll definitely keep an eye on me. And then Danzo won''t be far behind either.'' "I understand your point gramps. But this would help me with my training. So I had to take a shot." Daichi replied in a small voice. Kensei merely grunted in response. They went to a nearby store and bought enough balloons and rubber balls for the training and made their way home. As they were nearing their home Kensei thought about the offer the Hokage made at the end. ''Hiruzen knows I''m displeased with some of the elements within the village and some of its philosophies. But he doesn''t have a clear understanding¡­ He knows I''m loyal to the village but he also knows that I''m against some of his policies. Still¡­ He doesn''t want to take any chances with Daichi. Seeing the boy''s progress definitely startled Hiruzen. He doesn''t want me to spread my ideals to the boy more than I already have¡­ It''s why he offered to give advanced chakra control as a reward¡­ He wants to keep Daichi close and instill in him the loyalties he expects of a leaf ninja¡­ Just like he did with Hotaru.'' Kensei''s fists clenched as memories of what happened to his son came to his mind. A few seconds later his anger vanished and a small smile spread on his face. He discreetly looked at Daichi and his mind went to their first talk in Shi''s restaurant. ''You''re going to be in for a surprise Hiruzen. This kid won''t let anyone lead him by the nose¡­ And something tells me Daichi already saw through Hiruzen''s recruitment attempt¡­ I don''t have to worry about him¡­'' Both of them reached their home and went to do their own things. Daichi was in his room placing the balloon and rubber balls near his table. ''I''ll start training the Rasengan once I''m done with my stamina stat increase.'' He opened his status page and checked. ''Even with two weeks of training, none of my primary stats have increased since the dungeon run and my stamina stat has only gone up by 1. Now it''s at 99. Just one more and I''m sure it''ll awaken.¡® It was noon that day and Daichi decided to spend the rest of the day training and increasing his stamina. ''Normal physical training isn''t going to cut it. I need to go harder.'' Daichi created 4 shadow clones and had them go through each Ninjutsu one by one until they exhausted their stamina. The real Daichi was wearing weighted training clothes the system gave him and he got into a handstand and started doing push ups. Daichi''s plan was to completely exhaust his chakra and physical stamina. He was also going to train his telekinesis. In front of Daichi were several leaves. He was using his mana power to levitate them. And hold them in the air for as long as possible. As he trained his mind was trying to decipher what exactly Mana powers were. ''Mana powers are definitely not Yin chakra. In fact they have nothing to do with chakra. My tests have confirmed that much. Then what exactly is this?... The information the system gave says it''s an energy produced from my mind. It specifically said an intelligent mind¡­ Is that a clue?'' Daichi was doing his exercise and keeping the leaves in the air as he contemplated the workings of his powers. Daichi had studied the brain and its functions after he had received the Mana power. He recalled that information. And then something else came to his mind. ''As I understand, Mana isn''t an ability exclusive to me. The invisibility cloak. Atamagai'' cloak also uses Mana power. That means there''s a possibility that its creator Atamagai used Mana or at least understood it. Otherwise he wouldn''t have been able to incorporate Mana power usage into the seal inscribed on the cloak. So what makes us special¡­'' Daichi thought about this question for a while and then the answer came. ''Intelligence. Could that be the answer I''m looking for?... I doubt that guy had the gamer ability but somehow he was able to use Mana. The system said Mana is an energy produced by an intelligent mind¡­ that''s the key.'' Sweat rolled down Daichi''s face and body as he pushed himself upwards. The shadow clones using up chakra the same time he was completing physical exercise, increased the pressure on him. Even as he was getting tired a smile formed on his face. ''Brain Waves¡­ That''s the answer. Somehow my brain is able to produce energy that''s able to interact with the world¡­. Just like radio waves, microwaves or electromagnetic waves¡­ They all interact with the world. We may not be able to see them but they are there¡­ And it seems Mana power is the same case. Some kind of energy or brain wave produced by my brain that interacts with the world¡­ So that''s why the system said Mind enhancing techniques would be much easier¡­ Those types of techniques probably don''t require much energy due to being used by my brain and they might be easier to learn than techniques like Telekinesis that interact with the world¡­ '' Daichi''s smile widened at the implications. ''Even if I get into a situation where I won''t be able to use chakra I can fall back on this. And not only that. With more stat points in intelligence and wisdom I can increase my Mana power. I could become OP with just this power alone¡­.'' As Daichi was dreaming about his future Mana capabilities one of the shadow clones dispelled. Skill Fire affinity''s level has risen by one. Skill Tree walking technique''s level has risen by one. Ninjutsu Fire Style - Dragon Fire Jutsu has leveled up. ''Looks like my clones are trying to level up the tree walking technique too.. Nice. And I have another level up in skill and jutsu. Excellent.'' At that moment a wave of fatigue hit him. His hands slightly trembled but Daichi held still. He took several breaths of air and resumed his workout. Daichi noticed his stamina points decrease a chunk. ''Keep going Daichi. Almost there.'' He decided it was enough push up and flipped in the air and gracefully landed on the ground. Daichi began running around the compound. He kept his speed up but he didn''t go at this fastest. He maintained his speed as he circled the compound. As he completed several rounds the next clone disappeared. Skill Earth affinity''s level has risen by one. Ninjutsu Earth Style - Rock Shelter Jutsu has leveled up. Daichi breathed hard as his chakra and stamina went down another few hundreds of points. But he didn''t stop. Daichi kept running with the weights on. Several minutes later the last two clones also dispelled. Skill Water affinity''s level has risen by one. Skill Water walking technique''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Manipulation¡¯s level has risen by one. Ninjutsu Water Style - Hydro Blast Jutsu has leveled up. x2 Ninjutsu Wind style - Wind Bullet Jutsu has leveled up. Skill Tree walking technique''s level has risen by one. Daichi was panting due to the fatigue hitting him all at once. He went down to one knee and tried to catch his breath as he looked through the blue system messages. ''Looks like the passive skill Absolute Chakra Mastery I got from that Hyuga rip off ninja is really helping me. The speed of my chakra control techniques are improving much faster than I thought.'' Daichi took a few moments and then resumed his training. He completed several body conditioning exercises and pushed himself to go beyond his limits. Daichi watched as his stamina slowly depleted. After several hours of grueling training Daichi was finally successful. +1 STAMINA Your Stamina stat has reached 100 points. You have gained the passive skill Enhanced Stamina. Your SP formula is recalculated and now has increased. Daichi felt as if he regained almost all his strength. ''Wow¡­. What a rush. This feels amazing. It''s like I could go on training like this forever.'' Daichi clicked on the new skill. Enhanced Stamina - Passive (LV. MAX): A passive skill given to the Player when the stamina stat has reached 100. This skill increases the user''s SP and speeds up the user''s stamina recovery by 5 times. Enhanced Stamina is a skill that''s obtained and maxed. Daichi looked over the skill. ''Hmmm¡­ Not much different than the other passive skills I got. But I''m not complaining¡­ Wow!!! Stamina recovery by 5 times¡­ Awesome. This will come in handy for a lot of stuff.'' Daichi giggled as he had some naughty thoughts. He then calmed down and looked at his status page. "Wow. My stamina points shot up to 6695 points. Now there is only a 100 points difference between HP and SP." Seeing that his goal for the day was completed he decided to end the training. Daichi went back to his room to get freshened up and by the time he came down it was dinner time. Daichi and Kensei were eating while they discussed various topics. The majority of them were on what Daichi should be focused on in the coming years during his time in the academy. "Daichi. Are you planning on pursuing any other fields aside from Ninjutsu and Taijutsu?" Kensei asked the boy. "Not particularly. I planned on studying Genjutsu and maybe some Medical Ninjutsu but¡­ I''m not going to actively pursue them." Daichi gave a nonchalant answer. Kensei slightly narrowed his eyes as he listened to the boy. ''If this was before the meeting with Hiruzen, I would have agreed with him. I would have thought it would be too much for him. But now¡­. I''m certain that he''s more than capable of handling multiple subjects at the same time. He won''t be able to fully and efficiently utilize his growth speed if he only studies Ninjutsu and devotes himself to Taijutsu. That''s just wasting his potential¡­'' "Daichi!... What do you think about Genjutsu and medical Ninjutsu?" The old man asked with a neutral face. Hearing his grandfather Daichi thought about the two vast fields. ''I''m immune to Genjutsu thanks to the Gamer''s Mind. And my gamer''s body takes care of injuries with a good night''s sleep. So that''s covered.'' After thinking about it for a minute he gave an answer. "I''ll study them but just enough for me to understand them and be a bit better than the average ninja and maybe learn about a dozen useful jutsus but that''s it. I''m not really interested in going further than that." Daichi''s answer was one Kensei half expected. ''It seems he doesn''t know the true value or the danger posed by Genjutsu users and Medic ninjas¡­ It''s to be expected I guess¡­ Kids are more impressed with flashy stuff like Ninjutsu. Can''t exactly blame him for that. I was the same once¡­. But if he wants to be the best he''ll have to learn them as well. Spend time on them just like he does with Ninjutsu training.'' A smirk appeared on Kensei''s face as he thought of a plan. Noticing his grandfather''s smirk, Daichi was slightly confused. "Daichi! We''re going to battle tomorrow." Kensei suddenly said. "Alright I''ll get ready for our sparring in the morning and be in the room." Daichi replied as he didn''t think much of it. Kensei shook his head. "No. Not a spar. A battle!! We''re going outside. There is a private training ground near here with enough space for us to let loose. We''re going to use everything in our arsenal. No limits." Daichi was shocked as he listened to the old man''s words. Kensei turned serious as he looked at Daichi. "Daichi. Tomorrow we''re going to battle and I want you to come at me with everything you got. Fight with the intent to kill. Because I will¡­" Looking at Kensei''s face Daichi knew the old man was serious. He didn''t know what prompted this sudden change but he was going to be ready. Daichi nodded seriously. Seeing that his grandson took the matter seriously, he internally smirked. ''Tomorrow I''m going to show you the value of the ninja arts you deem unnecessary.'' Author''s Note: I was planning on posting this chapter tomorrow but I decided to do it early. A certain milestone on a certain site (that starts with P and ends with N) has been completed. Thank you for all the love and support you guys show my story. Now onto other matters. I''m thinking about adding a second story. I''m not sure if I should do a one piece story or my hero academia story. I already have an idea as to the powers I want my character in MHA to have. But I''m not sure about the one piece MC. I want my guy to have a logia df. Not the ones used in the show but a new one. Any thoughts?? They are most welcome. Or I wouldn''t mind if it''s a cool paramecia df with potential for unique abilities. As always, If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 62 – The Calamity Tiger – Kensei Yasaji Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Private Training Ground. It was a few minutes past seven in the morning. Daichi and Kensei stood on the training ground facing each other. Kensei was wearing a dark green vest similar to the Jonin vest. He had a kunai holster and shuriken pouch tied on his legs. And on his hands were fingerless black gloves with metal plate covering. He had a tanto strapped to his back along with arm and leg guards. Kensei had a calm but stern expression on his face. As Daichi stood opposite to him, he understood that this would be an entirely different level of battle. He could feel the presence of the veteran ninja pressing down on him. ''He''s not kidding around. It feels as if there''s some sort of pressure exerted on my body. I can''t underestimate him.'' Daichi noticed something strange with Kensei''s left leg. It was something he noticed from the moment they left the house ''He''s not wearing the usual prosthetics. This one looks and helps him move around like a real leg¡­ It looks a lot more advanced than the one he had before. Maybe an advanced puppet prosthetic¡­? Wonder where he got that from?'' Daichi used ''Observe'' on him. Up until then every time he used the information gathering skill on Kensei it wouldn''t reveal anything but today was different. Today he finally saw information on his grandfather and after reading it he became even more serious and slightly nervous. [LV.75](Regressed)[Kensei Yasaji][The Calamity Tiger.] Age: 64 HP: 8533 CP: 8006 [Kensei Yasaji is a retired Jonin and former Anbu captain. He graduated from the academy one year after Hiruzen Sarutobi. He is considered an exceptionally gifted ninja due to his knowledge and usage of several ninja arts. He rescued Fumiyo Aya during a mission and formed a relationship thereafter. He married her and had a son named Hotaru Yasaji. Kensei Yasaji is a talented shinobi who fought in three world wars and completed 1320 missions ranging from Ranks D to S. During the second world war due to his formidable power he earned the nickname ''The Calamity Tiger.'' His primary chakra nature is fire but he is also capable of using earth and wind chakra natures proficiently and has some degree of mastery in water and lightning. Even though he is loyal to the village his philosophies regarding the place have changed due to his bitter experiences throughout the years. He is very fond of you. Due to his age and the injuries he suffered throughout his career, his level, chakra and health points have regressed.] ''That''s a lot of info. Is it because he''s related to me?... Questions for later.'' Daichi read the information displayed as quickly as possible. As he finished reading it Daichi became nervous. ''The Calamity Tiger? So he was strong enough to earn a nickname huh. I need to be extremely cautious. I''m not going to add points to my stats but I won''t hold back either.'' Daichi remembered the quest that popped up when they reached the training grounds a few minutes ago. Quest Created - ''Battle Kensei Yasaji.¡¯ Your grandfather has challenged you to a battle. Fight and give it your all. Conditions: Survive the battle for over 1 hour. Force your opponent to take you seriously. Inflict an injury on your opponent that reduces over 150 HP at once. Defeat Kensei Yasaji. (Bonus) Survive the battle for over 5 hours. (Bonus) Rewards: 20000 Exp. New skill. +2 Level. (Bonus) New weapon. (Bonus) Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. Failure: -1 Level. New Title. Reputation decreases with Kensei Yasaji. Accept (Y/N) Daichi accepted the quest without hesitation and now he was prepared for the fight. "Daichi. Don''t hold back on me just because I''m old and crippled. You''ll learn in a short while that appearances can be deceiving. Do you understand?" Kensei spoke up. "I know." Daichi nodded his head. "I''ll come with the intent to kill." Daichi became serious. But despite the serious situation, due to his many life or death battles in the dungeon, instead of anxiety, Daichi was feeling excitement. "Whenever you''re ready. Come." Kensei spoke up. Daichi took a short breath and let it out. ''Let''s do this!.'' 3 shuriken appeared between Daichi''s fingers on both hands and he flung them as fast as he could at his enemy with precise aim. In the span of mere seconds they neared their target. Kensei stood still and looked nonchalantly at the flying shuriken. He had a smirk on his face as he calculated the trajectory of the shurikens. ''Head, heart, lungs, thighs and arms. All of them aimed to kill and/or immobilize my limbs. Good. It''s good that you''re serious.'' He took a single shuriken from his weapon holster and flung it within an instant. The time for that action to take place was less than one second. Kensei''s shuriken hit the weapon flying at the front and changed its trajectory. And then both weapons hit the others near them and changed their paths as well. In moments all shuriken were deflected from their original paths and flew by Kensei without ever getting near him. Daichi''s eyes widened like dinner plates as he saw the scene. ''With just one shot he changed the paths of all the shurikens coming at him¡­ And the way his arm moved¡­ It was a fluid motion. No wasted energy. Precise and strong and yet graceful¡­ This guy¡­ he''s no joke!!¡­ So this is what a veteran ninja is capable of huh¡­ Incredible.'' Not one to waste time and let the opposite side dictate the battle, Daichi made his move. He created two shadow clones and surrounded Kensei. All of them threw several shuriken at the old man at the same time and then moved to attack him. The real Daichi leapt up and aimed a kunai at Kensei''s head while the clones positioned themselves at Kensei''s front and rear. They ran at him with the intent to engage in hand to hand combat. Kensei took a single glance at the coming projectiles and deflected all of them like before with three shurikens. He then got ready for Daichi and his clones and prepared for the Taijutsu battle that was about to begin. He analyzed the strategy used by his grandson. ''A shuriken attack wave from 3 directions and now a direct attack from 2 sides. If I jump upwards he''s ready to impale me with that kunai.'' He internally smirked. ''A basic attack strategy of a three man team. How childish.'' Kensei easily blocked the punches aimed at him with both hands. The clone''s real intention was to hold his arms so Kensei wouldn''t be able to deflect the kunai Daichi had just thrown. Kensei tilted his head to the side and let the kunai pass him by but suddenly the weapon changed directions and flew back at his head. Daichi smirked as he looked on. ''Look at that. ''Chakra threads'' is such a great skill.'' Kensei pushed against a hand holding him down and used a bit more force to get free but it was too late. The kunai struck his head and was buried deep. Blood gushed out and both clones jumped back while Daichi landed on the ground. He was startled for a moment because it was the first time he saw blood and gore like that. Especially when it was him that inflicted that injury. In the dungeon, due to the enemies being made up of smoke like substance and since they were made by the system, Daichi never felt remorse or any other feelings when killing them. But this sudden splash of blood froze him. His hands slightly shook and he became a bit unfocused. It wasn''t enough to trigger the effects of the Gamer''s Mind but what happened still made him lose focus. At that moment a powerful kick hit his back sending him flying onto one of the clones. -33 HP "Gha¡­" The clone caught Daichi but due to the force of the impact, it was dispelled. ''Of course. There is no way a veteran ninja would die like that.'' Daichi refocused his senses and looked at the fallen Kensei. It had turned into a log with a kunai buried in it. The real ninja was standing several feet away from him looking right as rain. "That was -..." "A substitution with a simple Genjutsu weaved in. The Genjutsu made it look real. It wouldn''t fool a real ninja but against amateurs it''s more than enough." Kensei answered Daichi''s incomplete question. Daichi narrowed his eyes as he listened to the old man. ''When did he have time to weave signs for a substitution or that Genjutsu?... And moreover¡­ I thought Genjutsu didn''t work on me due to the Gamer''s Mind. What''s going on?'' As Daichi thought about this question Kensei suddenly appeared in front of him. "Don''t get distracted." Kensei yelled as a powerful kick broke through Daichi''s defenses and landed on his chest. The force of the attack sent him flying backwards. Daichi quickly regained his bearings and backflipped in mid air and landed on the ground. He skidded a few feet back but used chakra to stop his momentum. During this time Kensei attacked and easily dispatched the 2nd clone as well. ''The kick had enough force to send me flying a few meters back but it didn''t do much damage. And it was a little bit weaker than the last one. Looks like the damage reduction buffs are doing their jobs.'' Daichi concentrated on the fight and on his enemy. A few seconds passed and Daichi and Kensei rushed at each other. They both began their Taijutsu battle. Daichi was having a much harder time against him than he had in any of the other fights. Kensei deflected Daichi''s attacks and easily broke through the boy''s guard and precisely landed his strikes. The first few blows Kensei dealt didn''t do much damage but as more and more attacks landed on him Daichi noticed something. ''He''s increasing the strength of his punches. And now he''s putting enough force in each punch to surpass my damage reduction buff.'' Daichi''s damage reduction buff worked well against enemies on his level and below. But against enemies with higher levels the effects of the buff become reduced. The higher the level of an opponent and the power of an attack, the easier it will be for the enemy to reduce damage reduction effects and inflict more damage on Daichi. The boy figured this out during his many fights in the dungeons. As Daichi blocked another punch he understood the old man''s plan. ''He''s testing my limits. He''s trying to see just how much punishment I can take.'' At this moment a notification appeared. Mental intrusion detected. Gamer''s Mind has neutralized the attack. Kensei tried to place a Genjutsu on the boy but it was ineffective. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out how Daichi quickly got rid of the Genjutsu. ''Strange. I tried to place a ''balance disruption'' Genjutsu on him but as soon as my chakra came in contact with his he negated my attack. But it didn''t look like he consciously did it¡­ I''ll need to look into this.'' Kensei was analyzing Daichi''s progress and fighting style throughout the battle. He was also trying to figure out Daichi''s damage threshold. During the spars throughout the years Kensei had learned that Daichi had a much stronger body than a child his age should have. Daichi took far less damage and was much more durable than others. He could last longer and recover quickly after a fight. Kensei was curious and wanted to know the secrets of Daichi''s body but he never asked the boy. ''Now''s the perfect time to see just what you''re capable of. Your body is abnormal and your learning capabilities are beyond incredible¡­ I have a feeling you know the secrets behind your abnormalities but something tells me you won''t share them with me¡­ That''s fine. I''ll figure it out on my own.'' Kensei was determined to figure out Daichi''s secrets. After dozens of blows Kensei had a rough idea as to how much force should be exerted to injure Daichi. He evaded a punch and tried to sweep Daichi''s legs. The boy slightly jumped and kicked out. His knee aiming for the old man''s chin. Kensei blocked the knee with a palm and punched. Daichi blocked the fist but he was forced to fall back and take several steps back to steady himself. Both of them stood without making a move. Neither one was even slightly out of breath. For this was just a warm up. The real battle is about to begin. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author''s Note: I can already picture some of you guys saying "Daichi has Gamer''s mind and thus Genjutsu shouldn''t affect him. So what the hell, author?" Trust me, there is an explanation for it and it will be given in the next couple chapters. So pls be patient. And I''ve decided that my second story would be a My Hero Academia story. But I won''t be writing it anytime soon. I want to complete the first half of this story. Otherwise I might not be able to publish chapters for either fics at such speed. As always If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 63 – The Various Ninja Arts Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi looked at his grandfather and prepared himself. ''You''re not going to take me off guard this time.'' "Warm Ups over. Time for the real fight." Kensei rushed over as he said those words. You have sensed killing intent. In moments he was in front of Daichi and sent a powerful punch aimed at the boy''s chest. Daichi flooded his body with chakra and enhanced himself. He deflected the punch, then counter attacked. Kensei blocked and grabbed hold of Daichi''s arm. "First lesson. Taijutsu." Kensei twisted Daichi''s arm and tried to get him into a submission hold but Daichi, familiar with the hold, grabbed Kensei''s other arm and got himself free. Daichi jumped back several feet and stood his ground. ''That was just a simple basic submission hold. He was only testing me¡­'' Kensei ran and quickly reached Daichi. Both of them began exchanging blows at a fast pace. Kensei targeted Daichi''s joints and upper torso. He increased the speed of his attacks little by little. ''His speed is equivalent to high level genin bordering chunin. And his reflexes and reaction time are nothing short of incredible for someone his age. But this fight has only just begun.'' Kensei''s aim was to study Daichi''s strengths and weaknesses and then teach him to get rid of those weaknesses. ''He has a firm grasp on the academy Taijutsu style and his instincts are good. He''s not falling for the obvious gaps I left in my defenses. It''s almost as if he has experience identifying the obvious traps laid out by the enemy. If I didn''t know any better I''d say he has been fighting and training with people other than me¡­ Time to switch it up.'' Kensei changed his battle style in mere seconds. Daichi was fending off attacks with some difficulty but as the time passed it was getting increasingly harder. As the fight progressed, Daichi noticed the sudden shift in Kensei''s battle style. Kensei suddenly started attacking Daichi with much more force than before. A punch that Daichi blocked contained enough power to numb his arm. ''Ahh¡­. My arm. That was strong enough to rattle my bones.'' Daichi put more chakra into his arms and blocked the next hard punches. As the fight progressed he noticed something strange. ''Some of his punches contain incredible force but some feel normal. No¡­ They are slightly weaker than his normal punches. But I can''t tell which is which. He''s not trying to go faster and get through my blocks. It''s as if he''s deliberately allowing me to block him. What''s he trying to do?'' It took a few moments for Daichi to figure out the old man''s strategy. ''He''s trying to wear me down. Both mentally and physically. I''m using more chakra to block the powerful punches. But if I don''t know which ones are strong and which are weak, I''ll have to use chakra to block all the attacks. Even the weak ones that won''t affect me. He''s trying to confuse me and wear down my stamina and chakra.'' "You sneaky old man." Daichi grinned at Kensei as he figured out his plan. "You need to be more observant and efficient in a fight. If you use what you''ve already learned then you can figure it out." Kensei said nothing more as he kept up his assaults. Daichi deflected most attacks because directly blocking them would use up more energy. Daichi focused his chakra to his eyes and ears. He kept a close eye on the muscles in Kensei''s arms. A punch suddenly broke through Daichi''s guard and hit him in the chest. -111 HP "Ghaa¡­" Spit flew from Daichi''s mouth as he reeled back from the blow. He quickly regained his bearings and defended himself against the coming attack wave. "It''s good to want to analyze and figure out your enemy''s attack patterns and fighting style. But that doesn''t mean you should let your guard down." Advised the old man as he fought his grandson. The words Kensei said brought a certain memory to Daichi''s mind. It was the memories of the powerful Taijutsu and sword-wielding ninja he fought in the dungeon. ''I became focused on his sword style patterns so much that he was able to shove a knife into me. And now I made the same mistake again. Can''t let something like that happen a third time.'' Daichi lashed out with a kick aimed at Kensei''s knee. Kensei raised his leg and blocked Daichi''s kicks and forcefully locked the boy''s leg in place and attacked. ''Shit. He has me locked down. If I try to get out of the hold he might snap my leg.'' Daichi calculated the ways in which he could escape. ''I can''t let this fight go on like this. If I do I''ll fail.'' Daichi quickly focused chakra to his free leg and slammed down into the ground. The ground around the two fighters ruptured, forcing Kensei to disengage and jump back. The veteran ninja didn''t look as if he just fought in a Taijutsu battle. Kensei maintained his breathing and his chakra flow was calm and smooth as ever. Daichi jumped and gained some distance as well. But he was in a much rougher shape. He took in several deep breaths of air as drops of sweat fell down from his face. "You''re much better than an academy student. But if you want to stand at the peak then this isn''t enough. Your journey has only started. The academy. The fights you win there¡­ It''s just a playground compared to the real world. Don''t let your victories till now go to your head." Kensei said as he looked at the boy. Daichi''s eyes sharpened as he listened. ''I know, old man! The dangers lurking out in this world. Much more than you. I''m strong but I''m well aware that I''m still just a big fish in a small pond.'' Daichi understood better than anyone the threats roaming the world. It was why he trained so often and learned everything he could. He didn''t want to draw attention to himself, so he was careful about the way he acted, to the way he spoke. His cautious nature was born from his fear of an early death at the hands of someone who might find out his secret or even just a random enemy he met on his journey. Daichi looked at the old man and spoke. "I won''t become lazy or let my guard down." Kensei merely nodded. "Second lesson. Genjutsu." Daichi was immediately bombarded with several of the same notifications. Mental intrusion detected. Gamer''s Mind has neutralized the attack. Seeing that the Genjutsu attacks failed Daichi smirked. ''I could pretend to fall under a Genjutsu spell but he would probably see through that.'' Kensei was bewildered as his illusion techniques failed. ''My chakra definitely connected with his but the moment it did it was flushed out of his body. He didn''t look like he consciously disrupted the Genjutsu attacks¡­ But judging from his grin he knows he''s not affected... Is it possible? Is he immune to Genjutsu attacks?...'' The more Kensei studied and learned about Daichi the more intrigued he became. ''No. He was fooled by the Genjutsu I weaved into the substitution jutsu. So that means there are some Genjutsu that affect him¡­ Time to find out his limits.'' "It seems you''re somehow negating my illusions. Then we''ll skip and go straight to the next one. Ninjutsu." Kensei weaved hand-seals faster than Daichi could keep up. "Earth style - Mud River." Kensei spoke as the earth surrounding Daichi turned into a torrent of rushing mud and earth. "Wow!!" Daichi was amazed at the speed with which the earth transformed. ''His execution of the technique is magnificent.'' Daichi used chakra to stay on top and not get dragged down and across the ground but he was only partially successful. Using his chakra strings he was able to quickly get to safety. He then decided to move away from the flowing terrain. Daichi jumped high and away and was about to land safely on the ground or so he thought. The moment Daichi''s feet touched the ground it was as if a glass had broken around the ground where he stood. A giant hole appeared and Daichi kept falling into the deep pit. He quickly used chakra strings and attached himself to the walls of the hole and after several seconds he successfully climbed out. Daichi saw the grinning visage of his grandfather. "It seems there is a limitation to your Genjutsu immunity." Kensei said smirking. Daichi was on alert and slightly confused. ''Looks like he figured out the Gamer''s Mind abilities. Or some of it at least. But what did he mean by limitations?'' Kensei didn''t give Daichi time to figure it out, and quickly attacked. "Your enemies won''t give you time to figure them out. You need a sharp as well as fast mind." Daichi deflected the punch and sent a swift kick to Kensei''s abdomen. He then quickly went through different hand-seals. ''Fire style - Fireball jutsu.'' Daichi released the fireball directly at Kensei but it was doused with a powerful water style jutsu in seconds. Steam wafted through the air all around the two. Daichi used chakra sense to find Kensei through the mist. Suddenly as if he was swallowed by a black void Daichi was surrounded by blackness. He couldn''t hear or see anything. ''What the hell?'' Daichi increased his senses and created two shadow clones that covered his back. The three stood back to back. ''What''s going on? I thought Genjutsu attacks didn''t affect me?'' Suddenly three of them were attacked in the darkness. Daichi suffered multiple blows to his head and body. While his clones were dispelled after the first couple of hits. "Have you figured it out yet?" Kensei''s voice echoed throughout the black void. "Since I''m such a good grandfather, I''ll give you ten seconds to figure it out. Then I''ll attack again." "Wait what?" Daichi''s question went unanswered. He was breathing hard and was on one knee from the assault that just took place. "Nine." Daichi thought as fast as he could. ''Why? Why did this technique affect me?'' "Eight." Daichi thought about the illusion jutsu he was trapped in now and the ones he encountered before. "Seven." Daichi''s brain worked as fast as it could. He discarded several theories but then one came to mind. ''Could it be¡­?'' "Six." ''I think I just figured out a way to get out of this. Just hope it works.'' Daichi made the ram seal and began gathering his chakra. He closed his eyes and concentrated. "Five." ''Not yet. Not yet.'' The boy concentrated more and more chakra in his body. If someone could see Daichi they would see a blue chakra mist covering his entire body. "Four." ''Almost there¡­. Come on¡­'' Daichi could feel his tensed muscles and coiled up chakra ready to burst. "Three." Daichi opened his eyes as he felt his chakra raging beneath his skin. "Now." He clapped his hands and released all the compressed and gathered chakra at once. He placed his hands on the ground and let a third of it flow through the earth. The violent burst of chakra broke the illusion, like a glass being shattered. Daichi was breathing hard as he used quite a bit of his reserves. Several notifications popped up but Daichi ignored them. "Crude. Taxing on the body. Inefficient¡­ But effective." Kensei nonchalantly remarked. "So you figured it out huh. Your weakness." Daichi nodded to the question. "I''m immune to Genjutsu that directly affects me. But I''m not against those placed on the surroundings." "Yes. That''s right. I was able to take away your sight, sound and smell by placing a Genjutsu on the terrain. It didn''t directly affect your nervous systems but you were still under its effects." Kensei answered him. "When I fell into that hole earlier¡­ You already made a pit and then covered it with Genjutsu." ''Incredible! The foresight to see where I would land and create a trap even before I made the move¡­ I''ve been playing Shogi matches with him for a year now but not once was I able to beat him. This guy is an incredible tactician. And his awareness of his surroundings and the ability to analyze his opponent¡­ It''s scary¡­ So this is what true Anbu ninjas worth their salts are capable of.'' Daichi narrowed his eyes as looked at the old man and took another deep breath. "Yes. You might think of Genjutsu as a weak field but¡­ you couldn''t be further from the truth. The ability to take away the basic senses¡­ that''s child''s play compared to what a true Genjutsu master can achieve. Your sense of time, direction, movements and much more could be altered. So just because you''re immune to Genjutsu that directly affects you doesn''t mean you can fight skilled illusion users. Do you understand?" Kensei wanted Daichi to expand his horizons. "I understand." Daichi nodded seriously. ''I found a big gap in my skill. I need to fix it. And preferably before I take the genin exams.'' "Let''s continue." Kensei and Daichi resumed their fight. But it was more Daichi desperately defending himself for as long as he could and trying his best to wound his enemy. Despite all his level ups and strengths, Daichi was still unable to properly fight back against the might and skills of a former anbu captain. As time passed Kensei showed Daichi what he was capable of. He trapped Daichi by layering the ground and surroundings with genjutsu. His ninjutsu forced Daichi to change tactics in the middle of the fight and retreat. And his taijutsu dismantled the boy''s meager defenses. Daichi was only strong enough to keep himself from getting seriously injured. But he fought at such an intense pace that Kensei had to take him seriously. But due to this intensity, Daichi was burning through his chakra and stamina quickly. During the entire fight he was only able to land a few shallow wounds on his grandfather. But even those were ineffective as Kensei had several medical Ninjutsu under his belt. "You know medical Ninjutsu as well?" Daichi was amazed at the skill and techniques his grandfather displayed. Daichi threw several shuriken as his grandfather healed himself. Kensei expertly dodged or deflected them. Among the ordinary shuriken was one tied with a smoke bomb. The moment it neared Kensei it exploded covering the area around him in smoke. Daichi rushed ahead and using his chakra sense he found and attacked Kensei. The old man parried the dagger in Daichi''s hands with his kunai. Both of them pitted their strength against each other. Sparks flew as the dagger and kunai struggled and grinded against each other. "Did you really think that would work?" "No. But this is the only way." As Daichi said this, he suddenly let go of his strength. The sudden change pushed Kensei onto Daichi and he stabbed the kunai into Daichi''s gut. -312 Negative Status - Bleeding. This took Kensei by surprise and he was unable to defend against the sneak attack to his abdomen. Daichi held in the pain of the sharp metal stabbed into him and he buried a small knife into Kensei as well. -268 HP. Enemy hit. "Khuack-....." Kensei stepped back as he looked at the bleeding stomach. He couldn''t believe his eyes. "You deliberately let me stab you so you could injure me as well¡­?" The wound was not life threatening but it was still serious. Despite the pain he was in, Daichi smirked. "You look surprised, old man. You told me to come with the intent to kill. We''ve been fighting for over 2 hours¡­ And I haven''t been able to land a serious injury. Not once. So this was my only way." Kensei grunted and narrowed his eyes. His palms let up with green medical jutsu technique and he started healing himself. "Bold move. You''re right Daichi. Sometimes you have to sacrifice an arm or a leg to save your life¡­ But remember this!. You have to make sure¡­ When you do make that sacrifice... Make sure to take the enemy down for good." Kensei finished healing the wound by the time he was done talking. He disappeared and reappeared in front of the small boy in an instant. Kensei struck Daichi''s right shoulder in two places with two outstretched fingers. "What was that?... It didn''t hurt at all." Daichi was confused by the attack. At that moment a notification appeared. Negative Buff - Right arm temporarily paralyzed. Seeing this notification Daichi tried to move his right arm but he couldn''t. "I just struck the nerve bundle in your deltoid. It may not have hurt. But you won''t be moving that arm for a while¡­ Time to end this." Kensei told the boy. Kensei disappeared from Daichi''s vision. The next second all Daichi could see was blackness. Author''s Note: Tell me your thoughts on the fight. Did you enjoy it? I wanted to show that despite being old, Kensei is still strong. And Kensei obviously didn''t go all out to defeat Daichi. I hope this was a satisfactory fight. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 64 – Testing the Mana Skills Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Oohhh my head¡­" Daichi groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and became aware of his surroundings. He was laid down on a mat on the porch of his house. "You woke up much faster than I expected." The voice of his grandfather came from near him. Daichi turned around and saw Kensei in his usual clothes, meditating. Kensei had changed into a more casual attire during Daichi''s forced nap. "How long have I been out?" Daichi asked. "About 20 minutes. Your body is much stronger than normal and you have an abnormally fast recovery speed." The old man said. He didn''t move or even open his eyes. His chest slowly rising and falling was the only movement Daichi saw. Daichi then looked at the spot where the knife was stabbed during the end of the battle¡­ He saw smooth clean skin at the place where a bleeding hole should be. It didn''t take a genius to figure out what happened. "You healed me." "Yes I did. It wasn''t a critical wound. Now get freshened up and come down. We have much work to do." Hearing his grandfather''s words, Daichi got up and went to his room. He saw the system messages piled up on the side and he started going through them one by one. Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Shurikenjutsu¡¯s level has risen by one. x2 Skill Physical Endurance¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Strong Hit¡¯s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Thread''s level has risen by one. x2 Skill Danger Sense''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Enhancement''s level has risen by one. x3 Skill Chakra Flow''s level has risen by one. x2 Quest ''Battle Kensei Yasaji¡¯ Completed. Rewards: 20000 Exp. New skill: Demonic Illusion - False surroundings technique. Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. ''Hmm¡­ Seems a few of my skills have leveled up¡­Looks like I didn''t get the bonus rewards. But I suppose successfully completing this quest is enough for now.'' Daichi clicked on the new reward skill. Demonic Illusion - False surroundings technique. - Active(LV.1): A simple illusion technique that alters the appearance of a nearby object or surroundings. Rank: C Type: Genjutsu Hand Seals: Rat - Monkey - Horse - Hare. CP Cost: 210 CP. [Note: The range of this technique can vary from short to long depending on the user''s chakra control and proficiency.] ''A Genjutsu huh. And one that places an illusion on the surroundings according to the caster''s wishes. Something tells me that''s going to come in handy one day.'' Daichi reached his room and stripped down. He found that his clothes had been torn up and there were small blood stains in several places. Discarding the rags he went to take a shower. His mind was still on the fight even as the cold water cascaded down his body. ''The old man had a counter attack for everything I threw at him. The chakra strings I used to tie him up were cut apart with chakra coated kunai. His shurikenjutsu was so skilled that I was never able to land a solid hit on him. And his taijutsu¡­ For an old guy who lost a leg, he sure can put up a fight. Every strategy I used was useless¡­'' Daichi sighed as he recalled the scenes of his beat down. ''So this is what experienced Jonin and Anbu are capable of huh. The dungeon ninjas I fought till now are nothing compared to the old man.'' Daichi finished his shower and got dressed. He went downstairs and had some food and walked outside. Kensei was still meditating when Daichi came outside. He opened his eyes when the boy sat next to him. "You are far ahead of your peers. Of that there is no doubt. But you have much to learn. And there is time for that Daichi! You can utilize the time in the academy to broaden your knowledge and experience. It will help you on your journey." Kensei said, looking at the pond in their backyard. Daichi nodded slightly. Daichi remained quiet for a while and then asked a question. "That medical ninjutsu you used¡­ Was it the only one you know or¡­ Were you a medic-nin at some point?" "I know a few medic jutsu but no. I wasn''t a medic ninja. During the 1st and 2nd world war the Anbu were in charge of many important operations. And only the most skilled got accepted. So losing even one was a blow to the village. Those of us who had the talent for it and excellent chakra control all learned a few life saving jutsus." Kensei replied. He looked at Daichi and asked. "Are you interested in the field?" "Yes. I have a few ideas and now seeing their usefulness in a fight I want to learn it more than ever." Kensei hummed hearing the boy''s answer. "Complete your chakra control training. That will be your focus this year. Then maybe in your 3rd or 4th year, I''ll introduce you to someone I know who can teach you some medical ninjutsu." He said to Daichi. Daichi nodded and he had a pensive look on his face. "What is it?" Kensei asked. "It''s about genjutsu¡­ I''m a bit confused. I thought-" Daichi began but Kensei interrupted him. "Daichi! What do you know about genjutsu?" "They are illusions. When a ninja controls the chakra flow of a target''s cerebral nervous system and affects their senses, Genjutsu is created. People use this to confuse the senses of their enemies and trick their body into thinking it''s in pain when it''s not. We essentially influence the senses and control what the target sees and feels." Daichi gave the reply. "Yes. You just described the broad interpretation of genjutsu but it''s much more than that. What you just described falls under one of the 3 main categories of this art¡­ Daichi, based on my understanding you are immune to most genjutsu but not for some¡­ I''ll start you on genjutsu training when you begin your training in medical ninjutsu. I''ll give you a thorough explanation about genjutsu at that time." "I understand." Daichi nodded and got up. "I''m going for a walk around the village." Kensei nodded and went back to his meditation. Daichi left the house and slowly walked along the village road. His fight with Kensei opened his eyes to many of his weaknesses. ''During the blackout Genjutsu, even though I used ''chakra sense'' I couldn''t find him. He was able to mask his chakra and attack me. All the points he struck on my body could have been lethal if he wanted to¡­ So how do I find someone who can mask their chakra¡­?'' This was one of the many new problems Daichi faced. As he walked along the road he saw a large tree nearby with birds and some squirrels scurrying about. Daichi used the chakra sense skill and was able to locate the birds and small animals around the area. ''These creatures can''t hide chakra. It''s why I was able to find them. It needs to be the case for humans too if I want to successfully track them. I need to find an aspect of a person that they can''t hide¡­ So what can''t humans hide?'' As Daichi pondered on this question an idea came to his mind. ''Mana. Is that the answer?... Mana is an energy produced by an intelligent mind. But right now only I can use Mana and my theory is Atamagai could use it too¡­ But what about everyone else?... Is it possible to sense the mind of a person with Mana?'' Daichi got near the tree and looked at the creatures. He wanted to test his theory. Daichi used the mana in the same manner as he used the chakra sense skill. His goal was to sense the animals near him. He closed his eyes and concentrated. ''I know the description said an intelligent mind but these creatures even though not as smart as humans still have some intelligence. So would it work on them?'' As Daichi focused on the birds near him, after several seconds he suddenly felt a spark of something. His eyes suddenly opened wide and he smiled. ''It works. I felt something. It was small. Barely there¡­ but it''s something. And the birds don''t seem to notice anything¡­ Time to test it on a person. I hope there''s no negative effects.'' Daichi made his way to the village market. He casually walked around as if he was looking to buy something. Daichi concentrated his mana once again and this time the effects were magnified. He could sense every person within a certain range. And some felt stronger while some felt weaker. ''I knew it. My hypothesis was right. Mana is an energy similar to brain waves but only an exceptionally intelligent mind or someone like me who has an affinity and the gamer''s ability can use it. But that doesn''t mean it''s limited to people like me. Everyone''s mind produces small amounts of mana. The difference is they can''t sense or use it.'' Right then a new skill notification popped up. [Through continuously concentrating Mana to sense the presence of intelligent creatures, the skill ''Mana Scout'' has been created.] Mana Scout - (Passive/Active) (LV.01): All minds produce some miniscule amount of Mana energy. This skill allows the user to sense the presence of an intelligent mind. Effects: 10 meters: Current maximum range. +2% Location accuracy. MP Cost: 15 MP/2 Meters. ''Wow¡­'' Daichi looked at the skill and was excited. ''Time to level this baby up.'' Daichi started using the skill as he went around and bought some items. He was testing the limitations and usage of the skill. ''So with this right now I can tell that someone is near me but not the exact location. But increasing the skill would increase the location accuracy. So that''s taken care of. And another thing I''m noticing is that some people''s mana are a bit stronger than the others.'' Daichi walked around and near a few chunin buying groceries. He noticed that the mana he was sensing from them were slightly stronger than the civilians. ''It must be because of their strong mental constitution.'' The last thing Daichi sensed was the amount of Mana energy they produced. ''It''s only a fraction of mine. So all of them have Mana energy but since it''s only a small amount and therefore not usable it''s probably why their mana points don''t show up on my observation info¡­ At least that''s my theory.'' There was one more jutsu Daichi had in mind to test. It was also a Mana skill. He recalled the details of the skill. Mana puppetry - Active (LV. 01): This skill allows the user to control various animals and humans with mental commands. Mana is used to implant suggestions or orders into the target''s mind and the user can control them as they see fit. Since this skill is Mana based, Chakra defenses and seals will be useless against it. [Note: At the current level you can only implant a suggestion into human targets and your mental strength is not strong enough to control them. With training and at higher levels this limitation can be removed.] Effects: Can implant suggestions into a target''s mind. MP cost: 800/ Target ''At the moment I only have a little over 4000 MP. And the skill costs 800 MP. It says per target and not per command or suggestions. Does that mean a certain target will only need 800 MP to implant suggestions¡­? Or is there some sort of time limit?'' Daichi walked to a nearby fruit seller. He wanted to test the range and limitations of this skill as well. He picked a young man as his first test subject. The man was buying some apples from the fruit vendor. Daichi concentrated on his mana and tried to implant a certain suggestion. ''Don''t buy the apples. Buy some oranges. It''ll be good for you.'' The Mana Daichi used, connected with the young man. Daichi could feel that his suggestion was successfully implanted. A new notification appeared. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] "Hey. On second thought, I don¡¯t want the apples. Can you wrap up the oranges for me? I''ll buy the apples another time." Daichi heard the customer change his decision and he became ecstatic but he kept himself under control with a calm and cool face. ''Time to test the limits. If I give another suggestion to the same person will this skill cost me another 800 MP? I also need to test the range of this skill. And let''s up the ante this time.'' Daichi walked a few feet away from the stall and concentrated on his mana. He then concentrated on the same person and gave another suggestion. ''Swipe an apple while he''s not looking.'' Daichi wanted to know if the target would accept a suggestion that had some risks? It was why he gave the man such a task. A notification popped up again. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] Daichi discreetly looked at the guy. He saw the man looking around trying to see if anyone was noticing him. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the man swiped the apple nearest to him and put it in his pocket. Daichi was amazed at the implications. ''Wow. With enough level ups this could be one hell of an OP skill. And my Mana hasn''t decreased. So does that mean I don''t have to pay the mana cost when I implant suggestions on the same person? Or is there a time limit?... One more. And this is the big one.'' ''Take the small knife in front of you and cut his hand. A small slash.'' Daichi once again increased the danger of the suggestion and wanted to see the results. Daichi decided long ago that while he wouldn''t be a monster, he wouldn''t be a saint either. This balance was his way to cope with this world and its dangers. ''It would be a small wound and would be healed in a few days. But let''s see if he would do it?'' [Target has rejected the suggestion.] Daichi saw the man looking at the knife and slightly shaking his head. He bought his items and quickly left the place. Daichi was in thought as he saw the results. ''So if the danger is too high or the suggestion is too absurd then the target would come to a rational decision and reject my suggestion. But they will accept if the suggestions are within acceptable parameters of difficulty¡­ Hmm¡­ It''s almost like I''m a little devil whispering in their ear¡­'' Daichi chuckled to himself at the thought. He continued walking around the village testing and leveling both of the mana skills. He spent his days training these skills mainly. Daichi decided he would start on the Rasengan at the start of the 3rd year. The holidays passed with Daichi sometimes hanging out with Shikamaru, Naruto and the gang. But he focused on his training and soon March 28th his birthday came up. He kept it a secret from his classmates due to not wanting to be bothered with a party. Days passed and soon it was April 1st. The 3rd year of Daichi''s academy begins. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 65 – 3rd Year and A New Teacher Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. April 1st. Monday. It was early morning of April 1st. Daichi was getting ready for the day. Just as he finished putting on his clothes his long term quest was updated.. Ongoing quest - ''Path to the strongest'' updated. ''Huh¡­ About time.'' Tasks to complete this year have been updated. Training clothes in your inventory have been modified. Wear them when completing the daily quests. Conditions: Complete 200 Push ups (Daily) Complete 200 Squats (Daily) Complete 200 Punches(Daily) Run 20 Kilometers (Daily) Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of this academic year. Take the top spot in your class. Learn advanced chakra control techniques. Rewards: Status Recovery (Daily) Random Reward(Weekly) +3 Stat Points (Weekly) Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Additional rewards for each extra dungeon cleared. New Skill for successfully learning chakra control techniques. Failure: -5 Stat points. Penalty Dungeon. Death. Accept (Y/N) ''It seems I''ll have to spend a little bit more time on my morning workouts. And it looks like the system has increased the weight of the training gear.'' [Weighted Training Clothes] [Rare Item: Rank C] [A training gear created by the system to help the ''player''. Consists of clothing garments that can be worn under the dress. Made from some of the most durable materials for withstanding intense training and designed to provide comfort and aesthetic appeal to the wearer. The clothes are black in color with several red intricate patterns on them. Consists of 2 leg warmers to be worn below the knee and 2 arm sleeves to be worn below the elbow. Each weighing exactly 2 KG. Consists of 1 undershirt and 1 trouser to be worn under the clothes. Each weighing exactly 6 KG.] ''Looks like learning chakra control techniques is the theme this year. How convenient¡­ So a total of 20 Kilos huh! Nothing I can''t handle anyway¡­ No time to waste then.'' Daichi wore his new training clothes and started his workout. ¡ª------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ninja Academy. Daichi was walking to his new classroom. As he reached he heard a commotion coming from inside. Several people were arguing. Daichi recognized that one of the voices belonged to Naruto. ''What the heck is going on in there?'' Daichi slid the door open and entered the room. As he stepped inside he saw Naruto standing in front of Hinata as if protecting her. He looked ahead and saw the three class jerks as Daichi called them in his mind, antagonizing Naruto and making fun of Hinata. The three were Hibachi, Unagi and Enji. Daichi looked around and found that most of the other future rookies were absent. "Leave her alone. She didn''t do anything to you." Naruto said as he stood in front of the girl. Daichi couldn''t help but smile as he saw the scene. ''Never change Naruto¡­ Time to step in before it escalates.'' "Morning Naruto. Hinata." Daichi greeted them as he stood beside them. "Daichi!!" Naruto was excited to see him after the break. "H-Hello Daichi." Hinata quietly greeted him as well. "Get lost Daichi. This has nothing to do with you!" Hibachi said with a glare. "Yeah¡­ About that¡­ You picked a fight with my friend¡­ So I can''t exactly just walk away." Daichi said with a nonchalant smile. The three class bullies looked angry hearing this. But they knew they couldn''t beat Daichi. It was at that moment they heard several other voices joining their conversation. "Man, how troublesome. Do you really have to do this on the first day?" The groaned sleepy voice belonging to the Shikamaru reached their ears. "Hey Naruto, Daichi. Looks like you guys are having some fun. Mind if I join." Kiba walked up to them with a smile and looked at the three kids. Ino, Sakura, and Choji also came near them. Seeing that they were outnumbered, Hibachi and his gang left them without another word. "Morning guys. How was your holiday?" Daichi turned around and asked his friends. "It was fun. But you would know that if you had shown up." It was Kiba who said it. "Sorry. I was a little busy with some stuff." Daichi replied with a sheepish smile. "Lemme guess. Training." Naruto said with his hands on his hips. Daichi had a sly smile in response. Naruto and the others collectively sighed hearing the predictable answer. "Let''s just get to our seats before Daikoku sensei shows up." Shikamaru said and went to his seat. Choji followed him. "Hey Hinata, come sit with us." Ino and Sakura grabbed the Hyuga girl and went to their spot. Daichi, Kiba, and Naruto went to their places as well. A few minutes later the bell rang and the doors slid open. A chunin instructor who was not Daikoku Funeno walked into the room. Most of the class was surprised and didn''t know who it was but Daichi knew. And he was excited to finally meet him. The chunin was a man of average height and build. He had brown hair which he tied and kept in a ponytail and had a scar across the bridge of his nose. He was wearing the standard leaf village ninja outfit complete with flak jacket and sandals. ''Iruka Umino. Finally!! So this is when he becomes Naruto''s teacher. I remember that in the anime things happened a bit differently. I guess my presence has changed some things.'' Daichi quickly used his ''Observe'' skill on him. [LV.54] [Iruka Umino] Age: 17 HP: 5006 CP: 4228 [Iruka Umino is a chunin of the Leaf village. He spent several years in the field before joining the academy last year as its teacher. He is a soft hearted individual who is fond of teaching. He is proficient in all forms of basic ninja skills as well as some Barrier Ninjutsu. His primary chakra nature is fire but he is capable of using water and Yin chakra natures as well. Despite losing his parents in the Nine tailed fox''s attack he still maintains a positive outlook on life. Inspired by the 3rd Hokage''s wisdom, Iruka decided to become a teacher to pass on the Will of fire to the next generation.] Iruka walked to the podium and looked at the class. He had a wide smile on his face as he looked at his new students. "Good morning class. Let me introduce myself. My name is Iruka Umino. Starting today I''ll be your new homeroom teacher. So from now on you can call me Iruka sensei. Ichiraku Ramen is my favorite food. And I enjoy spending time at the hot springs and reading good books. I love being a teacher and I look forward to getting to know you all. Alright, now that you know about me, it''s your turn. Let''s begin the introductions." At this moment Ino raised her hand. "Umm¡­ Excuse me, Iruka sensei. What happened to Daikoku sensei?" Iruka kept the same smile on his face but only Shikamaru, Daichi and Sasuke noticed the slight strain that accompanied that smile. "Daikoku sensei was transferred to another class. Any other questions?" Seeing that the students were quiet, Iruka asked each of them to introduce themselves. When it was Naruto''s turn the smile on Iruka''s face dimmed. Naruto boisterously introduced himself as if he didn''t notice the new teacher''s dislike of him. Seeing Iruka''s face, Shikamaru''s eyes narrowed. ''Great. Another teacher that doesn''t like Naruto.'' Daichi was also immersed in his thoughts. ''I remember that he was a little rough around the edges when it came to Naruto at the beginning. But soon it will work out.'' Daichi then looked at Naruto. ''Soon you''ll have a role model you can look up to and as a family you can count on.'' Introduction was soon completed and class began. Although outwardly it looked like Daichi was paying attention, inwardly he was thinking about something else. Daichi''s attention shifted to Sasuke who was sitting a few rows in front of him. ''The Uchiha massacre will soon happen. The story didn''t specify the exact date but if I''m right it should be happening this month. I thought about several ways I could warn the Hokage but after thinking things through it wouldn''t have changed anything and any information leak would only bring me into the line of fire¡­ I can''t save the clan¡­ And Ren and his family will die.'' Daichi''s fists clenched under the table as he thought about the little baby girl Reo dying because of the machinations of people she never even met. ''I need to keep an eye on Sasuke. If I remember right then an agent of Danzo delays Sasuke at the academy the day of the massacre. It was to give Itachi time to complete his mission. So then I''ll be able to figure out when the tragedy takes place if I keep an eye on him.'' The day quickly passed without much happening. During Daichi''s walk home he saw some Uchiha clans men glaring at the people as they walked by. ''The tension between the village and the clan is increasing. And looks like the clan will be making their move soon.'' Daichi reached home after a few minutes and he saw a genin team at the front of his house handing a scroll to his grandfather. They left once they completed the mission. ''It must have been some sort of D-rank delivery mission.'' Daichi concluded. Kensei opened the scroll and was reading the contents as Daichi came inside. "What''s that, gramps?" "It''s a letter from an old friend. He lives in the capital. Apparently he wants to meet for a reunion." Kensei said as he looked at the scroll. "So when is he coming?" Daichi was curious about Kensei''s friends. The old man doesn''t talk about them much. "He won''t be coming here but has invited me to his home in the capital." "Are you going?" Daichi asked. "Hmmm¡­ Yes. He''s an old friend and it''s been a long time since I last saw him¡­ Looks like I''ll be taking a trip out of the village again." "How long will you be gone?" "I''ll leave tomorrow and be back in about a week." Kensei answered and both of them relaxed in the backyard of the house. Daichi did some light training while Kensei asked about his day at the academy. The next day Kensei left for the capital just as Daichi left for the academy. Daichi reached the classroom and saw that Naruto and Kiba were near Shino talking about the beetles. Naruto wanted to prank the girls with the small beetles while Shino protested. Daichi looked around and saw Hinata smiling as she talked with Ino and Sakura. ''Looks like the Rookie 6 just increased to rookie 8. Now if only the resident emo would join them¡­ It''ll truly be a geek''s dream come true to see them together.'' Daichi chucked to himself at the thought and walked to his seat. Days passed by with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Daichi kept an eye on Sasuke to figure out the date of the massacre. With each passing day Daichi was becoming slightly more and more anxious. But he hid his feelings so as to not arouse any suspicion. It was Friday. The last day of their first week. The day''s classes just got done and Daichi was walking through the hallways. The evening rays were shining down through the windows as he walked the empty hallway. At that moment a quest suddenly appeared. The sudden emergence of the quest surprised Daichi. He looked at the contents and was shocked. ''The Uchiha massacre. It''s happening.¡¯ Quest Created - ''Rescue Reo Uchiha¡¯ Itachi has decided to kill the Uchiha clan. Successfully rescue Reo Uchiha before she is killed. Time limit : 1.5 Hours. Rewards: 12000 Exp. Reputation increases with Aiko Hikara and Kensei Yasaji. Reputation increases with Ren Uchiha and Kimiko Uchiha. Failure: Death. Death of Kensei Yasaji and Reo Uchiha. Reputation decreases with everyone. [Warning: Successfully completing this quest will create a ripple effect and will have unknown consequences in the future.] Accept (Y/N) Daichi knew that accepting this mission would be dangerous. If anything happened then not only him but Kensei would also die as well. At that moment another quest popped up. [Alternate Quest] Quest Created - ''Follow the Root Agents.¡¯ Danzo Shimura has assigned 3 root agents to watch the Uchiha compound and make sure Itachi completes his mission. They are also assigned with the secondary mission of collecting Sharingan eyes. Find one of the agents and follow him back to the base and steal a Sharingan. Rewards: 15000 Exp. Uchiha Bloodline. Failure: Death or Conscripted into the Root Anbu. Death of Kensei Yasaji. Reputation decreases with everyone. [Warning: Successfully completing this quest will create a ripple effect and will have unknown consequences in the future.] Accept (Y/N) [Note: Player can only accept one quest.] Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 66 – Uchiha Clan Massacre – Prelude 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Itachi Uchiha. Itachi walked with heavy slow steps and soon reached his destination. ''This place¡­ This is where I made my promise to Shisui¡­ Before he gave his life for everyone¡¯s sake.'' It was the cliff where Shisui committed suicide and the place where he entrusted Itachi with the future of the Uchiha clan and the village. ''Tomorrow the clan will launch the coup.'' Itachi sat down and thought about the last twelve years of his life. Each important moment from the twelve years of his life flickered to his mind and vanished. He closed his eyes and the memories of his childhood appeared. ''It all began that day¡­'' Itachi Uchiha, who had only turned four recently, was standing in the rain. The rain poured down so heavily that he had trouble opening his eyes. "Remember this moment, Itachi. Burn this image into your heart. This battlefield¡­ This is the truth of the ninja world." Fugaku Uchiha''s words pierced through the sound of the rain and reached Itachi''s ears. Dozens upon dozens of bodies scattered all across the battlefield filled the child''s vision. The ninjas wearing the leaf forehead plates and the rest from other lands. The numerous dead bodies covered the earth. All of their faces showed nothing but misery and pain. None of them at peace, as they surrendered to their inevitable death. "This war will end soon. And in a few years you''ll become a ninja. But the truth is battles between ninjas never end. We kill our enemies so that our allies can live. This is the world you''ll step into." Fugaku''s cold hearted voice filled his head. Itachi couldn''t move as he looked ahead... Itachi felt a tightness in his heart and he could barely endure it. His fists clenched and face tightened. He was determined not to cry. The child desperately tried to control himself but he failed to stop the tears that came spilling out. ''Are the ninja arts and chakra techniques only for fighting and causing destruction? No. It can''t be. There has to be more to this than senseless death and chaos.'' Itachi opened his eyes and brought himself out of that memory. He let out a slow tired breath. ''Father wanted to show me the reality of this world. He wanted me to see what he saw and understand what ninjas are¡­ But he failed to see what I did and what I understood that day.'' Itachi never accepted his father''s concept of a ninja and chose to take another path. ''I never forgot that day. I promised myself that I would become stronger. Stronger than anyone else so that I could become a deterrent to all the wars and pointless deaths¡­ But now¡­ All of those efforts¡­Meaningless.'' Itachi thought about the end of the third world war and the beginning of the new Hokage''s reign. The third Hokage decided to end the fighting with the stone village despite the war flowing in the Leaf village''s favor. The decision to not seek reparations were opposed by many and in order to keep the stability of the village Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down from the position of Hokage and handed the title to the hero of the war Minato Namikaze. And the village slowly began to recover. ''That day when Minato was selected as the fourth Hokage, Yashiro, Inabi and Tekka confronted my father at the house and showed their dissatisfaction. They were angry that father''s name wasn''t considered for the position despite his efforts in the war. That day their meeting¡­ It was filled with malice. It was the same as that battlefield¡­'' Itachi trained and days turned into weeks and into months. His fifth birthday came but he didn''t care about it. To Itachi it was just like any other day. To him training was the most important thing. But that year another significant change happened in his life. "Meet your baby brother." His mother Mikoto Uchiha said as she laid back on the floor. Itachi stared at the small creature lying before him. The small newborn baby was content with sleeping in his cozy blanket. Itachi gently touched his baby brother''s cheek. The infant twitched at the sudden touch. Mikoto smiled watching her two children. "Sasuke Uchiha¡­ We decided to name him after the father of the third Hokage." Mikoto said to him. Itachi looked at his new brother. "Sasuke¡­" He uttered his brother''s name for the first time and in that moment his heart was filled with indescribable happiness and the desire to protect his innocent and precious little brother. As he thought about his little brother, the sunlight hitting his face made Itachi open his eyes. He thought about Sasuke and his future. ''I''m sorry I can''t be there for you¡­'' That apology came from the bottom of his heart, for Itachi was going to walk down a path he could never come back from. At that moment the image of his best friend and the one he looked up to as an older brother showed up in his mind. Itachi remembered the first day he met Shisui Uchiha. Itachi was training and sharpening his skills whenever he could. A grove near his house was where he practiced his shuriken techniques. Wooden targets with circles drawn on it were hung all around. Holding 8 kunais between his fingers he jumped high into the air and let them lose. 8 flashes of metal shot to both sides of Itachi and perfectly pierced the center of all targets. "Good job. That''s some serious skill there." Someone spoke from behind him. Itachi looked back and saw an older boy with black hair and a leaf forehead protector. Itachi had seen the boy before in his clan grounds. So he knew the boy was an Uchiha. "How old are you?" The ninja of the Uchiha clan asked. "Five." Itachi gave a short reply. "Such mastery of shurikenjutsu at your age. You''re definitely something special¡­ I''m Shisui Uchiha." The older boy extended his hand. Itachi was about to introduce himself as well but Shisui interrupted him. "I already know who you are¡­ Wanna see something cool?" Without waiting for Itachi''s answer Shisui disappeared. Itachi followed the boy''s aura. Shisui was high up in the air just like Itachi had been seconds ago and he let out several kunais at once almost mimicking Itachi''s movements earlier. The new kunais all struck right next to Itachi''s on the target boards. Itachi''s eyes widened as he saw the scene. "Wow." "Not too bad huh. I got some skills too¡­ Hey, let''s be friends¡­ What do you say?" Shisui held out his hand once more. Shisui''s gentle smile and warm demeanor tugged on Itachi''s heart. The younger Uchiha walked forward and shook the extended hand. That day he made his first and greatest friend. Itachi recalled the words Shisui said to him during his academy days. "As long as you''re here the future of the Uchiha clan is safe and secure." "Caw¡­ caw¡­" The cry of the crow above him shook Itachi from his memories. ''Your death was meaningless Shisui. The Hokage and village elders didn''t find a solution and the clan didn''t stop. Things have reached a precipice. There is no stopping what''s to come¡­ I couldn''t keep my promise. I failed you¡­ All of this because of that one incident.'' Itachi''s mind went back to that night. The night that changed everything for him, his clan and the village. Itachi stared at the full moon with Sasuke in his arms. Despite its brilliant radiance, the young Uchiha had an uneasy feeling in his heart. "What is this feeling¡­" As though feeling his brother''s tension, young Sasuke began to cry in Itachi''s arms. "There, there¡­ Everything''s going to be alright. Big brother is here to protect you." Itachi held his brother tightly in his arms. Itachi remembered the disaster the Nine Tailed fox brought to the village. The creature rampaged indiscriminately. Destroying and killing everything in its path. He remembered fleeing with his brother in his arms through the village streets. All around him were people running and shouting. Trying to escape their deaths or trying to save others. He saw a man who lost his arm, a child who lost his mother and a woman on her knees staring lifelessly at a mountain of rubble that used to be a home. He ran desperately trying to escape the violence of the malevolent beast. It was a destruction the likes of which the village had never seen before. Itachi remembered the construction of the new clan compound and was satisfied with the location of the compound because of its close proximity with the Naka Shrine and the abundant training space. But he could see that the adults were not. They were feeling the exact opposite of content. He remembered seeing several clan members coming to meet his father throughout the weeks after the attack. False accusations and discrimination. Those were the words he often heard during their meetings. Itachi realized that one of the Uchiha was suspected of causing the Nine tails incident and the whole clan was being punished for it. He understood his father''s and the clan''s outrage. But he couldn''t accept it. ''That day was the beginning of the end¡­ The village lost trust in the clan and accused us. Even in the academy, I had to bear the brunt of their misplaced anger and aggression. No one believed we were innocent and victims like them. And with each day passing like this, it pushed everyone in the clan to their breaking point¡­ And with people like Danzo, Madara and Yashiro scheming and plotting their own agendas¡­ Perhaps the end of the Uchiha clan was inevitable¡­'' Itachi remembered his first day at the academy. He recalled what he said to the class as the teacher asked Itachi to introduce himself. "My name is Itachi Uchiha and my dream is¡­. My dream is to become the greatest ninja ever. So I can stop all the fighting in this world." Some laughed at those words while others applauded. But none of them believed in him or his dream. To them it was just an absurd and delusional goal that would never come true. Only Itachi believed in himself and his dream. And he worked hard everyday to realize it. In the academy Itachi displayed a level of talent that couldn''t be matched by anyone. He set new records after records for each of the tests that was presented before him. His flawless shurikenjutsu, his vast knowledge, his ninja skills¡­ All of them earned him the title of genius. But those talents and titles also made it impossible for him to make friends. His classmates hesitated to interact with him. But it was fine with Itachi. He never cared about making friends. His focus was on training and bettering himself. He had no energy to spare on something as trivial as friendship with his classmates. ''No. There was one person who reached out to me.'' As he thought about his academy days an incident came to his mind. Some of the senior students tried to intimidate him but at that moment someone stood up for him. Spoke on his behalf. The image of a certain girl came to Itachi''s mind. ''Despite my attitude she stuck up for me when others tried to pick on me. She talked to me and somewhere along the way she became my second friend¡­ Izumi Uchiha.'' Itachi spent his days training and studying. In six months he completed every test and homework his teachers assigned him. Itachi mastered everything the academy threw at him and the staff decided there was nothing more they could teach him. Due to the lack of capable ninjas because of the war and nine tails attack, the village was in need of talented ninjas. Itachi graduated from the academy in 6 months and began his duties as a genin. Itachi opened his eyes and stared at the sky. He could hear the rushing water of the Naka river below him. His fingers gripped the hard stone underneath him as he thought about his genin days. ''I thought I could change my clan and the opinions of the village by becoming a ninja¡­ But¡­ Everything I endured. It was all for nothing.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 67 – Uchiha Clan Massacre – Prelude 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Itachi remembered his graduation day as if it was just yesterday. He remembered walking out of the schoolyard and seeing his family waiting for him at the gates. ''It should have been easy. Become a ninja. Work with the team and impress the village. Complete enough missions and quickly become a chunin and become strong enough to change the villagers opinion about my clan¡­ But it didn''t happen¡­ Everything changed that day¡­ It was on that graduation day that I met him.'' Itachi remembered his first meeting with the man he would later work for and come to despise. After the graduation Itachi was about to walk over to his family and greet them but someone got in his way. A man clad in black robes with the right side of his face covered in bandages. His single eye bore into Itachi as if he was peering down on his very soul. "Itachi Uchiha, I presume." The man said. Itachi met his gaze without flinching and simply nodded his head. "Those lines¡­ The ones running down from your eyes to the cheeks¡­ Do you know what they represent?" The man asked cryptically. "No." Itachi shook his head. "They are called chaos lines. They represent bad luck. Those who have it¡­ It is said that death and destruction follow them till the end¡­ Absolute chaos." Itachi couldn''t understand what this man''s intentions were. ''Who is he?'' "Everyone here has said that you are the most talented genius to ever enter the academy. So I have a question for you? Will you indulge me?" Itachi stayed silent and waited for the man to speak. "Ten people were forced to abandon their sinking ship. They soon made it to an island. Nine were healthy but one caught a deadly infectious disease. If allowed to live he will infect the other nine and they will all die. If you were the captain of the crew what would you do? What choice would you make?" Itachi didn''t understand why the man would ask such a question but he had an answer and he responded with simple words. "In this scenario the man who got sick is destined to die. If I were the captain my priority would be saving as many lives as possible. I would choose to save the lives of the nine healthy crew." Itachi answered. "What would you do?" The man pushed for a concrete answer. "I would kill the one and save the lives of nine." Itachi answered him without hesitation. Hearing the answer of the child a smile crossed the man''s face. "Bold. And a clear, obvious solution¡­ I look forward to meeting you again¡­ Itachi Uchiha." He almost whispered the last part as he passed the boy. Itachi didn''t understand then but he knew there was malice in his voice. Hidden, buried deep. But still prevalent for him to hear. As the man walked away his family came rushing over. His father had an unusually serious expression on his face. "What did he say?" "Nothing important." At the vague answer Fugaku turned to Itachi. "Is that so¡­?" "Who is he?" Itachi was curious about the man who would have such a dark aura. "That was Danzo Shimura. He is the right hand man of the third Hokage." An ominous tone lurked in Fugaku''s voice as he answered his son''s question. "They are called chaos lines. They represent bad luck. Those who have it¡­ It is said that death and destruction follow them till the end¡­ Absolute chaos." The words Danzo Shimura said to him were like sharp blades and pierced his young heart. He stared at the man''s retreating back until it disappeared. Itachi''s memories took him to his Genin days. A talentless and spiteful Jonin instructor Minazuki Yuki, a jealous teammate Izumo Tenma and an ordinary talentless girl Inari Shinko. Despite having to put up with a problematic team, Itachi completed his missions perfectly. As he completed more and more missions the attention of the higher ups were drawn to him. Even though he was only seven years old his abilities were on par with the average chunin. So in order to test him, his team was assigned a mission normal genin teams wouldn''t have been allowed. The mission to eliminate a spy. It was shortly after the attempted kidnapping of Hinata Hyuga. Due to the hostile situation between the Leaf and the Cloud villages and the urgency of the situation, the Anbu and key ninjas were deployed to critical areas and were on standby in the event that a fight broke out. It was during this time the Leaf discovered the existence of the Stone spy. A spy disguised as a vegetable seller. The mission was accomplished smoothly despite some small troubles from his teammate Tenma. The higher ups were impressed with Itachi''s method and execution of the mission. Shortly after that his father made him attend the secret clan gatherings. Itachi could feel the air of unrest and malice. He looked around and saw his friend Shisui. Shisui looked at the younger Uchiha and smiled. That smile held an inconceivable amount of sadness. Itachi smiled back as if to convey that he felt the same as the older boy. The meeting proceeded with topics regarding raising concerns with the clan compound''s placement and the military police duties. Many were divided on how to proceed. Itachi wasn''t accustomed to the intense atmosphere and the clan''s evil intent that hung in the air. "Caw¡­" Itachi took a deep breath and opened his eyes as he heard the sound of his crow. He raised his arm and it landed on him. ''I saw it that day. Their dissatisfaction with the village and its policies. But it was still only in the beginning stages. Some wanted to show force to the village while some wanted to proceed peacefully. And then there were those that weren''t sure what side to choose.'' He looked into the crow''s Sharingan eye and then remembered one of the most important events that happened in his life. The day he awakened his Sharingan. A year passed with Itachi completing normal genin missions. Even with his team''s hostility towards each other they somehow managed to complete missions without much problems. Despite being leagues ahead of his team in skill and judgment they still were not allowed to participate in the Chunin exams. It was during that time they were given the mission to guard the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. The Daimyo of the land of fire visited the leaf village annually. Even during the great war. A regular important event for both sides. Although the village resided in the land of fire it had an independent government with the Hokage on top. Officially even though the Daimyo was positioned higher than the Hokage, the military strength of the village rested in the kage''s hands. Thus the relationship between the Leaf village and the land of fire was one of equal alliance. And so both the Daimyo and the Hokage would meet every year to maintain this symbiotic relationship. Itachi remembered the mission debrief. "So we''re the ones guarding him?" His teammate Tenma asked the Jonin instructor. "Yes. Officially it''s us. But there are also the Daimyo''s own personal guards. The Twelve Guardian Ninjas. Not to mention another four man Anbu Team keeping an eye on everything from the shadows." "So we''re basically just for normal protocol.!" "Yeah¡­ Now that the war is over, this kind of mission is safe even for you three¡­ We''ll meet here tomorrow morning at 4. Don''t be late." Yuki parted saying those words. The next day the mission began as normal. They were on the main road that led from the capital to the leaf village. Half a day passed and everything was going smoothly. It was until the team saw a mysterious man with a strange mask walking towards them. He looked non threatening to everyone on the team except for Itachi. His team decided to engage the person but they were immediately caught in Genjutsu. Itachi escaped before the illusion could take effect and his teammate Tenma was capable in the Genjutsu arts so he was able to break free as well. Misjudging his and his opponent''s strength, Tenma attacked and got himself killed. "A ninja who cannot assess a situation¡­ will get themselves killed." The man pierced Tenma''s torso and ended his life. He looked at Itachi and spoke. "It seems you''re not a fool who recklessly charges ahead. Good. That''s very good, Itachi Uchiha." "How do you know my name?" "I know everything about the Uchihas." The boy felt like prey in the jaws of a predator at that moment. Before the masked man could kill him, Anbu appeared and saved his life. Itachi remembered the death of his teammate and the encounter with the masked man. ''The reason I awakened my sharingan and the day I met Madara Uchiha.'' Due to the threat of the unknown ninja, the visit was postponed. Faced with the cruel reality of the ninja world Itachi''s teammate Shinko quit being a ninja and opened a tea stall. Days passed with Itachi completing the missions with just his Jonin instructor Yuki. He trained and sharpened his skills with Shisui and waited for the day he could take the chunin exams. He recalled the day his father gave him the news. "Lord Hokage called me to talk about you." Fugaku said "What''s it about?" "The village officials have decided that you are capable and he has decided to let you participate in the coming chunin exams. The other examinees will be in teams so you taking the exam on your own will put you in a tough spot¡­ I told him you would be ready." Fugaku looked into his eyes as those words came out of his mouth. "Thank you father." Itachi was pleased he was given the chance to move up the ranks. The chunin exam came and he scored the highest marks in the exam. Second highest marks in the history of the written test only behind Minato Namikaze. It was the same for the second test as well. A new record of 5 hours and 37 minutes to complete the mission through the forest of death. His performance throughout the exams impressed everyone and he successfully became a chunin. "How long are you going to sit there and reminisce?" The familiar voice of his soon to be accomplice in massacring the clan, came from the shadows and brought the young Uchiha out of his thoughts. Itachi didn''t answer him or even acknowledge his presence and simply looked on ahead. They stayed in silence as the sound of rushing water flowed from beneath the cliff. Itachi felt the chakra disappear and looked up at the sky. ''In just 5 months after becoming chunin, the door to the Anbu organization was opened for me. Danzo was the one who made it possible. I didn''t know his end game until it was too late.'' Itachi remembered the second meeting he had with the man. "There is resistance from several above at having an Uchiha member join the Anbu. So in order to show that you are capable and to quell the resistance you will need some sort of an achievement." Itachi looked up at the man half covered in the shadows. "Do you mean completing a mission?" "Yes¡­ I''ll give you a mission. Complete it and your position in Anbu is secure. I''ll allow you to choose one team member of your choice for this task" Danzo revealed no emotion as he laid out the details of the mission. ''The assassination mission of Mukai Kohinata. An Anbu turned spy who sold secrets to the Mist ninjas. A talented, powerful opponent¡­ If it wasn''t for Shisui and his hidden Mangeky¨­ Sharingan, he''d have killed us. The mission was a success and I was put on Team Ro. Kakashi''s team¡­ Friend killer¡­ That''s what those who were jealous of him called him behind his back.'' ''When Shisui and I were trying to complete the Mukai mission we had one goal in mind. I was supposed to climb up the rank and become Hokage while he would become a strong Jonin. We would become the bridge between the village and the clan. And it would be just the start. Once the village was united, I would strengthen the relationships with all the villages¡­ No more wars and pointless deaths¡­ I could spend time with my brother. Teach him like I''ve always wanted¡­ I had so many dreams¡­'' A single drop of tear fell down his cheeks. Itachi closed his eyes and exhaled. Itachi thought about the secret meeting he attended after becoming Anbu. All the Uchiha gathered, focusing on his father. "We have tolerated the attitude of the village all this time. No more. We will take advantage of Itachi''s entry into Anbu and we will launch a coup d''etat." "Itachi!" Fugaku turned to his son. "Your objective is to investigate the village and its forces and report back to us." Itachi knew right then what his father was asking him to do. ''A spy¡­ Just like¡­ Mukai?'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 68 – Itachi’s Decision Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Itachi was in shock. He couldn''t believe what his father and his clan were asking him to do. "Now we have a pipeline connecting our clan to the center of the village. Itachi! The information and advantage you bring us are the key to our clan''s future. Don''t forget that." Every clan member was looking at him. Their eyes red and the Sharingan blazing in the dark. The memories of that meeting vanished from the forefront of his mind and were replaced with his meeting with Danzo shortly after joining Anbu. "So you''re part of Team Ro huh. With team leader Kakashi Hatake." Danzo mused as he looked over the papers. "He is a powerful ninja¡­ Do you know what the most important aspect of an Anbu is?" The root commander asked Itachi. Before even waiting for Itachi¡¯s reply he answered. "It''s darkness. The darkness of the heart. Without it you won''t survive being Anbu¡­ And when I look at you¡­ I can tell. You have plenty of darkness inside you." Itachi just remained silent as he listened to those words. Itachi''s mind went through the several missions he undertook as an Anbu. Some were assassination missions while others were simple like guarding the Hokage. But there was one mission he wasn''t prepared for and it took him by shock. He remembered that day so clearly. In the basement of the Anbu building several monitors were fixed together. All the screens with pictures of the Uchiha clan compound. Kakashi stood besides him. "The nine tails attack on our village. The officials suspect an Uchiha involvement. They didn''t just isolate the clan compound to the edge of the village. They''ve decided to monitor the movements of the Uchiha at all times." Itachi stood still as he watched his Anbu comrades controlling the screens with various buttons. ''There''s no way I can tell the clan about this. If they found out that they were being monitored every second of the day it would amplify their rage and it would be the tipping point.'' "Now that you''re Anbu, this will be one of your tasks." Kakashi''s voice reached his ears. "You''re ordering me to spy on my clan?" Hearing Itachi''s question an Anbu member watching the monitor answered. "A mission is a mission. Your clan summoned the nine tails. So they are now under investigation. Accept it, newbie." He could never forget that day. ''It was difficult but I did it. And that was also when I found out the existence of the masked man. Ever since he killed Tenma I''ve tried to find out who he is. I met with all the men in the clan and no one had his chakra aura or voice. I also became sure that there was no one in the clan who could control space time Ninjutsu like that. So I concluded that this masked man was an outsider. An Uchiha who has left the clan¡­ And I was right.'' Itachi investigated the identity of the masked man through several means. He concluded that it was an Uchiha and not someone who stole a Sharingan. After going through several theories and discarding the least likely, he had a suspect in mind. Itachi went through several documents in the archives to confirm his suspicion. ''None of these records verify the death of Madara Uchiha. It only says he died in battle with the first Hokage but there is no other proof. Not the body or the Sharingan was brought back¡­ there''s nothing¡­ That masked ninja. I''ve never encountered a ninja with such an overwhelming chakra and presence¡­ Is it possible¡­ Is he¡­?¡¯ He kept his suspicion to himself. Weeks passed with his time in the Anbu. It was during this time that Danzo had called him and asked him to report on the clan meetings. "I need you to report to me the details of the clan meetings. If things progress as they have then there will be chaos for everyone." Itachi hated it but he agreed with the man. So from that day he started reporting the on-goings of the meetings to Danzo. Soon after that the day came when Fugaku was discussing the various strategies to be used for the coup. "We need to make a detailed list of all the people ready to participate in the plan. Our assassination and attack targets and the invasion routes must be precise. If any of you have any thoughts feel free to speak your mind." Fugaku stopped as he looked at everyone. Itachi protested against the radical methods at the meeting and this earned him the ire of several members. Mainly Yashiro, Inabi and Tekka. "Who''s side are you on Itachi? Who''s your Ally? The village or the clan?" Itachi looked at everyone present and answered. "Isn''t it obvious? I''m Itachi of the Uchiha clan." Itachi recalled Yashiro''s angry roar in the Naka shrine meeting. ''They didn''t believe me. It wasn''t long before they made their move. And they used my friend to do their dirty work.'' The three tasked Shisui to spy on Itachi. It was midnight. Shisui had asked him to come to the cliff. During his time in Anbu, Itachi had memorized the position and angles of the cameras watching them. He devised a path that allowed him to move without being caught on the cameras. Itachi reached the location in a short while. "Forgive me for making you wait." "Don''t worry. I just got here too." Shisui said with a small smile. Seeing his friend''s face, Itachi became concerned. "What''s wrong, Shisui?" "There''s something I have to tell you¡­ The clan suspects you of being a traitor." "I know. I already figured." "That''s not all¡­ They''ve ordered me to monitor your actions and movements." "What?" Itachi was shocked at the notion. ''I can''t believe father would¡­'' "It wasn''t Lord Fugaku." Shisui answered as if reading Itachi''s mind. "It was the three officials from the military police. Yashiro, Tekka and Inabi." "I see¡­" "Don''t worry. I''ll make something up and report to them. You can relax." Itachi trusted his friend''s words. Both of them stood in silence for a few seconds. "If tomorrow''s meeting goes as planned then we won''t be able to stop the coup." Shisui said to him. "So what do we do?" "I have a plan. I''m going to use my Mangeky¨­ Sharingan on Lord Fugaku and trap him in my Genjutsu." Itachi remembered the plan. He would be absent from the meeting and Shisui would use his powerful Genjutsu on his father and stop the plan. Shisui described the power of his Mangeky¨­ Sharingan and Itachi believed it would work. So he trusted in his friend and waited for the day. ''I had an argument with father the night before the meeting. I was adamant that I wouldn''t attend and he was furious. It was then that Sasuke woke up and came near the room¡­ I used him as a shield so father would drop the argument. That look in Sasuke¡¯s eyes that night¡­ Was it jealousy?'' ''It doesn''t matter now. By tomorrow the only emotions he would feel towards me are anger and hatred.'' Memories of him waiting on the cliff for Shisui came. He had many thoughts in mind at that time. ''What would we do once father was brought down? How would we proceed?'' As he thought about what the future would bring him, he sensed the chakra of his friend appearing behind him. ''It''s too early for him to be here!'' Itachi turned around and looked at his friend. "Sorry Itachi. I failed." Blood ran down from Shisui''s closed right eye. He slowly walked past Itachi and stood near the cliff. "What happened to your eye?" "Danzo¡­ Danzo happened." Shisui turned to Itachi and looked with his single eye. "Itachi¡­¡± His friend looked weak. Like he had given up. ''No, don''t say it. Please don''t say it.'' Itachi desperately pleaded in his heart. He didn''t want to hear the words he knew his friend was going to say. ¡°It looks like there''s no way to stop the coup. If the leaf starts fighting itself then¡­ The other countries would take action and use the opportunity to attack us. It''ll start another war." Itachi stood petrified as he heard those words. Unaware of his friend''s inner turmoil Shisui continued. "Just when I was about to use Kotoamatsukami and stop the coup Danzo interfered. He stole my right eye. He doesn''t trust me. Danzo intends to protect the village his way, no matter what he has to do." As he heard those words Itachi felt a chill run down his spine. ''A man embodied in darkness.'' "He''s after my left eye. Before he gets it, I''ll leave it in your hands." His friend took out his eye and gave it to him. "You''re my best friend. You''re the only one I trust with this mission. Protect the village¡­ and the Uchiha name. I''m counting on you¡­ Itachi." Those were his last words before he jumped into the river. Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the slowly setting sun. His three tomoe sharingan spinning and forming into a pinwheel. ''I failed you. I couldn''t stop them¡­'' Itachi thought about the rest of the events that took place. Shisui''s death temporarily halted the coup d''etat plans. The clan was banking on Shisui''s strength to take out difficult targets including the hokage. And with his death they had to stall and recalculate their battle plan. Itachi then thought about Sasuke. He didn''t speak with his brother often those days. Even now, his interactions with his brother were far less than he¡¯d like. But he did see him train. Train much harder and longer than before. ''It came as a surprise to me that there was someone who was strong enough to beat Sasuke and take first place. But it seems that motivated Sasuke to train harder and get stronger.'' Itachi remembered the confrontation that took place with the three clan members during that time. When Yashiro, Inabi and Tekka accused him of being a traitor and killing his friend, Itachi lost his cool. He thoroughly destroyed them within seconds with minimal effort. He only stopped because of his little brother''s scream. ''If it wasn''t for Sasuke''s sake I would have killed them then and there¡­ I can''t believe Shisui sacrificed his life for people like them. He worked tirelessly to find a way to save them till the end¡­ And yet¡­ Everyone still decided to go down the path of destruction¡­ This clan¡­ it isn''t worth saving.'' Itachi confronted Danzo a few days after Shisui''s death. "Why did you kill Shisui?" "So you did know¡­ He told you, didn''t he." Danzo was calm as he answered the question. "We had a plan. He was going to stop the coup. It would have brought peace within the village." "Do you really believe that would have stopped the coup. You and I both know that Fugaku is just a figurehead. Replace him and another will take his place. Shisui wasn''t willing to listen to my plan." "That''s why you killed him?" "Yes." Hearing that blunt uncaring answer, killing intent burst forth from him. Itachi held a kunai and lunged for Danzo''s throat. A root Anbu got in his way and shielded his master. The kunai lodged in the agent''s forearm. Unfazed by the actions of Itachi, Danzo continued to speak. "You already realized it, haven''t you?" "Shut the hell up." Itachi roared at the man. "How can we protect the village if we''re not willing to do what needs to be done?" "I said shut up." Itachi struggled against the root Anbu and slowly pushed the kunai forward. "This is what''s going to happen if you kill me. When I''m gone, the only thing holding the Uchiha clan back will be gone and they will act unrestrained. And not to mention, the moment you kill me, a village official, you will be branded a criminal and traitor. Even if you somehow make it out of this house alive, my men will pursue you till your death. You won''t be able to stay in the village. So when the clan launches the coup you can only watch from the outside as the village slaughters the Uchiha without mercy¡­ This is what''s going to happen if you take my life here. So go ahead if you wish to go down this foolish path¡­ Kill me and avenge Shisui." Danzo had no intention of dying. It was a clear provocation. Itachi knew that. He also knew that killing Danzo won''t solve anything. In fact, if he went through with it the situation would only become much worse. Itachi gritted his teeth and put his kunai back in his pouch. His ambition was bigger than his desire for vengeance. Itachi sighed thinking about the days after that incident. ''More than a year has passed since that incident. But nothing changed. The Hokage didn''t find a solution during that time and the clan kept their heads down and simply waited for another opportunity. The time Shisui bought with his death was for nothing. And now after revising their plans the clan has set a date. In Ten days they would launch the coup. That was nine days ago.'' Itachi then thought about the choice Danzo presented him. "When push comes to shove Hiruzen will take action. That''s the kind of man he is. As the Hokage, his priority will be the village." Danzo said to Itachi as they stood in front of the foundation building. Itachi recalled Danzo''s veiled threat against Sasuke and the outcome of the coup if it was launched. He recalled the choice he was given by the man. "I want you to choose. Will you side with the Uchiha, launch the coup and be destroyed with your clan? Or will you stand with the leaf and help us eliminate the Uchiha before the coup and save your brother''s life¡­ Whatever we do we must do it quickly, for the sake of the village. This mission can only be given to a double agent for both the Uchiha clan and the leaf village. Only you can do it¡­ Itachi¡­" Itachi closed his eyes and let out a small breath. He turned around and walked away without saying a word. He soon reached the cliff where he promised Shisui. Tears started falling from his eyes. He cried for a long time. His tears never stopping. "This is the only way." Itachi told himself. He tracked down the masked man and confronted him. "Well then, this is simpler. You know who I am. Then you should know that I harbor hatred for both the leaf and the Uchiha clan." The masked ninja said. "Let''s make a deal. I''ll help you kill the clan but in exchange you''ll leave the village alone and Sasuke Uchiha. Those are my conditions." Itachi thought about why the man would agree to him. ''He must have seen my talents and skills. It''s why he''s agreed to side with me and made that deal. The end of the clan for Sasuke¡¯s life and the village. And then my talents and skills, put to use in his organization.'' Itachi stared ahead and noticed that it was evening. ''The classes must have ended by now. But Danzo has made sure that Sasuke will be stalled in the Academy¡­ It''s time¡­ This is the only path available to me.'' More than six hours had passed as he sat there immersed in his thoughts. Several alternative ideas came to his mind but he quickly discarded them. He knew none of them would work. Itachi got up and took a deep breath. "Haah¡­" ''All the preparations have been made. Time to move.'' "Alright! I''m going." Those came out of Itachi''s mouth as he turned around. Seemingly announced to an empty space. But it wasn¡¯t empty. Itachi made his decision. A decision he knew was born of failure. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 69 – A Promise Made Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi looked at the 2 quests in shock. ''No way. Two quests for one incident appearing at the same time?'' Daichi went through the details of the first quest ''Rescue Reo Uchiha'' and then the second ''Follow root agents quest''. ''The rewards are only 12000 exp. points and reputation increase for the first quest. But the second one. If I successfully complete it then I''ll get 15000 exp and the Uchiha bloodline and thus the Sharingan. The logical choice would be to choose the second quest as it yields a greater reward¡­ And I can only choose one.'' At that moment the image of baby Reo smiling appeared in his mind. ''What the hell am I even thinking? I can''t believe I''m even debating myself over this.'' Daichi made up his mind that instant and chose the first quest. ''Her life is more important and if I get the sharingan it''ll only bring a headache for me at this time.'' Daichi immediately rushed to the bathroom of the academy. Since the classes had ended a while ago there were only a few people on the premises. After reaching the bathroom Daichi made sure he was alone in there. ''I can''t be too sure about the classes but I''m pretty sure no one''s spying on this place right now.'' He looked in the mirror and tried to come up with a strategy. ''I need a plan. Danzo''s root Anbu is watching the clan and Itachi and Obito are at the compound. I can''t rush in without a plan.'' ''After the massacre there will definitely be an investigation. Only the Hokage, Danzo and the council elders will know the truth about the massacre but they won''t be able to share it even with the Anbu members. And if this matter isn''t thoroughly investigated it will create problems with other clans. The Anbu will definitely investigate everyone''s movements within the village today¡­ I need an alibi. And¡­ I need to know what I''ll do with Reo once I save her¡­ I can''t bring her home. It''ll bring attention to me and her. And if Danzo or Obito or anyone else figure out she''s an Uchiha, all my efforts would be in vain. And I will definitely become a target.'' Daichi thought about saving Ren and Kimiko but he shut that idea down. ''They will count the bodies to see if anyone''s missing. And if they find a whole family missing then they will hunt them down and declare them traitors or secretly dispose of them. Either way, it''s not a pleasant ending.'' Suddenly Daichi thought of something. He looked at the accepted quest. More specifically at the rewards. Reputation increases with Aiko Hikara. ''Reo will be safe there. But I''ll need to convince Aiko to take her in.'' Daichi came up with a viable plan after thinking for several minutes. ''Lets just hope everything goes well.'' He created a shadow clone and quickly took out Atamagai''s invisibility cloak from his inventory. Daichi looked at his clone and spoke. "You know what to do." The clone nodded. "Yeah. Get home as usual. Same routes. Keep minimal interactions and no suspicious movements. And make sure to not get dispelled until you get home." Daichi nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Go.¡± Once the clone left Daichi quickly wore the cloak. Special Item equipped. Atamagai''s cloak activated. A holographic bar appeared above the Mini-Map showing how much time was left for the cloak to stay active. Right next to it was a button for ON/OFF. Daichi looked at his MP bar and saw 300 points were used to activate the cloak. The moment the cloak activated he became invisible. Daichi looked at the mirror and saw nothing. He didn''t see his reflection in the mirror. ''If I use this continuously then I''ll have an invisibility of 3 hours but if I deactivate and use this sparingly then I can extend it up to 10 hours. After that the cloak gets deactivated no matter what for 29 days. It''s a good thing that this reactivated so soon or I might have been in some serious trouble.'' Daichi used the cloak in the second dungeon but due to spending several days in there and these last few weeks outside the cloak was completely recharged a few days ago. Daichi wasted no more time and left the academy. The boy rushed to the Uchiha clan compound. Due to the cloak blocking the smell, chakra, sound and visibility, Daichi didn''t hold himself back. He put chakra in his limbs and sped towards his destination. ''I only have 1.5 Hrs to finish this.'' On his way the boy thought about how he would convince Ren to let him have her daughter. ''I need to convince him no matter what. If the need arises I¡¯ll have to use Mana Puppetry on him.'' After a dozen minutes Daichi reached the compound. He ran through the compound and already started to see some dead bodies. ''I need to hurry.'' He quickly reached Ren''s home and went inside. They were at the other side of the house and didn''t hear the front door opening. Daichi saw Ren and Kimiko looking anxious and packing a few scrolls. ''Here goes¡­'' Daichi dropped the invisibility and the moment he did Ren turned around in surprise. Kimiko was also shocked. "Daichi!! What? How?" Ren asked bewildered. He checked Daichi''s chakra signature and made sure it was the boy he knew. Daichi looked at the packed bags and scrolls. His eyes widened as he realized the situation. "You guys are planning to leave aren''t you?" Daichi asked, wanting to confirm his suspicion. "Daichi, I don''t know how you got here but you need to leave right now." Ren said with a serious face. His Sharingan quickly came to life. "I can''t do that." Daichi shook his head. "Kid you don''t understand the situation. You need to -" "Itachi is killing the clan as we speak." Daichi''s words stunned the two Uchihas. Kimiko was shocked when she heard Daichi. "What did you say?" "I saw several dead bodies on my way here. And it was Itachi." "No that can''t be true. He would never¡­" "Kimiko¡­" Ren quietly spoke. The moment he heard Daichi''s words he activated his chakra and changed it to sensory mode. His range was wide and he felt the chakra fluctuations and disappearance throughout the compound. Ren was a smart man. He immediately understood the implications. ''Itachi¡­ it''s no coincidence that he would attack the clan the day before the coup. He¡­ he sided with the village. They know¡­ And it looks like there''s someone else in the compound killing the members. It won''t be long before they reach here.'' Horror dawned on his face as he looked at his wife and daughter in her arms. He turned towards Daichi. His mind running through different scenarios. He needed to save his daughter at all cost. "Daichi the clan¡­" He started speaking but Daichi held up his hand. "They were going to attack the village weren''t they?" Daichi spoke looking at them. "How do you know that? Are you a spy sent by the village?" Kimiko immediately became defensive. But Ren was looking at Daichi with an impressive face. "I''m not a spy or anything like that. I''ve seen the tension between your clan and the village. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out what would happen next." Daichi replied to her question. Ren took a step forward and asked the boy. He was keeping a close eye on Daichi''s chakra and the two chakras killing everyone in the compound. "Why are you here Daichi?" Daichi looked at the stony face of the man. After a few seconds of silence he answered. "I came to save Reo." The eyes of the couple widened hearing those words. Daichi continued. "I can''t save you two. But I can save her. I''ll get her out of here safely and I''ll make sure she''s safe. But¡­ I''m sorry. You two won''t make it out of this alive¡­" "Why? Why do you want to save her? You could get killed if they capture you?" Ren asked the boy. "I want to save her because she''s innocent and she doesn''t deserve to die because of the cruel plans of others¡­ And¡­ I have no intention of getting caught." Daichi spoke in a resolute tone. "But I need to get going in the next minute¡­ So you need to make a decision now." Ren looked at Kimiko. Tears ran down her face as she held her baby tightly in her arms. She looked at her husband and they came to a decision. They knew their plan to escape was now a failure. They would get captured and killed if they left now. Ren took his daughter into his arms and walked towards Daichi. "Daichi, promise me something. Promise me you''ll watch over her and make sure she''s safe. Swear to me you''ll guard her like she''s your own sister." It was only Daichi''s gamer''s mind that kept him from choking up in sadness. "You have my word. I won''t let anyone get to her. I promise." Ren scrutinized Daichi''s chakra and he looked into the boy''s eyes. He saw the resolve and the determination to move mountains in them. He felt relieved in that moment. "Thank you Daichi. I''m glad I met you." Ren handed his daughter over to the boy as tears ran down his face. Kimiko at the time took three scrolls and came to Daichi. "These belong to her. When the time comes, tell her everything and give these to her." Kimiko said smiling even as she shed tears. "What are they?" Daichi asked. "One contains photos of us. All the memories we made from our childhood till now." Kimiko said with a sad smile "The second is a collection of all the jutsu and techniques I learned throughout the years. And the third is the entirety of our assets. All liquidated and in cash. You can use that for her needs. It''ll last till she''s genin." Ren said. Daichi nodded and took the scrolls. He quickly placed them in his inventory. The two watched in surprise as the scrolls disappeared into thin air. "Another one of your secrets huh." Ren slightly smiled. During the course of their friendship Ren figured that Daichi was more than meets the eye but he just didn''t know the extent of it. "I sense several ninjas at the outskirts of the compound. Probably to keep an eye on things here. How are you planning on leaving the compound without anyone noticing?" Ren asked the boy as he sensed the movements of the killers and everyone else. "The same way I got here. Don''t worry. We''ll be fine. I have a plan." Daichi slightly smiled at them. The couple looked at their daughter sleeping in Daichi''s arms. Ren gently stoked baby Reo''s cheeks while Kimiko hugged her husband and looked at her sleeping child. Both of them had their Sharingan locked on their child. "Be good Reo. Grow strong and beautiful like your mother." Ren spoke with tears in his eyes. His chakra concentrated in his eyes and began fluctuating. "Make sure to have lots of good friends. Eat healthy¡­ We love you so much¡­" Kimiko was choking up as she said the last words. The chakra fluctuations within Ren''s eye became stronger and stronger. He didn''t care about the pain his eyes were experiencing. He kept looking at his daughter for what would be the last few moments of his life. Daichi sensed the chakra fluctuations and looked up. What he saw astounded him. The three tomoe sharingan in Ren''s eyes spinning wildly and forming a new pattern. Daichi was having a mind freakout. ''No freaking way¡­ Mangeky¨­ Sharingan¡­!!!'' The Mangeky¨­ Sharingan formed and stayed like that for several seconds. Suddenly Ren looked up and turned his head. The Mangeky¨­ Sharingan vanished from his eyes. "Daichi you need to hide now. The enemy is coming." Ren whispered quickly. Daichi realizing that the killer was coming activated the cloak and hid himself in a corner of the room away from Ren and Kimiko. He was holding Reo in his arms so she was under the invisibility protection as well. To the Uchiha couple it was as if Daichi and their daughter had vanished. And they let out a breath. They were now sure that Daichi would be able to keep Reo safe. They held each other''s hands and waited for their assailant. The next instant a sword pierced through Kimiko''s heart and she died before she could even utter a word. The attack happened fast and in a second. Ren turned to look and saw a masked man taking his sword out of his wife''s body. He took a kunai and lunged at the man. He was surprised when he passed through the person as if he was a ghost. The next second he felt a slash across his throat and another severing his spine. Ren fell down and choked on his own blood. In a few seconds he passed away as well. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 70 – A Safe Haven Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was watching everything from the corner of the room. His eyes widened at the brutality displayed in front of him and even more at the person committing the deed. Daichi couldn''t believe what he was seeing. ''No way. That''s not Itachi. That''s¡­ That''s¡­ Obito.'' The masked Uchiha brutally and efficiently killed the Uchiha couple in seconds before they could do anything. As if feeling the death of her parents, at that moment baby Reo woke up and started to cry. But being under the effects of the cloak no sound was heard by anyone other than Daichi. He tried to calm the baby down while he himself was going through several emotions. His gamer''s mind helped him a great deal in staying focused on the task. Daichi held Reo tightly in his arms. "It''s ok. I''m here¡­ Don''t cry. Everything is going to be alright." Daichi was about to leave but then stopped as he saw Obito do something unexpected. The masked Uchiha took out two containers and quickly plucked the eyes of Ren and Kimiko Uchiha. "The eyes are always fresh even when plucked right after death." He said looking at the dead couple. Once he completed his task he left the house for his next targets. Daichi gritted his teeth in anger as he saw what happened. ''That bastard¡­ He¡­ He took their eyes.'' At that moment a certain memory came to his mind. The image of dozens of Sharingan in containers at the mountain hideout as Obito replaced Sasuke''s Sharingan with Itachi''s. ''I can''t waste anymore time here, I need to leave.'' Without wasting time Daichi bolted from the place. He held Reo tightly in his arms and fled the Uchiha clan compound. Daichi pushed chakra to his limbs and used the sprint skill to increase his speed. But he made sure the baby in his arms didn''t feel any major discomfort. His destination - Aiko''s Orphanage. Daichi had a plan in mind and he had to make sure everything went perfectly. ''No secret stays buried forever. Someday this village will find out about the existence of Reo and then about what I did tonight. Since Reo is going to be in Aiko''s care, the village will question her and then Aiko will no doubt tell them about me. Everything that happened tonight. Every action I took and every word spoken. So I need to be absolutely careful not to say or do the wrong thing. I need my defense to be rock solid.'' Daichi thought about what he would say to convince the orphan matron. After thinking for some time he had a solid idea. The orphanage was on the opposite side of the Uchiha compound so it took Daichi more than half hour at full speed to reach the place. Daichi stood in front of the building he lived in for the first 5 years of his life. He took a breath and quietly picked the lock of the front door. He entered the building without alerting anyone and used Mana scout skill. ''Looks like the children are asleep and the only other person here is Aiko. Good. That will make things easier.'' He made for Aiko''s room and once he reached the door he let go of the invisibility. 50 minutes had already passed with him using the cloak. And Daichi only had 40 minutes remaining to complete the quest of rescuing Reo. ''If I enter her room without alerting her then she might react badly. She was a former ninja after all¡­ This way she would recognize my chakra and wouldn''t do anything rash.'' Daichi quietly knocked on the door several times. "I''m coming." The voice of the matron was heard from inside the room. After several seconds the door opened and Matron Aiko was shocked to see Daichi standing there holding a baby. "Daichi?.. What are you¡­" Daichi quickly interrupted her and entered the room. He closed the door behind him. "I''ll explain everything." "What are you doing here? And who is that? What''s going on.?" Aiko was shocked at what was happening. "Ok in order. I''m here because I need your help. And this is Reo Uchiha and Itachi is killing the Uchiha clan." Daichi said with a straight face. Aiko stood still as she processed what she just heard. "What? I''m going to need you to explain." Daichi sighed. He already had in mind what he would say to her. "I was training my shurikenjutsu in the woods near the Uchiha clan compound after classes were over. After I was done and on my way home, when I got near the clan compound I heard a commotion. I went to take a look and saw a dead body. It looked like he died a minute or two before I got there. I went to call for the Uchiha police force but on my way I saw several more bodies in the compound." Daichi stopped and looked at the shocked face of the matron. "What?... I can''t believe Itachi would¡­ Diachi!! We need to alert the Hokage." Aiko turned around as if to get ready to leave but Daichi stopped her. "You can''t! You can''t tell anyone." Aiko, hearing the boy''s words, turned around. "Daichi, this isn''t a small matter. If Itachi is killing the people of the clan then we need to alert the Hokage. And why are you so sure it was Itachi?" "I saw Itachi kill my friends. It was him. And you can''t tell anyone. You need to trust me." "Daichi, this isn''t a game. I need to alert the Hokage. You stay here with that baby and once I inform the hokage-" "I think someone high up in the village is helping Itachi kill the clan." Aiko stood still as she heard the words. "What did you say?" "Look. You need to listen to me. Please. Otherwise there is a good chance Reo here will die." At this moment he used his Mana puppetry skill on her. ''Trust him. He''s a good kid. Listen to what he has to say.'' Daichi could see the struggle Aiko had with herself for several seconds. At that moment baby Reo started crying in Daichi''s arms. Daichi tried to console the baby. "Sshh¡­ It''s ok. I''m here. Big brother Daichi is here for you¡­ Don''t cry." Aiko''s face showed sympathy as she saw the scene. For Daichi, at that moment a notification came. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] ''Yes.'' "Ok Daichi, tell me everything." Daichi nodded. "I didn''t know who was killing everyone at that time. So when I saw more bodies I went straight to my friend''s home. Ren Uchiha. We met a while back. After I reached his place I told him everything. He had a powerful sensor ability so he checked the chakra of everyone in the compound. He realized I was telling the truth and felt that most of the clan were already dead. Then he sensed the person killing them coming to the house." Daichi paused to take a breath. Aiko motioned for him to continue. Daichi looked as if he was struggling with his words. He took several breaths and then continued. "He handed me his daughter and told me not to trust the higher ups of the village and keep her existence a secret¡­ I held Reo in my arms and hid. I saw Itachi killing my friend and his wife. Once he killed them he left. The instant he left I ran from there before anyone saw me." Aiko knelt and hugged Daichi. "Oh Daichi. I''m so sorry you had to go through that." She then looked at the baby and took Reo into her arms. She asked, looking at the baby. "Why do you think someone is helping Itachi kill the clan?" "On my way here I didn''t see any ninja near the compound. It was as if the whole area surrounding the compound was deserted¡­ I thought about it a lot on my way here. I''m supposed to believe that one person is strong enough to kill an entire clan? And that too without anyone knowing about it? I think someone high up was helping Itachi kill the clan." "Daichi, that doesn''t make any sense. Itachi killing them doesn''t mean someone from the village helped him. We need to speak with the Hokage. We need to save those people who might still be alive while we still have time." Aiko looked at the boy. "It''s probably too late. It took me over 30 minutes to reach here. Itachi has probably killed everyone. Going to the Hokage won''t change anything." Daichi looked at her and used Mana puppetry. ''Let''s hear what he has to say. Once he''s done explaining then we can decide whether to go to the Hokage or not.'' After a few seconds. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] "Are you sure it was Itachi?" Daichi nodded to Miss Aiko''s question. "How did you get out of there without anyone noticing?" Daichi used his chakra suppression skill and lowered his chakra. "I learned a lot during the last three years." He said with a small smile. Aiko looked at him with an impassive face. "You expect me to believe that you ran all the way here from the Uchiha compound, while holding a baby without anyone noticing with just your chakra suppression technique?" Daichi''s smile vanished as he heard her question. ''She''s smart.'' "If you want me to trust what you''re saying then you need to tell me the truth." Aiko told the boy. Having no choice, Daichi activated the ability of the cloak. Aiko was shocked that Daichi just vanished in front of her. She quickly used chakra to sense the boy and even then couldn''t find him. A second later Daichi reappeared. "How?" Aiko was shocked he could do something like that. Daichi held the cloak and answered. "Gramps gave this to me a few months ago. Told me if I was in any life threatening danger then I should use this. It can only be used a few times." "I see¡­" Aiko couldn''t believe something like this was in Kensei''s possession. ''If that could help him vanish from the senses then he could easily have gotten out.'' "But one thing still doesn''t make sense. Why do you think someone in the village helped Itachi do something like this? What would they gain from this?" Aiko asked. "I don''t know. But whoever helped him has some serious resources and power. My guess would be someone high up near the Hokage." Daichi was careful with his words. "You don''t know that." Aiko said to the boy but doubt was beginning to form in her mind. "True. I don''t know for sure. But in a village full of people who can see through walls, smell blood a mile away and have powerful sensors, you expect me to believe that none of them saw or even sensed that a clan was being killed? Are you telling me our village is that defenseless?" Daichi had a stony expression on his face as he spoke the words. Aiko thought about Daichi''s words. ''Is that even possible? Could it be true that someone¡­'' Daichi saw that Aiko was having an internal debate. Not taking any chances, he used the Mana puppetry skill on her again. ''Danzo Shimura. He could do something like this¡­'' Daichi wanted to make sure Aiko kept everything that happened here a secret. So he gave her a possible suspect. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] That thought took root in her mind and it shook her. ''Is it possible? I know he''s dangerous but¡­ Would he really kill an entire clan?'' She then looked at the boy. "Daichi, whatever the case is, we need to tell the Hokage about her and this theory. If there is a traitor within the village committing something horrible like this, then he needs to know." Daichi, hearing her, vehemently shook his head. "You absolutely can''t. If Itachi or the person who helped him finds out she''s alive then they will come for her. And then possibly me for saving her. And maybe even you." Aiko was taken aback by Daichi''s words. She looked at the baby sleeping in her arms. Daichi used the puppetry skill one more time. ''Trust him. Keep this a secret for now. It''s best for everyone.'' Daichi waited several seconds and then saw Aiko sigh. [Target has accepted the suggestion.] Skill Mana Puppetry''s level has risen by one. Aiko looked at the boy. "Fine. I''ll keep what happened here a secret. But¡­ I need to speak with Kensei first thing in the morning." "Gramps isn''t here in the village. He went to the capital to meet his old friend. He''ll only be back in a few days." Daichi said, looking at her. Aiko sighed, hearing the kid. "Alright¡­ The moment he comes home you send him my way. I''ll keep what happened here quiet but I''ll need to have a word with Kensei." Daichi nodded his head. "Thank you." Aiko then took the baby in her arms to her bed while Daichi opened his quest list. He looked at the rescue quest that was still ongoing. Daichi was confused. ''I saved Reo. So why isn''t the quest marked as completed?'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 71 – Erasing Reo Uchiha Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was confused as he looked at the quest status. ''Why isn''t it saying I completed the quest? Is there something more I have to do¡­?'' Daichi pondered on this question for a couple of minutes. ''The fact that I haven''t received a quest completion notification means Reo is still in danger. But how? I made sure no one saw me coming here. So how¡­?'' Daichi turned to Miss Aiko. ''Is it possible? Could Aiko be the threat?... No! Based on my memories she doesn''t seem like that kind of a person. And my ''Observe'' didn''t show anything problematic. Kensei trusts Miss Aiko as well. Of that I''m sure. So then she must not be the problem¡­ So then what is it?... She might not be the problem but maybe she might have an idea as to what is¡­'' "Miss Aiko?" The matron turned around at Daichi''s call. "Yes Daichi?" "Ren made me promise to keep Reo safe. So is there a possibility of people finding out about her?" Daichi asked in an unsure tone. "Daichi, she''s a member of the Uchiha clan. People will find out about her one day." "I know that. I''m just asking if there is any chance her enemies would find out about her in the coming days or weeks¡­?" Aiko thought about the question. A couple seconds later her eyes widened as she remembered something. Daichi seeing her face became slightly tense. "What is it?" The boy asked. "In the private archives, a record of every person living in the village is documented. It only has the basic information but it will be there. The moment a baby is born a record would be made and kept in the archives in her family files. " Daichi''s eyes widened hearing Aiko''s words. She continued. "The baby''s record would be filed with their parents'' documents¡­" Daichi now understood why the mission wasn''t completed yet. He still had something to do. "There will definitely be an investigation on this matter when the Hokage finds out what Itachi did. So they would check the dead bodies to the records kept in the archives to see if anyone is missing¡­ And they would find out about her¡­" Daichi said, looking at Aiko. The matron simply nodded. Daichi was in deep thought. He had a simple solution in mind but he was unsure if Miss Aiko would help him. ''I''ll have to use Mana puppetry on her if necessary.'' "Do you know where the records are kept?" Daichi asked the matron. Aiko knew exactly what Daichi was going to do. "Daichi, are you planning on committing a crime and asking me to be an accomplice?" Hearing Aiko, Daichi pointed at the sleeping Reo. "I''m asking you if you''re planning on helping me save her life¡­ Itachi is a genius and formidable. Everyone in the village knows that. If he finds out about her then he''ll come back and finish the job. And then me for saving her. And not to mention what the unknown traitors in the village would do if they found out about her¡­ The only way to keep her safe is if we erase her existence on paper for good." Aiko was torn between her loyalty to the village and her love and compassion for children. At that moment the words Kensei said to her years ago came to mind. "Just because Hiruzen helped you save the orphanage from Danzo doesn''t mean you should trust him. He can be quite cunning and heartless when he wants to be." "Kensei, how can you say that about him?" "Because I''ve seen who he really is and the hypocrisy of people like him. Don''t forget. I was Anbu for a long time. I''ve seen the ugly side of this village¡­ Trust me on this Aiko. Blind loyalty will get you and the people around you killed." Daichi was about to use Mana Puppetry on her to make her comply but Aiko spoke before he could. She had a serious expression on her face. "I''ll help you. But we need to move fast. Let''s go to my office." Once Aiko made sure Reo was asleep in bed, she led Daichi to her office. "There are several people who have access to the records kept. I happen to be one of them." Aiko said as she took a key from a shelf. "If we''re going to save that girl then not only do we have to erase her existing documents, we have to create new ones." "So you''re creating a new identity for her.!" "Yes." Aiko started filling the new document. She looked at Daichi and spoke. "I will mark her as an orphan." Daichi nodded. "Do you know her birth date?" She asked. "January 29th¡­ What are you going to name her?" Daichi was sad that the girl would grow up under a different name than the one given by her parents. "Do you have something in mind?" Aiko asked the boy. "Keep the first name. Reo. Ren and Kimiko chose that for her. I don''t want her to lose anymore tonight than she already has." Daichi was downcast as he said the words. He was still processing what happened to them. Aiko nodded and went back to completing the document. Daichi looked at the time remaining to complete the quest. ''Less than 30 minutes¡­ Please hurry¡­'' A couple minutes later the stamped and completed records and documents of an orphan Reo Miena were in Daichi''s hands. Aiko gave Daichi a key and gave him the instructions to complete the next step. "Since she''s just a few months old she''ll only have a birth certificate and a couple other documents. They will be kept in the low priority records room so there will only be a chunin guarding the door at this time. I''m sure with that cloak of yours you can get past him. Each clan has a specific shelf assigned to them to keep records of their members. Go to the section where they keep the Uchiha files. Find her parents files and just remove her documents." Daichi nodded and knew what he had to do next. "Then I place these documents with the ones assigned to this orphanage right?" "Yeah." Daichi nodded as he memorized the plan. "Thank you for this." He thanked her sincerely. Aiko merely nodded. "Go. Before it''s too late." Daichi tucked the files safely in his arms and left. Under the invisibility of his cloak he ran through the roofs of the village. Daichi headed in the direction Aiko said. Within 15 minutes he reached his destination. He saw only one person guarding the door just like the matron said. Daichi got near him and didn''t bother wasting his time using his ''observe'' skill on him. Daichi could smell the strong scent of smoke and tobacco coming from the man. He also saw a portion of a pack of smoke sticking out of the man''s pockets. Daichi had an idea. He used the Mana puppetry on him. ''It''s a good night for a smoke. I should have another one and enjoy the full moon. No one will come here anyway.'' [Target has accepted the suggestion.] ''That was fast. Guess he''s a heavy smoker. Makes things easier for me.'' Daichi thought as he looked at the chunin who left the post. The moment he turned a corner and was out of sight Daichi took out the key to the room and quietly opened the door and slipped inside. He slowly closed the door behind him and began his search. It was a big room with dozens of shelves. ''This is like looking for a needle in several haystacks. Thankfully these haystacks come labeled and numbered.'' He followed Aiko''s instructions and had an idea as to where the Uchiha clan''s files would be kept. It took a minute but he found the Uchiha section of the records. ''Ok. One problem solved. Now to find Ren''s family file¡­ A, B, C¡­. R. Now to find Ren..'' Daichi went through the alphabets and soon found the folder he was looking for. ''Ren Uchiha¡­'' Daichi took out the folder and opened it. ''This folder only contains the basic documents on Ren and Kimiko. Makes sense. Their other more important information like mission records and other details would be kept in a more secure location. And Reo¡­ Since she''s only born just a few months ago she would only have these couple of documents.'' Daichi took Reo''s papers from the folder and stored them in his inventory. He then looked over the information on Ren and Kimiko''s documents to see if it mentions them having a child. ''Ok. There is nothing on these documents that indicates them having a child¡­ Good. Now as far as the village is concerned Reo Uchiha doesn''t exist.'' Daichi placed Ren''s folder back in its place and closed the shelf. He then started to look for the cabinet assigned to Aiko''s orphanage. After a short search he found it. Daichi looked at the time remaining on the quest. ''Less than 4 minutes left.'' Daichi quickly placed Reo Miena''s files in the correct spot and closed the cabinet. ''Time to get the hell out of here.'' Daichi went near the door and used Mana scout. ''The good thing about the Mana scout skill is that no one can detect me when I use it. But if I use ''chakra sense'' a sensor could pick up my chakra. But I''m not sure that applies while I''m using the cloak. Either way, I''m not gonna risk it.'' The mana scout skill indicated that the guard hadn''t returned yet. Seeing that the area was empty, Daichi quietly and cautiously opened the door. He got outside and quickly and carefully closed the door behind him. He let out a sigh of relief and at that moment a notification popped up ''About time.'' Daichi looked at the quest box. Quest ''Rescue Reo Uchiha'' Completed. Rewards: 12000 Exp. Reputation increases with Aiko Hikara and Kensei Yasaji. Reputation increases with Ren Uchiha and Kimiko Uchiha. - Reward Invalid. ''I saved her¡­ Ren, Kimiko¡­ Rest easy. Reo''s safe. And I''ll make sure she stays safe till she''s strong enough to defend herself.'' Daichi then slowly walked and reached the building''s exterior. At that moment, he saw two Anbu members and a nervous guard headed in the direction of the records room. ''So they found out¡­ This is why the quest had a time limit. If I had gotten here even a few minutes later then they would have found out about her and then what I did.'' Cold sweat ran down Daichi''s face as he imagined the consequences of the quest failure. Without wasting any more time lingering there, Daichi left and headed back to the orphanage. As he ran a few meters a new notification box and a quest appeared, taking him by surprise. Daichi opened the new quest box first. Quest Created - ''Retrieve Ren and Kimiko Uchiha''s Sharingan.'' Obito Uchiha has stolen the eyes of most of the Uchiha clan members he and Itachi killed. Retrieve the eyes of your friends Ren and Kimiko and give them to Reo Uchiha when the day comes. No Time Limit. Rewards: 50000 Exp. New Skill. Reputation increases with Reo Uchiha. Failure: Death. Death of Aiko Hikara and Reo Uchiha and possibly others. Reputation decreases with everyone. Reputation vastly decreases with Sasuke Uchiha. Accept Y/N The contents shocked and then made Daichi happy. ''Wow¡­ I can''t believe it¡­ there''s no way I''m rejecting this quest.'' He accepted the quest immediately. Daichi''s fists clenched and his teeth grinded in anger as he thought about what happened to his friends. ''Just you wait, Obito. I''ll be coming for you one day. And unlike Naruto, mercy or the talk no jutsu would be the last things you will see from me.'' Daichi then looked at the next blue box that was present. He was shocked as he read the contents. [You have chosen to save the life of someone you care about instead of chasing after power.] [You have received a hidden reward] The hidden reward was a new skill. Daichi read the details of the new skill and by the time he was done his eyes were wide open. ''Holy shit¡­ A skill like this¡­ It''s a one time use skill but the value of this can''t be understated.'' Daichi couldn''t stop the small smile from spreading on his face. Author''s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to +30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 72 – Dark Deals Made In The Shadows 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Now that his quest was complete, Daichi was running at a moderate pace. He was going back to the orphanage to check up on Reo and talk to Aiko. ''One problem solved. But now when Aiko talks to Kensei about all this and asks about my cloak, I''ll be in trouble.'' Daichi gave a long sigh as he ran through the rooftops of the village under his invisibility cloak. ''I could have told her it was my ability but if anyone found out then I would have been killed for having such a dangerous ability or tortured or experimented to find out how it works. Saying it was the cloak would minimize the risk but not entirely. I could have said I found it somewhere but I doubt she''d believe that¡­ For some reason or other she trusts Kensei and I needed that¡­ What''s done is done. I''ll need to have a talk with him when he gets back.'' Daichi reached the orphanage and went inside. He reached Miss Aiko''s room. She was looking at the sleeping baby Reo with sympathy in her eyes. Sensing Daichi''s chakra she turned to him. "Is it done?" Aiko quietly asked. Daichi nodded his head. He looked at Aiko. "Thank you for this." He said after a minute of silence. Both of them had various thoughts running through their heads. "I''ll try to come by every one or two months." Daichi said to the matron. Aiko nodded her head. She wouldn''t mind him visiting every now and then. "It''s getting late. You should head back home." "Yeah¡­ Miss Aiko?" "I''ll keep what happened here tonight a secret. But I''ll need to talk with your grandfather first." Aiko replied to the question she knew Daichi was going to ask. "Thank you¡­" The boy slightly bowed his head. He straightened and spoke. "I should go home. It''s really late." Aiko went near Daichi and gave him a hug. "You''re a good kid Daichi¡­ Get home safely." Daichi shortly left the orphanage and headed straight home. On his way he saw several ninjas rushing in all directions. ''Looks like the Anbu and other forces are scrambling to keep things under control¡­ This is the point where Hiruzen removes Danzo from power and disbands the root¡­ Too bad for him. This will only force Danzo to go underground with his root agents¡­ But still¡­ I won''t have to worry about him for a while. This incident will force him to keep a low profile. Even if it is for a short time.'' Daichi reached his home a short while later. He got inside the barrier and found his clone sitting on the porch of the house. Daichi removed the cloak and the clone looked at Daichi. "Everything alright?" The clone Daichi asked. "Yeah¡­ What about you?" "See for yourself." With this the clone dispelled itself. The chakra of the shadow clone returned to Daichi and along with it, its memories. Daichi reviewed every second of the memory since the clone left the academy. ''Nothing of significance happened¡­ Good.'' Daichi felt relief spread through body. ''Its over.'' He was feeling several emotions at the moment and the events of the last couple hours were taking its toll. He went straight to bed and soon fell asleep. ¡ª- Somewhere near the Uchiha clan Compound. 3 people in masks were swiftly moving through the trees. One in the front with the other 2 slightly behind on each side. Each of them had a scroll in their hand. They were root ninjas assigned by Danzo to complete a certain mission. "We need to move faster. The Anbu have been alerted. We need to make sure these scrolls reach lord Danzo." The Anbu leading the other two said as they jumped through the branches. At that moment a hand with a short sword suddenly came out of the tree trunk in front of them and beheaded the root ninja leading the team. It was an instant attack they couldn''t defend against. A masked ninja came out of the trunk and took the scroll from the dead ninja before his corpse even fell to the ground. The masked ninja quickly stored the scroll in his sleeve. The other 2 stopped dead in their tracks and made eye contact with each other. Their mission and priorities were clear to them. Make sure the scrolls reach lord Danzo at all costs. A second later they made their decision. "Split up." One of the 2 root ninjas said and they quickly fled in different directions. The masked ninja looked at the two escaping targets. A deep dark chuckle emanated from his throat. "How cute. They think they can run from me." The man spoke in a voice that would send shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it. The next second the man disappeared in a swirling vortex that came from his eye. The root Anbu who was running through the trees heard the sound of several shuriken flying towards him from above. With a single motion he took his sword and deflected all the shurikens aimed at his vitals. But it was just a diversion. He sensed his enemy coming from below and looked down. He saw the spiral mask and in the single eye hole he saw a glowing red eye with 3 tomoe. ''Sharingan? It can''t be!'' This was the last thought of the root ninja before he was caught in a powerful genjutsu. The next second a hand pierced through his chest and destroyed his heart. Taking the second scroll from the dead man the masked ninja disappeared. The third root ninja was getting closer to his destination. ''Once I reach the base, I''ll have back up.'' The next second he saw the masked assailant appearing in front of him. The root Anbu quickly went through several hand seals and sent a fast lightning style attack. The lightning strike went right through the masked figure and he quickly rushed towards the root ninja. The root Anbu jumped down to the ground and dashed forward, taking his sword in one hand. ''Does physical attacks have no effects on him? Or did he somehow avoid that attack?'' The root ninja blocked the incoming strike of a kunai with his sword and sent a kick to his enemy''s chest. The kick seemed to phase through his opponent and the next second the root ninja felt something stab his heart. ''How could I die so¡­'' Without even being able to complete his thoughts the man''s life vanished. The masked Uchiha searched the root ninja''s body and found the scroll. The next second the several paper bombs covered the scroll and was about to explode. ''A trap. So predictable.'' The explosion that was about to happen vanished in a spiraling vortex. ''He rigged the scroll to be destroyed and take me out with it in case he failed. Oh well. No matter! I have enough stock to last till my plans are complete. Time to pay that old fox a visit.'' The masked ninja disappeared from there leaving no trace of his existence. ¡ª- Root base. Danzo was in his office drinking sake. A very rare indulgence for him. He had a small smirk on his face as he poured another cup of his finest drink. ''Finally! It''s over. My life''s work is finally completed¡­ Ohh how I had longed for this day. To rid this village of its greatest problem. The root of evil and threats that the Uchiha clan represented. And to top it off, the one with the greatest chance to become the 5th Hokage of the village will now be considered a traitor. When the time comes¡­ I''ll be the 5th hokage of this village.'' Feeling pleased with how everything turned out he drank another cup and quelled his emotions. He remembered Itachi''s threats at the end. And his confrontation with Hiruzen. The Hokage had ordered to disband his root forces but Danzo was not someone who accepted something like that. ''I''ll keep my head down for now. Let things pass. Now with my forces moved underground I can operate with even less restrictions. But I''ll have to be careful. This is a setback for the moment but¡­ This will be helpful in the long term. I''ll need to move the funds and change the base of operations soon.'' As he sat there making plans, he kept an eye on the time that passed. He was starting to wonder about the 3 root agents assigned with a specific task. ''Where are they? Those three should be here by now.'' He was about to send some of his agents to look for them when he sensed movement from the shadows of his room. Danzo immediately knew something was wrong when his personal guards didn''t come. "Don''t worry. I didn''t kill them." Out of the shadows came a deep voice. It carried an intent that set Danzo on edge. Danzo had lived through three wars. He knew when a dangerous enemy was in front of him. "You have quite the ability to get here without anyone noticing. And to even deal with my agents¡­ Who are you?" Danzo, while alert, was not someone who was cowed by threats. A masked ninja with a spiral mask and a single eye hole came out of the shadows. Only the upper body could be seen and the rest were hidden in darkness. "Who I am is not important to you at the moment¡­ As to why I came¡­ To take away what isn''t yours." As he said this the masked ninja took out a scroll from his sleeve. And lightly tossed it up a few times in his hand. Danzo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the scroll. He recognized the special scroll and he knew what it contained. They were scrolls specifically designed to store organs and safely maintain them. ''So that''s why they''re not here. He got to them. I must have those scrolls at all costs.'' "How about we make a deal?" Danzo spoke. The masked ninja tilted his head as if he was interested but didn''t make a sound. After several seconds of silence Danzo continued. "Give me the scrolls and the contents in it intact and I''ll get you the forbidden scroll." Hearing the proposal, a chuckle escaped the masked nins lips. "Interesting proposal¡­ But I have a counter offer¡­ Forget about the Sharingan and I''ll let you live." The second those words were uttered Danzo rushed forward. His hand already weaving sings for a wind style jutsu. In less than a second Danzo stabbed the man''s head with a wind chakra coated kunai. But seeing no blood or brain scattered, and sensing the chakra of the enemy still strong, Danzo immediately stepped back. A dangerous laugh escaped the masked ninja''s throat. "Haha¡­ The human condition¡­ So predictable." The next second Danzo felt a strong kick to his midsection that sent him reeling back. "Ghaa¡­" He clutched his stomach and looked at the man. He was sending signals for the root agents currently in his base. The masked ninja looked at Danzo and spoke. "I could kill you right now¡­ But it would be boring. Letting you live¡­ I''m interested to see how it turns out¡­ We''ll meet again¡­ Danzo Shimura." Danzo scrutinized the man. As the last words were spoken, Danzo saw something that shook his heart. A fully matured Sharingan in the single visible eye. As Danzo stood there surprised at the revelation, the masked ninja disappeared as if he was never there. The second the ninja disappeared, Danzo snapped himself up from his stupor. He gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. But after a few seconds he took several breaths and calmed down. ''To deal with a Sharingan, one must need the Sharingan¡­ It''s a good thing I have a back up plan¡­ But for this to work¡­ I''ll need his help.'' Danzo walked out of the room to find his guards unconscious on the floor. He stepped past them and walked to meet someone. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 73 – Dark Deals Made In The Shadows 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Several miles outside the Leaf village. The space rippled in a vortex shape and the masked man suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest. He looked at the moonlight shining down on him and went to a nearby rock and sat down. The hidden leader of the Akatsuki organization and one that goes by the name Madara Uchiha. Real identity - Obito Uchiha. Several seconds later another figure appeared out of the ground. This creature had two Venus flytrap-like extensions emerging from its sides that protected the upper body and the head like a shell. The right half of the face had a completely black appearance with a single yellow eye that lacked a visible pupil and it had no other human characteristics. The left side was made up of a white creature with human-like facial features, green hair and a proper yellow eye. The creature was wearing a black cloak with red clouds on them. One of the members of the Akatsuki organization - Zetsu. The spy and the one tasked with collecting intelligence on enemies and other countries. "Is it done?" The gruff voice from the black half of the face came. "Yeah. The Uchiha clan is no more. And now Itachi will work for us." Obito answered. "Ooohhh! So did we make a new friend?" The question was asked from the white half of Zetsu in a slightly excited voice. "Quite you chatterbox. And no. At best Itachi would be nothing more than a co worker!" Black Zetsu replied. "Zetsu! Keep an eye on Itachi. He killed the clan to safeguard the village and his brother. He entered our organization most probably to spy on me." Obito knew a man like Itachi wouldn''t leave things to chance. "Hmm¡­ We''ll be discreet." Black Zetsu responded. "Did you get what you wanted?" The white Zetsu asked Obito. "Yes. I''ve taken almost every Sharingan I believe is valuable from the corpses. This will make sure Danzo or anyone else won''t get their hands on the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai. And now I have spares to use in case an emergency arises." "Were there any complications?" Black Zetsu asked. "No. I did pay Danzo a visit though." "Did you kill him? Now that the Uchiha clan is gone, he is of no use." "True. He is of no value right now. And I was tempted to kill him¡­ But¡­ I let him live." Obito said, looking up at the moon. "Any particular reason? He could become a problem if left alone." Black Zetsu wanted to take every variable into consideration for his plans. Letting someone like Danzo live was not ideal for his and the Akatsuki''s goals. "Yes. Given time he might become a thorn. But I need him alive for now. The threat Danzo poses against Itachi''s brother Sasuke Uchiha will keep most of Itachi''s attention on him. If I had killed Danzo, then I have no doubt Itachi would become much more focused on us and far more of a problem for our goals in the future." Obito crossed his hands and looked at Zetsu again. "If you know he''s such a threat then why keep Itachi alive?" Zetsu questioned. "Rarely few are born with talents like his. Just because he might become a threat doesn''t mean he can''t be of value. His strength and now his feared reputation can be put to good use for our organization." "Understood." Black Zetsu agreed with that reasoning. "Ohh! So when can we meet him?" The white Zetsu asked with a child-like enthusiasm. "Why don''t you head over to his location right now. You can assess him for yourself." Zetsu nodded and left Obito to find Itachi and seconds later Obito vanished as well. ¡ª- Root Laboratory. A tall man with a light complexion and shaggy black hair was looking through the microscope and taking down notes based on his observation. He was in a large room filled with several experiment containers, equipment and rare samples. This was a research facility of the root and under the supervision of the man named Tanuki Shigaraki. The door to the room opened and the sound of footsteps and a walking cane could be heard. The man turned his head to look at the visitor and then immediately stood and bowed. "Lord Danzo." The man greeted his superior. "Shigaraki! How goes the research with Hashirama''s cells?" Danzo Shimura asked the man. "I''ve learned quite a bit. Thanks to Orochimaru''s experiment documents and notes you provided me, I was able to further my research at a faster rate." The man was excited to share what he had learned studying the cells of the first Hokage. "What about the main project?" Danzo inquired. "Forgive me lord Danzo, but that will take a long time to complete. Even with my current understanding of Hashirama Senju''s cells it will take years for me to complete that work." Shigaraki replied while lowering his head. "No matter. I knew it would be a very difficult project when I assigned you to it. Right now I''m here for your progress on the cells. Tell me how much you''ve learned." Danzo went near the table and looked at the blood sample. Tanuki Shigaraki went to a nearby desk and picked up several papers. "It''s truly incredible. Based on these cells alone I''ve learned that our first Hokage was on an entirely different level than any other ninja that lived." Danzo nodded his head agreeing with the man. When he was young and shortly before the first great war he saw Hashirama Senju in battle and the power of his wood style. Ever since that day he became obsessed with his strength. He convinced Hiruzen to conduct experiments with the first Hokage''s blood but since there were only casualties the third Hokage shut down the research and declared it forbidden. But Danzo didn''t give up. He restarted the project in secret inside the root and helped Orochimaru abduct leaf villagers for experiments. Danzo''s goal was to understand and obtain the power the first Hokage had. Danzo spoke. "Tell me everything you''ve learned." Tanuki nodded. "First of all, even a small portion of his blood contains a sufficient amount of power and vitality. Whoever gets accustomed to his DNA will no doubt have wood release ability. And that''s not mentioning the increased chakra reserve, vitality and body strength." Tanuki continued. "The person would also theoretically have a longer life span and a strong increase in their earth and water chakra natures. I''m assuming this is what gives the ability to create and use wood style Jutsu. I''m also certain that his chakra will increase the strength and effects of any jutsu used by several folds." Danzo nodded as he listened to his researcher. He needed the strength of the first Hokage, now more than ever. ''I need the Sharingan to use that jutsu. And the first Hokage''s cells play a vital role in my plans.'' It was then that Tanuki''s face turned slightly grim. "What is it?" Danzo enquired. "While it would help us, there is also a major problem. The strength of Hashirama''s blood is a double-edged sword. While it would no doubt tremendously help the person who gets acclimated to it, for everyone else it''s fatal. It''s too powerful!" Taking a breath he continued. "The first Hokage''s cells, instead of accepting or merging with the new cells, attack the host body and overpower the DNA of the person experimented on and mutate their cells to the point it kills them. Orochimaru''s experiment with the 60 children is proof of that and it corroborates my results as well." "Do you have a solution for it?" Danzo was calm and collected on the outside but he was slightly anxious in his heart. He desperately needed this power. "The first is to find someone with a powerful physique and great chakra reserves and with compatible DNA to that of Hashirama Senju. But to find someone like that is extremely difficult¡­ And even then to successfully graft the cells onto this person and have him survive¡­ The chances are slim with my current data and understanding of the cells. The second solution is if we somehow create a host body that will accept his DNA and get acclimated to its changes and strength¡­ There are a few other methods as well but all of these will take time." Tanuki Shigaraki was loyal to the root and its cause. And he was an excellent researcher as well. So Danzo didn''t doubt the man. After thinking about it for a while Danzo had an idea. "Give me a copy of everything you''ve learned on the cells. I''ll take it from here." Danzo ordered. "Yes lord Danzo!" Shigaraki bowed and got to work. He quickly made a copy of all his findings on Hashirama''s blood and handed them over to Danzo. With the files in hand, Danzo left the lab. He went outside to a secluded part of the base. He closed his eyes and stood still and waited for the arrival of someone. After several minutes a playful voice came from the darkness. "I didn''t expect you to contact me so soon Danzo." Danzo merely grunted. "Some things have happened in the village. I''m sure you''ll find out about it soon¡­ Orochimaru!" A man with pale skin, golden eyes with slitted pupils and with purple markings around his eyes appeared. He was wearing plain gray garbs with black pants and had a thick purple rope belt tied into a large knot behind his back. "Oohh! Now you got me curious. Still¡­ With Sarutobi sensei keeping an eye on things, you wouldn''t have called me for something trivial. So what is it?" "I remember you telling me about an experiment you have. One with the capability to adapt to new foreign DNA?! I want him!" Danzo said without beating around the bush. "Ahh! You''re asking about Shin. Unfortunately he died some time ago." Orochimaru said with a straight face. ''His body is one of my most valuable experiments. I won''t give him up before I''m done with him.'' Danzo''s eyes narrowed as he heard that weak excuse. Danzo only flicked a finger and the area was immediately surrounded by a dozen root operatives. "Don''t play games with me boy!" Danzo was in no mood to tolerate Orochimaru''s antics. But he also knew he needed the Snake''s help. And he knew that Orochimaru knew that too. Orochimaru chucked at the show of force from the root leader. "I''m just a clone¡­ You didn''t really think I''d come here in person just because you called, did you?" Danzo was silent as he gazed at the grinning Sanin. "Regardless, you''ve piqued my curiosity. What''s this about?" Danzo slightly waved his hand and the root ninja disappeared. "I want the Sharingan. And he will be useful in acquiring it." "I see¡­ Unfortunately I don''t have a Sharingan with me. So I''m unable to help you¡­ Unless you have some¡­" Orochimaru looked at Danzo questioningly. "No!... But I have the next best thing." Danzo took a vial of blood from his pocket and held it up. He spoke. "This is Itachi Uchiha''s blood. I''m sure you can create a few Sharingan using this blood and Shin''s body." Danzo then took out the files on Hashirama Senju''s blood work. "This is the research on the first Hokage''s cells conducted by one of mine." Danzo didn''t say anything more and looked at the Sanin. Orochimaru looked at the two objects in Danzo''s hand. A wide grin appeared on his face. He chucked, understanding Danzo''s intentions. "How about we make a deal?" Orochimaru spoke. "Let''s hear the terms." "You give me Itachi''s blood and the files and I''ll make sure to give you several pairs of sharingan and I''ll see if I can safely add the strength of the first Hokage to your body." Orochimaru said with a grin. Danzo looked at the man. "In exchange¡­?" "Funding, experimental equipment, and keeping Sarutobi sensei''s Anbu off my tracks¡­ Do we have a deal?" Orochimaru folded his arms and looked at the one eyed man. Danzo nodded and grunted. He tossed the vial and folder expertly to Orochimaru. The snake Sanin caught both objects. "Don''t make me wait¡­" "Of course." Orochimaru replied with a grin. "And boy! Keep in mind what will happen if you double cross me." Danzo said in a serious warning tone. Orochimaru''s grin vanished and he released his killing intent. The next second root Anbu were all around him but several were affected by the snake sanin''s murderous intent. They raised their weapons against him but they didn''t dare make another move without the order of their leader. Only Danzo and a couple others were completely unaffected by the killing intent. After several tense seconds, Orochimaru let go of the intent and disappeared. "I''ll see you soon¡­ Danzo!" Those words were the last Danzo heard from Orochimaru that night. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 74 – Uchiha Massacre – Aftermath Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage Residency. In a private chamber in the Hokage residency, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting in a chair contemplating the events that took place last night. His fists clenched in anger as he thought about what Danzo did and what Itachi had to do. He thought about the conversation he had with his former second in command and the now rogue ninja. Flashback. Hiruzen was walking through the Uchiha clan district. Several bodies could be seen all over the place. He was surrounded by three of his Anbu members. All of them, checking for survivors. "What the hell?" "To think something like this would happen!" "How horrible!" Even the Anbu members who had seen plenty of death and destruction were taken aback by the massacre that happened. The Hokage looked at the Uchiha clansmen laying on the ground. "Rescue anyone still alive!" He shouted the order. The Anbu checked the bodies one by one. Suddenly someone shouted. "We have a survivor!" The masked ninja was checking the body of Sasuke Uchiha. Hiruzen immediately looked at the person. "Get him to the medical Unit. Hurry!" Another Anbu with silver hair checked the other bodies near him. "No one else survived. It seems everyone else has been killed." Hiruzen had a stony expression as he looked at the bodies. "Take away the corpses. All of them. Then check the buildings." "Yes sir." As the silver haired nin got to work another anbu posed a question. "Who could have done something like this?" "It was Itachi Uchiha." A new voice joined them. Danzo Shimura walked towards them and stopped. He looked at everyone present. "Itachi!?" "But why would he do something like this.?" The Anbu questions the man. "Itachi despised his clan. He killed Shisui Uchiha and then took his eyes. He also caused infighting within the clan. And now¡­ It seems he chose to end the clan. He is responsible for this massacre." "But¡­" As the Anbu were about to argue, Hiruzen interrupted them. "Stop wasting time and get to work!" All the Anbu present at the scene left. Danzo walked up to Hiruzen and stood in silence. Several seconds later Danzo spoke. "This ends our problems." The Hokage turned to Danzo. "And exactly what does this end? Can''t you see the troubles we''re left with?" "I see the troubles that would arise from this as minor as compared to what would have happened otherwise." Danzo replied. "You crossed the line Danzo! I can''t allow you to operate on your own authority any longer. As of this moment you are relieved of your duties as the second in command and you are removed from the council." "Hiruzen, don''t be rash. I did it¡­" "For the good of the village?" Hiruzen finished Danzo''s sentence. He looked at the one eyed man. "How many times are you going to use that excuse?" Hiruzen turned to look ahead, unable to look at his former teammate anymore. "The Uchiha clan was part of the village. Regardless of what they were about to do, they were still leaf villagers. And this indiscriminate massacre¡­ We could have found another way¡­" "Do you really believe that Hiruzen?" "Yes. We could have dealt with the conspirators and the ones pushing for the coup, and given the innocent ones another chance. But now¡­" "That wouldn''t have worked. If that had happened then years from now we would have the same problem crop up again." Danzo tried to justify his actions. "You don''t know that!" Hiruzen was furious listening to Danzo''s justification. He then sighed and spoke. "As of this moment, I''m removing you as the head of the foundation. The root forces will be dissolved and integrated with my forces. And until I decide how to deal with you, you are confined to your quarters! Now get out of my sight." With those words the Hokage walked away. Hokage Tower. In a secret chamber deep beneath the Hokage tower, Hiruzen was waiting for the arrival of someone. After a few minutes he spoke. "There is no one else here. Speak your mind¡­" Several feet behind, Itachi Uchiha was kneeling and bowed his head as he addressed his leader. "Thank you for the opportunity to meet with me." "Itachi, first of all you have my gratitude. A civil war has been averted and now peace is maintained within the village." "Yes¡­" Itachi didn''t say anything else. "Regardless¡­ I regret that it had to be this way." "Forgive me. I saw no other choice." "No! I''m the one who should be asking for forgiveness¡­Itachi, henceforth you''ll be branded a traitor and a rogue ninja who killed his clan¡­You''ll be added to the bingo books as a criminal. Dead or alive¡­" "I understand! I''m prepared." "What are you going to do now?" The Hokage turned around and looked at Itachi. "There is an organization I want to keep an eye on. The Akatsuki. I intend to join them!" "The Akatsuki huh¡­" Hiruzen had heard of the organization but he didn''t have much information on them. "Lord third¡­" Itachi started. "Swear to me that you will protect Sasuke!" Hiruzen looked at the teen kneeling in front of him. "You have my word. He''ll be safe. Your brother will continue at the academy and when the time comes he''ll become a leaf ninja¡­ But I won''t be able to erase his hatred for you¡­" "I know. I''m prepared to bear his anger and hate." "You should go. The Anbu had been dispatched. I''ll leave the jutsu formula for the village barrier unchanged. This way you can check up on Sasuke whenever you want." "Thank you lord Hokage." "No. There is no need for thanks. I don''t deserve it. It was my weakness that led us to this moment." Flashback end. Hiruzen let out a tired sigh. At that moment the door to the room opened and the councilors Koharu and Homura entered. "We just heard what happened. You removed Danzo from the council?" Homura asked as he and Koharu sat down facing the Hokage. "Yes. It was necessary." "Hiruzen. We need Danzo to maintain the stability¡­" "No we don''t!" Hiruzen interrupted Koharu. "He''s been acting in his own interests for a while. I turned a blind eye because I believed that he had some measure of respect for me and the title I hold and wouldn''t cross certain lines. That was my mistake! I should have done this a long time ago." The anger contained in the Hokage''s voice was clear to the other two. They decided not to push the subject. The three sat in silence for a short while. "What do we do now?" Homura asked the Hokage. "I''m going to dissolve the foundation and have them integrated with my Anbu." Hiruzen replied. "We should also consider what to do about the police military force?" Koharu spoke up. "I know. This time instead of one clan acting as the military police we''ll have an open recruitment. Anyone capable will be selected. And we need to find a suitable leader." Hiruzen has been thinking about this for a while and this was his solution. The three discussed the next steps to be taken to protect the village. The meeting continued for a while and then concluded with several key decisions made. Hiruzen left the meeting and then went to the Hokage tower. He was standing on the roof of the tower looking at the village. An Anbu appeared behind him, kneeling. "You called for me Lord Hokage?" "Yes. I believe it''s time for you to walk a different path, Kakashi¡­" ¡ª- Land of Fire - Capital City. Kensei was reminiscing with his long time friend Jin. They both grew up in the leaf village and were classmates. Jin moved to the capital and was once part of the Twelve guardian ninjas. He was part of the first generation guardian ninjas before ninjas like Asuma, Chiriku and Kazuma replaced him and his teammates. He settled in the capital once he retired. "I wish I could meet this Daichi kid. He sounds interesting." Jin said while drinking a glass of sake. "Yeah. Me too." Kensei didn''t have Jin''s enthusiasm. "Oh come on! Are you still upset that I didn''t tell you about it sooner." "Yes. You''re one of the few people left I consider as friends. So you, keeping this a secret¡­" Kensei sighed. "Well¡­ I''m not happy about it." "I''m sorry. I didn''t want to worry you." Jin replied. "You ever think about Isen?" Kensei asked his friend. "Sometimes¡­ I still wonder. If he had just come to us¡­ Maybe things wouldn''t have happened the way they did¡­" "No point in having that regret now I suppose." Kensei looked at the sake cup in his hand and then took another mouthful. At that moment someone entered the room and went to Jin. They spoke quietly for a minute. Kensei could see that Jin was alarmed by whatever the person had just said. Once the man left Kensei spoke. "Is everything alright?" Jin looked at Kensei unsure as to how to answer. "No. It''s the leaf village. Something has happened." "What!? What is it?" Kensei was alarmed. The image of Daichi came to his mind at that moment. ''Please be alright kid.'' "It''s the Uchiha clan. They have been massacred." Jin had a serious expression on his face. Hearing those words Kensei jumped to his feet shocked. "What?" "How can an entire clan be massacred. And who could¡­" Kensei couldn''t believe something like that would happen. "They say it was Itachi Uchiha. The tragedy took place last night. The leaf village is in lockdown and information about what happened is kept tight. I only know about it because of my contact inside the Daimyo court." Jin said understanding Kensei''s concerns. "Is there any other news? Did Itachi go after anyone else?" Hearing his friend''s anxious tone, Jin quickly replied. "No. It seems the only ones who died are the Uchiha members." "Is there any other news? Is he in custody? Or did he die during the confrontation with the village ninjas?" Kensei questioned. "Neither! Based on what my informant told me, Itachi has escaped the village. He''s alive and in the wind." Kensei sat down hearing those words. "How could something like this happen?" "I''ve heard of Itachi Uchiha. The prodigy and heir of the Uchiha clan. I can''t believe he would do something like this." Kensei looked at his friend. "Yes¡­ It''s almost too hard to believe¡­ isn''t it?" Jin narrowed his eyes. "What exactly are you getting at?" "Come on Jin! There is just no way one person can kill an entire clan no matter how strong he is. And on top of that, he got away! I don''t buy it. There''s more to this." Kensei crossed his arms and thought about the matter. "You should keep in mind that you''re retired. This isn''t your problem. Let Hiruzen deal with this headache." Kensei sighed hearing his friend''s words. "You''re right¡­" Kensei finished his sake and stood up. "Looks like I have to cut our reunion short. I better get back to the village." Jin smirked as he looked at his friend. "You''re really worried about him aren''t you?... I definitely have to meet this kid one day." Kensei and Jin spoke for a little while longer and then Kensei left for the leaf village. The trip took a little over half a day. Kensei reached the village gates by evening. He noticed that the ninjas patrolling were far more serious and alert than usual. ''The village must have issued a level 1 emergency alert. This reminds me of wartime circumstances. The guards at the gate are far more on guard than usual.'' Kensei got through the village gates after a thorough checking. He quickly headed for his home. He reached his house minutes later and quickly entered the barrier. Kensei sensed Daichi''s chakra in the backyard of the house. He went to look and saw Daichi doing a handstand on the water and completing push ups. Several clones were also training in what Kensei deduced as chakra control exercises. Daichi looked at the approaching old man. "Gramps! I thought that was you¡­ You''re early." "Yeah. I heard what happened." Kensei said as he sat at the back porch of the house. Daichi dismissed his clones and got out of the pond. He went near his grandfather and sat down. "Are you alright Daichi? You seem¡­ down." Kensei knew something happened to the boy the moment he saw him. After several seconds of contemplating, Daichi spoke. "Gramps. I need to talk to you! It''s about what happened with the Uchiha clan." "It''s a tragedy what happened to them. And I''m sorry about Ren. I know you saw him as a teacher." Kensei thought that Daichi was upset about Ren''s death. "Yeah¡­ See the thing is¡­ I was there¡­ When it happened?" Daichi was a bit unsure as to how much he should tell his grandfather. "What are you talking about?" Kensei was confused. Letting out a long breath Daichi spoke. "I was there at the Uchiha compound¡­ When Itachi was killing the clan." Kensei''s eyes widened as he heard those words. Author''s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 75 – Half Truths Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei couldn''t believe Daichi was involved in something so dangerous. The next second he looked around the house and then back to Daichi. "Based on the fact that Anbu hasn''t surrounded this place and you''re not in an interrogation room right now, I''m guessing the village doesn''t know you were there?" Daichi shook his head. Kensei let out a sigh of relief. "Good! Then we need to keep it that way." "Gramps! There''s something else." Daichi began in a somewhat apprehensive tone. "What is it?" "The Hokage or the village officials don''t know about me but one person does¡­. Aiko." "What?... How?" "I saved Ren''s daughter and took her to the orphanage." Daichi replied. He needed to make sure Kensei would convince Aiko to keep everything that happened a secret. Daichi thought long and hard for the whole day about what and how much he would say to his grandfather. And after several hours he decided to tell the truth, mix a few lies and omit some information. ''What the heck happened while I was gone?... If Aiko knows then I need to speak with her before she reports to the Hokage.'' Kensei closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out several breaths and then calmed down. "You need to tell me everything that happened. I need to know all the information so I can do damage control." Daichi nodded and began retelling his tale with a bit of a twist. He made sure to keep his chakra calm and had to make sure there were no holes in his story. . . . . "And then I left the orphanage and headed straight here. I dispelled my clone and made sure everything was fine. Then I just went to bed." Daichi finished his explanation. Kensei let out a breath as he looked at the boy. He let out a sigh as he thought about the events. "So let me get this straight¡­ After your training, on your way back, when you got near the Uchiha clan compound you saw a dead body and you went to call for the police force, but then you saw more bodies on the street?" "Yes." Daichi gave a curt reply. "Then you decided to head for Ren''s home to tell him what happened?" Daichi nodded. Kensei sighed. He continued with the questioning. "There, you saw Ren packing and making preparations to leave the village." Daichi nodded again. "I told him someone was killing people in the clan and then he checked the chakra of everyone in the compound." He once again explained to his grandfather. "And this was when he sensed what was happening and told you about the supposed coup and their decision to leave the village?!" Daichi nodded to the question. Kensei couldn''t believe the Uchiha would decide to do something this drastic. ''It should have been obvious in hindsight. The tension has been rising between the villagers and the Uchiha clan members. Still¡­ To think they would plan a coup d''etat. Did they seriously expect to take on the village and win?'' Kensei then looked at his grandson and continued. "Then you convinced Ren and his wife to hand you their daughter with the promise of keeping her safe." "Yeah. They knew they couldn''t escape so they put their faith in me." Daichi remembered what happened to them and was only calm because of the gamer''s mind skill. "Yes. About that! You mentioned that you had a cloak that turns you invisible to all senses? I want to see it." Kensei was shocked when Daichi said he was in possession of an item that could essentially be the greatest stealth tool in the world. Daichi got up and went to his room to get the cloak. ''I knew the old man would ask to see this thing when I told him about it. I don''t want him to know anymore about my ability than absolutely necessary.'' Daichi liked his grandfather very much but his fear of death and paranoia of a village full of killers stopped him from trusting people around him. Even those closest to him. Daichi knew he had to tell Kensei about the cloak but he wanted to keep its information to a minimum. ''I have to use Mana Puppetry on him if he asks too many questions about the cloak. He''ll want to know where I got it. I''ll have to keep my answers vague.'' Daichi got down and gave the cloak to his grandfather. Kensei inspected every inch of the cloak. He saw the Uzumaki insignia on the back. ''Does this kid have some kind of relationship with the Uzumaki clan?'' "Where did you get this?" Kensei was curious and wanted to know how Daichi got his hands on something so valuable. "I got it shortly after that Yota debacle." Daichi chose every word he spoke carefully. He didn''t want Kensei or anyone else to know about his gamer ability. "Who gave this to you?" Kensei asked, looking at the cloak and studying it. "I don''t know the person who sent it. Just that this item was addressed to me?" At that Kensei looked up. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Daichi. At that moment an old memory resurfaced in his mind. Flashback. September 3rd. Almost 4 years after the nine tails attack. Kensei was standing in front of the gravestone of his wife Fumiyo Aya. It had been a year today since she passed away. As Kensei stood alone contemplating his life, a figure joined him. "I''m sorry for your loss Kensei." Kensei was startled as he heard the sound of that voice. ''It can''t be!'' He looked up and saw the man who saved his life during the third world war. "You¡­" "Been a long time. Wow! You sure have gotten old." Kensei could see the smirk on his face as he managed to surprise him. The man then turned to the grave stone and the smile on his face was gone. "I''m truly sorry for your loss." "What do you want?" Kensei wasn''t in the mood to tolerate anyone. "I''m here to collect my debt." Kensei narrowed his eyes as he heard those words. "Walk with me." The man said and turned around. Kensei decided to hear him out. "You saved my life and helped me out when I needed it. That''s the only reason I''m doing this." The man nodded and they both left the cemetery. Flashback End. Kensei thought about the encounter he had with the man for a while. ''Could it be him?'' Kensei then tried to activate the ability of the cloak. Seeing that it was not responding to him, Kensei decided to ask Daichi for help. He wanted to see the invisibility of the cloak. "I can''t seem to get it to work. Can you show me how it''s done?" Kensei handed the cloak back to Daichi. "I can''t right now. There are certain conditions for this cloak to work. There were some instructions that came with the cloak." "Tell me." "First of all, it can only be used by me. Second, once used the cloak can''t be used for a long period of time." "So it''s like some kind of cooldown time between each use¡­ How long?" Kensei asked. "Sometime under 90 days." Daichi replied with a straight face. Kensei had a pensive look. ''If this is him, then it might be true that Daichi may not know who sent it. Afterall he told me to keep his involvement in everything a secret.'' "And you told Aiko that you got this from me¡­?!" Kensei raised an eyebrow as he looked at Daichi. The boy had a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "When she asked me where I got it¡­ I kinda panicked. It was the first thing that came to mind." The old man sighed, hearing the boy''s answer. "Alright. Enough about the cloak... So after that Ren gave you his daughter and some scrolls they prepared for her." Kensei continued with the questioning. Daichi nodded. "The coup would have happened today and their plan was to leave the village in the middle of the chaos¡­" "But things didn''t go as they planned, did it?... Still¡­ I can''t believe Itachi would do something like this." Kensei couldn''t believe such drastic measures were taken against a clan. Seeing Kensei''s face, Daichi wanted to know what Kensei thought about the Hokage and the people close to him. "Ren said that originally Itachi was in the Anbu as a spy for the clan but he must have turned and sided with the village. He said that Itachi was most probably killing the clan on orders of the Hokage and higher ups¡­ Do you really think the Hokage is capable of something like this?" Kensei sighed hearing his grandson''s question. "If necessary Hiruzen would do what needs to be done to protect the village. But this is too extreme even for him. If I had to guess¡­ The man behind Itachi would most probably be a man named Danzo Shimura. He is one of Hokage''s advisors." Kensei looked at Daichi as he spoke. "Daichi! You need to be careful. You can''t trust Hiruzen or Danzo Shimura. Both of them are dangerous." Daichi nodded in agreement. He saw how serious Kensei was and was slightly relieved. ''So he doesn''t trust them too huh¡­ Seems like I have someone in this village I can count on if I ever have to go up against them. Not that I intend to do that¡­ But I suppose anything is possible.'' "Then I hid in a corner of the room with Reo and I saw Itachi kill both Ren and Kimiko." Kensei saw the clenched fists and anger on Daichi''s face as he spoke those words. He felt sympathy for his grandson. "I''m sorry for what happened to them and that you had to see it happen¡­ I always thought you would only experience this part of the ninja life only after you became a genin." Both of them sat in silence for a while. Kensei then spoke. "So then you took the baby to Aiko''s orphanage and convinced her to keep her there. And you also managed to have her create a new identity for the baby and helped you falsify records?... I have to admit¡­ That''s impressive. She''s usually a stickler for the rules." Kensei was skeptical when he heard that part but he trusted Daichi. "She said she''d keep Reo safe for the moment but she wants to talk to you. If things don''t go well there is a chance she''ll tell the Hokage and that would be trouble for me." Daichi was concerned and wanted to make sure Kensei knew the stakes of the situation. "Don''t worry. I''ll head there right now. Something like this can''t be delayed any longer." Kensei got up and was ready to leave for the orphanage. But before he left he had one last question for Daichi. "Why did you rescue the girl? You could have left and no one would have known you were there¡­ Why take that risk?" Daichi took a moment before he answered. "I''ve always wanted a little sister. When Ren first introduced her to me¡­ When I first saw her¡­ I don''t know myself but¡­ The moment I held her in my arms, I felt protective of her. It was the first time I felt an emotion like that¡­" Daichi paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. Then continued. "When Ren said Itachi was killing everyone, I couldn''t let that happen to her. She didn''t deserve it. So regardless of the risks I took her with me." "You realize that when people find out¡­ when the Hokage finds out about her, you might be in trouble, right?" Kensei said. "I know. But if I had to do it all over again, I would without hesitation." Daichi replied with a resolute voice. Kensei saw that Daichi had no regret in saving her life. He smirked at the choice his grandson made. "You''re a good kid Daichi¡­ And don''t worry. I''ll make sure Aiko keeps everything that happened a secret." "You can''t tell her about the coup. I kept that part a secret." Daichi wanted to make sure Kensei didn''t say anything that would poke holes in his story. "Don''t worry. I''ll keep that part to myself. That''s the kind of information that could cause chaos within the village. So the less people know the better. I know how to handle this situation. So don''t worry¡­ Stay here till I get back." Kensei left his house a minute later. Once he was gone Daichi let out a breath of relief. ''Looks like that takes care of that.! I was sure he was going to be more suspicious or something¡­ But it seems everything worked out in the end.'' Daichi looked at the setting sun as he sat on the back porch. ''I''m sorry Gramps. I wish I could tell you the truth about myself but¡­ That''s one secret I''ll take to my grave.'' Author''s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 76 – The Shinobi of Darkness Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Sunday - 2nd day After the Massacre. Daichi was dodging the water blasts coming from the river beneath him. He was surrounded by three shadow clones, all using water, fire and wind style jutsu on him. The turbulent waves across the river due to the training didn''t affect Daichi. ''Almost there.'' Daichi woke up early in the morning and went to the nearby river. The river was located not far from his house and Daichi often used it for training his water walking technique and water style jutsus. His goal was to improve and master his water walking chakra control training and improving his reflexes and reaction speed. Just as he dodged another water blast and zipped past a shadow clone a notification appeared. Skill Water walking technique''s level has risen by one. Water walking technique - (Active/Passive) (LV.100) Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 3/sec. 30% Decrease CP cost to chakra techniques. . Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 Exp. +75 Exp. "Finally.!" Daichi let out a breath as he looked at the notification. Daichi had mainly been focused on his chakra control for the past few months. All in preparation to begin the next stage in his training. He released the shadow clones and jumped to the ground. He began walking back to his home. His mind went back to the conversation he and Kensei had last night. Flashback. Kensei arrived home late at night from his visit to the orphanage. As he entered he saw Daichi waiting for him. "So how did everything go?" Daichi asked anxiously. He was concerned because the Mana puppetry skill he used on the matron was not a permanent or a strong one. It was only capable of swaying her decision at the moment. If she decided to change her mind and inform the Hokage, then there would be nothing Daichi could do. "Don''t worry. I spoke with Aiko about what happened. She''ll keep the Uchiha girl''s existence a secret." Kensei told him as he sat down. "So she agreed that this is for the best?" Kensei nodded. "She wasn''t happy that we''re keeping something like this from the Hokage but she sees the wisdom in keeping everything that happened that night under wraps." Daichi and relaxed. "How is¡­" "The baby?... Fine. She was sleeping¡­ Cute kid¡­ Too bad about what happened to her family." Kensei answered. "I''m sorry about your friend." Daichi nodded. After a few seconds he asked. "You didn''t tell Miss Aiko about the coup, right?" Daichi knew Kensei wouldn''t tell her something so dangerous but he still asked. "Of course not!... If even a word of that got out there would be such an outcry. Can you imagine what would happen if the other clans found out that the Hokage or the higher ups ordered the execution of an entire clan?" "Pandemonium!" "Yes. That''s why no one else must know." Kensei sighed as he rubbed his forehead. The old ninja let out a long breath and sat back in his chair. "At first when you said Itachi might have killed the clan on orders of the higher ups¡­ I couldn''t believe it¡­ But after thinking things through and the situation with the Uchiha these last few years¡­ I''m convinced." "If the Uchiha launched a coup it would tear this village apart and something had to be done. If the Hokage or his advisors knew about it then, I have no doubt that they would have taken drastic measures¡­ Your friend Ren was right. Itachi did kill the clan with the help of someone high up in the village. It was to stop the coup. And I''m sure the Hokage knows about this." He looked at his grandson and the old man had an unusually serious expression on his face. "Daichi! I''m going to tell you some things that even some Jonin aren''t privy to!... What I''m about to say is top secret but¡­ considering the circumstances¡­ I think you will need this information to make informed decisions in the future." Daichi was alert as he heard those words. His gaze sharpened. He nodded to his grandfather indicating he understood the seriousness of the situation. Kensei began explaining the internal structure of the village. Who was in-charge of what and the allies he had amongst the current ninja in and outside the village. He took his time and made sure Daichi knew who to go to in case something happened to him. "...Then there are the village elders. The Hokage''s advisors as most of them refer to. Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and¡­ lastly Danzo Shimura." Daichi noticed the tension and anger buried in Kensei''s voice when he mentioned the last name. ''Seems the old man really hates that one-eyed geezer.'' Kensei looked at Daichi and continued. "Of the three advisors the one you need to keep an eye out for and be cautious of is Danzo Shimura." Daichi was internally excited. He might be getting some information on the root that wasn''t in the story. "What can you tell me about him?" Daichi asked his grandpa. Kensei sighed and after a few seconds answered. "Manipulative, ruthless, arrogant, cold hearted and has enough resources and operatives to become more than a headache even for the Hokage¡­ To the public he is a close advisor to the Hokage and nothing more. That''s what civilians and even most Jonin know of him. But to the rest of us¡­ He is the second in command and right hand man of Hokage. He controls a separate secret force of agents that operates just like the Anbu. The Root! They take missions that are so dark that if known to the outside world it would bring disaster to us." Kensei thought back to some of the operations he knew were the root''s work. "That man is known as the Shinobi of Darkness. The Root Anbu under his command are merciless and would eliminate anyone Danzo perceives as a threat." Daichi narrowed his eyes as he listened to Kensei. "Do they operate like that within the village too?" He asked Kensei. The old man nodded. "Somewhat! They deal with internal threats and leaks. They also play a role similar to the Uchiha''s police force." "What do you mean?" "While the Uchiha military police force keeps peace in public, Danzo''s root¡­ They do it from the shadows. Danzo has over a dozen agents keeping an eye on the entire force of the village from the shadows. They collect data on every person who could be a threat. From notable civilians to academy students to Jonins. His information network within the village is vast." Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard this. ''I need to be a lot more careful.'' He asked Kensei. "You said the people under Danzo collect data¡­ What kind of data and how much?" Kensei sighed hearing the question. "Almost everything. From one''s academy scores to their strengths and weaknesses¡­ Information on their family, friends and finances. Even their ideologies, philosophies and psychological profiles would be compiled. Whether they are loyal or disloyal, a traitor or not¡­ From the basic information to the deepest secrets. He knows everything about everyone¡­. Well¡­ Almost everything." "Wait! If he knows so much then does he know about your dislike of the Hokage and his ideologies? Does he know about¡­me?" Daichi knew about the root and the reach Danzo had inside the village but he didn''t know it was to such a degree. Kensei answered. "I''ve lived long enough to learn to keep my real feelings and thoughts a secret from even people like Danzo. He knows I hate him and he knows I might not agree with some policies of the Hokage but that''s it¡­ If you want to accomplish your goals and live long then you have to learn to keep your real feelings a secret. Even from people looking to pry them out of you." Kensei then sighed looking at his grandson. "Now¡­ does he know about you?¡­ Yes. He most probably does. In your class are children of several clan heads. The future of the village. So Danzo would definitely pay attention. And I have no doubt that from the moment you took first place, he had his eye on you¡­" Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard that. Kensei, noticing the panicked look on Daichi''s face, smiled slightly. "You haven''t talked to anyone other than me about your true goals have you?" Kensei asked Daichi. The boy shook his head indicating he didn''t. "Good. Then you can calm down Daichi. Just because he knows about your scores in the academy doesn''t mean he knows your true character and motives. He is good at acquiring information but he isn''t omniscient. I doubt he knows about your desire to leave the village." Daichi calmed down and let out a breath after hearing those words. "But you need to be careful. Until you get strong enough to defend against people like him, you shouldn''t say anything to anyone that would get his attention anymore than it has." "I understand." Daichi was serious and he made sure he understood the threats Danzo posed. Kensei then smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "You don''t need to be so tense. If he has information on you then he knows you''re under my protection. He won''t make any direct moves." Both Daichi and Kensei sat in silence for a while. After some time Kensei spoke. "I''ll be going out early in the morning. I feel that this might be a good time to catch up with a few colleagues." The old man said. Daichi nodded. "Yeah. I have some training I need to complete too¡­ I''ll be heading to the nearby river for some chakra control training." Kensei nodded in understanding. "You want to start on the change in chakra form training don''t you?" Daichi nodded. "I need to make sure my chakra control is as perfect as it can get. Then I can start the next stuff." Kensei nodded and both of them discussed the situation and Daichi''s training and then after sometime they went to sleep. Flashback End. Daichi used the Mana scout to check his surroundings often. It''s range was less than chakra sense but no one would be able to detect this skill. ''I have to be more careful¡­ But if there is one good thing that came out of all this is that Danzo is now probably removed from power. The Hokage would be keeping an eye on him so that guy wouldn''t cause a scene. Still¡­ He operates from the shadows. I''ll have to be on guard.'' Daichi reached his house after a short while. He went to his room and took out a new packet filled with balloons. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only a few minutes after 10 am. ''I still have the whole day to train.'' Daichi reached the back yard and stretched. At that moment he sensed Kensei entering the house. Kensei came to the back and saw Daichi preparing to begin his advanced chakra control training. "I have some news." He said sitting on the back porch. Daichi turned to the old man. "Danzo has been removed from the village council and the Root Anbu are being dissolved¡­ Do you know what that tells me?" Kensei asked. "Danzo was the one who helped Itachi massacre the clan¡­" Daichi spoke as if he was unsure. ''About time the Hokage put him in check. Although this won''t keep him down for long¡­'' Kensei nodded with his grandson''s deduction. "And he must have done it behind the Hokage''s back. Looks like you won''t have to worry about him. At least for a few years¡­." "But then why is the Hokage keeping him alive? If he forced or aided Itachi to kill the clan then isn''t that treason?" Daichi asked Kensei. The old ninja sighed hearing Daichi''s question. "You''re not the only one who''s had those questions¡­" He mumbled. Kensei then answered. "Danzo was a former teammate of the Hokage and trained under Tobirama Senju. Perhaps it''s sentimentality or maybe he thinks Danzo may have more use in the future." ''Not bloody likely!'' Daichi knew the future event so he knew Danzo''s usefulness to the village had ended. "Regardless, for the moment beyond removing him from power, Hiruzen has decided to do nothing else¡­ Now enough about him. Let''s begin your training." Kensei spoke. Daichi nodded and then looked at the water balloon in his hand. "Once I master this jutsu I''ll be one step closer to my goal." Kensei nodded. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 77 – Shape Transformation Training 01 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi held the water balloon in his right hand. He gazed at it as his mind went through the first step of the training. ''The first step of the Rasengan. I went over everything in my old memories and everything I learned from Kensei''s notes¡­ Naruto completed the three steps and learned the Rasengan jutsu quickly. Well if you could call four and a half weeks quick¡­ But there was a problem with the way he learned it. Because he used shortcuts to master the jutsu, he needed two hands for it to work. And that limited his combat capabilities.'' He took a breath and let it out. ''Unlike Naruto I''m in no hurry. I''m going to complete the Rasengan quickly but I''ll make sure I master each step to perfection. Refining my Chakra control and mastering the shape transformation is my goal. It''s why I delayed learning this for so long. But still¡­ This first step¡­ I really want to master it in 1 day.'' Daichi went over everything in his head. He checked the direction of the chakra flow in his body a few days ago. Based on the direction his hair was growing, Daichi concluded that his chakra was rotating to the right side in his body. Daichi held the balloon and started applying chakra to his hand. ''I need to spin the water with my chakra in multiple directions to make this pop. But first I need to spin in a single direction to get the feel of this.'' The water in the balloon quickly started rotating in a clockwise direction. Feeling the chakra spinning with no problems in one direction, Daichi decided to keep it up for a few minutes. He wanted to see if he would get a new skill. And after a minute a new skill emerged. Daichi stopped applying chakra and looked at the new skill. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously concentrating chakra to the palm of your hand and rotating it, the skill ''Chakra Rotation'' has been created.] Chakra Rotation - (Active/Passive)(LV.01): A skill that helps the user master their chakra and use it more proficiently. This skill is one of several advanced chakra control techniques to help the user Increase their chakra control and movement of their chakra. Effects: +2% Increase in Chakra Movement and Form. +1% Increase in Chakra Control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. ''Excellent. So that means I''ll get 2 more control skills when I start the next two steps as well. I''ll start the next step after I Max this out.'' Daichi began the rotation exercise again and kept going. At the moment he was only rotating his chakra in the palm in one direction. He increased and decreased the speed of rotation. Daichi also kept an eye on his chakra level. Kensei was sitting on the porch watching Daichi train. ''This kid is really something else. His improvements in the ninja arts are astounding. If it weren''t for the graduation age limit he definitely would have been a genin by now. But this is also a blessing in disguise. Now he has a few years to train in relative safety.'' Kensei thought about the mysterious man and the conversation he had with him. ''Did he know about the kid''s talent when he asked me to adopt Daichi? Were they related? I have no doubt that the invisibility cloak was from him. It''s the only possible explanation. I do remember him saying he would send a few of his things to Daichi. I''m sure Daichi isn''t his son¡­ So what is their relationship?'' Kensei sighed and looked at the clouds. ''Maybe one day I''ll find out.'' His mind went over what Aiko had said the previous night. He let out a breath and looked at his grandson. ''Aiko was certainly convinced by Daichi. But I''m not that easily fooled. Out of all the days, he picked the one day Itachi decided to kill the clan to train near the Uchiha grounds¡­ I don''t buy it. Either that incident was a very big coincidence or¡­ Daichi knew something was about to happen¡­ Maybe I''m just grasping at straws here¡­ Regardless, Daichi knows more than he said. Of that, I''m sure¡­ Still¡­ I trust you kid. Maybe one day you''ll let me in on your secrets¡­'' Kensei watched Daichi practice with the water balloon with a stoic face. ''One thing I absolutely believe was his desire to save that girl. It was pure and genuine. He risked his life for her. Since the kid saved her life he is also now responsible for her. I''m sure he knows that. When that girl awakens the Sharingan the village will know what he did. I hope you''re prepared for that day, Daichi!'' Kensei didn''t say anything to help Daichi with the training. And Daichi preferred it that way. Both of them stayed in silence as Daichi continued the training. Over 15 minutes passed by as Daichi trained. He was looking at the new skill as he controlled his chakra rotation. He was surprised that the new ''Chakra Rotation'' skill was leveling up quickly. Skill Chakra Rotation''s level has risen by one. x10. The skill quickly reached level 10. ''This must be because I''ve maxed out the tree walking technique and water walking technique. Now that I''m familiar with the chakra rotation aspect, time to increase the difficulty.'' Daichi closed his eyes and visualized his chakra spinning in clockwise direction but in different angles. He began with rotating his chakra to the right in two angles. The balloon in Daichi''s hand stretched up, down and sideways. He kept the rotation to the right but he kept spinning his chakra in two angles. The level of the skill kept going up as Daichi practiced. As several more minutes went by Daichi was beginning to feel the strain on his body. He kept up for a few more minutes and then stopped. He opened his eyes and took several deep breaths. ''This isn''t easy. Even though I have the gamer''s body I''m already feeling some pain. And I''ve only just begun¡­ For Naruto to relentlessly keep going¡­ His threshold for pain is no doubt much higher than normal. Not to mention the Nine tails healing him and with the chakra volume of the Uzumaki body¡­ One could almost call him a cheat.'' Daichi smirked as he thought that. ''How hypocritical of me. Calling someone else a cheat.'' Daichi went to the shade of the nearby tree and sat down. "So how is it?" The voice of his grandfather came. "It''s not easy. But I expected that. To be honest I''m kinda enjoying this¡­ I think I might be a training addict." Daichi said with a small laugh at the end. Kensei smirked and didn''t say much more. He remembered the instructions for the rasengan as he was with Daichi when the Hokage revealed them. Kensei pondered on the difficulty of the training Daichi was attempting. ''This training is done by applying the tree walking and water walking techniques. By gathering chakra and then releasing it in a steady stream. And this step even takes it further. I remember that the chakra in the Rasengan was rotating in different directions. So to complete this step he has to let out a steady stream of chakra and burst the balloon by spinning his chakra in multiple directions. A difficult task.'' ''The fourth created this in 3 years and I heard that it took Jiraiya 1 year to learn and Kakashi mastered it in less than 6 months. I wonder how long it would take Daichi to master this jutsu.'' Daichi was unaware of his grandfather''s thoughts. He was sitting down cross legged and started to meditate. ''Naruto may have the Nine tails to heal him but I have something much better. My gamer ability is a far greater cheat than anything else.'' Daichi meditated and slowly the pains and aches his body felt disappeared. His chakra bar began to refill and before long he was at it again. It wasn''t just the chakra rotation skill that leveled up. His other chakra related skills got a boost as well. Skill Chakra Regeneration''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Affinity''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Manipulation''s level has risen by one. Skill Chakra Rotation''s level has risen by one. x5. Daichi trained for 3 hours while taking short meditation breaks. In just 3 hours his chakra rotation skill leveled up to 37. Daichi altered and increased the rotation angle a few more times. He kept spinning his chakra in several angles and he started to see the balloon stretch in multiple directions. ''I''m going to completely master this step in one day. I have to get this skill to level 100.'' "Daichi! Come on. Time to eat. You''ll feel better with something delicious in your belly." Kensei called out to his grandson. Daichi nodded to his grandfather and went to get something to eat. After a while he resumed his training. He sat cross legged and held the water balloon. ''I''ve been spinning my chakra in a few directions but it''s not enough. I need to do more. And I need to keep the chakra flow steady.'' Daichi began focusing his chakra and started rotating the water in the balloon. As each minute flew by, he increased the directions his chakra was moving. Sweat rolled down his face as he concentrated. His eyes were closed and his mind was on nothing else but the rotation of his chakra. He gritted his teeth and increased the rotation direction of the chakra. Kensei was watching everything from the sideline. He saw the balloon starting to bulge in several directions. As if bumps were forming on it. His eyes widened in disbelief. ''No way! Is he¡­ Is he really going to master the first step in a single day?'' Daichi was in the zone. He didn''t even hear the sound of notifications popping up. All he felt was his chakra and the water spinning around in the balloon. "POP!" In the quiet backyard, the sound of the balloon popping was loud. The sound startled Daichi but a wide grin quickly formed on his face. "Yes! Bhooyaa!" Kensei was astonished. ''Unbelievable! He learned the first step in a day!? I thought he would take a week or maybe even 10 days but¡­. A single day¡­ No! It hasn''t even been a day.'' "Well done Daichi!" Kensei couldn''t help but congratulate his grandson. He marveled at Daichi''s talents. "Thanks Gramps.!" Daichi had a wide smile on his face. His right hand was slightly shaking and in small pain but he was laughing. "You''ve learned the first step in less than a day. That''s impressive! Are you going to start the next step right now?" Kensei praised Daichi''s efforts and asked him. "Thanks gramps! But I''ve only learned it. I''m gonna master this first step and only after that will I start on the next one." Daichi replied with a smile. "Good choice." Kensei agreed with Daichi. Daichi looked at the skill and saw that it was up to level 51. ''Just as I thought! I learned how to pop the balloon but I haven''t mastered the technique yet. I want to get this to level 100 by the end of the night.'' Daichi decided to increase the intensity of the training. He stood up and went to take two balloons and then filled them up with water. Kensei was surprised at this move. ''Is he going to use both hands?'' Daichi now had two water balloons. One in each palm. He concentrated and began spinning his chakra. He slowly increased the directions of the rotations in both palms. His chakra drained rapidly but he kept going. Daichi''s concentration level was far greater than someone his age. As he increased the directions of his chakra small bumps started forming on both the balloons. ''Almost there.'' He kept up the spin and the balloon on the right side popped but the balloon on the left remained without bursting. Daichi looked at the intact balloon. ''I was almost there¡­'' He let out several exhausted breaths as his chakra was almost depleted. Daichi put the intact water balloon down and started meditating. After half an hour he resumed his training. Kensei watched Daichi push himself. ''This kid is relentless.'' Time flew by as Daichi trained the first step of the Rasengan. It was almost 8:30 in the night. Daichi was standing in his backyard panting. He struggled to take his breaths and both his hands were trembling. But Daichi was chuckling as he stood there surrounded by dozens of destroyed water balloons. In front of him were the stats of the chakra rotation skill. Several of his other chakra skills increased as well but Daichi had his eyes on the one skill that currently mattered to him. Chakra Rotation - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: +200% Increase in Chakra Movement and Form. +100% Increase in Chakra Control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. . Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 Exp. +75 Exp. "Finally! It''s done! I''ve mastered the first step." Daichi suddenly swayed on his feet but Kensei appeared and steadied him. "Well done kid! Time for you to rest." He slowly took Daichi inside the house. As he walked into his home he looked back at the destroyed balloons and then to the child in his arms in wonder. ''Incredible!'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 78 – Shape Transformation Training 02 Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Monday. You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi opened his eyes and let out a small yawn. He stretched his hands and legs and got off the bed. ''All the pain I felt is gone. I feel good as new. Both mind and body. Thank you, Gamer ability!'' Daichi smirked as he got ready for the day. He thought about everything that happened during the Uchiha massacre and the speech the third Hokage gave the next day. After the Uchiha massacre the Hokage held a village announcement the next day. It was to address what had happened and he said some comforting words to reassure the people of their safety. ''The academy is also closed for the whole week. People are afraid of letting their children out of sight. I don''t blame them. An entire clan was killed in a single night. And one of the strongest too. He must think a week would be enough to calm them down. There are also a lot more ninjas on patrol. A show of force for the villagers.'' Daichi put on some new clothes and got ready. ''This week I''ll be focusing on nothing but Rasengan training. I need to complete it quickly and then move on to the next tasks.'' Daichi then thought about the events and his mind wandered to two particular people. ''Reo¡­ I wonder how you must feel¡­. You must miss them huh!... Sasuke. Will you walk down the path of the avenger or will you choose a different road¡­?'' As Daichi thought about those two, he was in a dilemma? ''Should I reveal her existence to him?'' After thinking about it for a while Daichi made a decision. He went downstairs and saw Kensei sipping his morning tea. "Good morning!" Kensei greeted his grandson. "Morning Gramps!" Daichi sat down and ate some breakfast. "How are you feeling right now?" Kensei asked the kid. Daichi raised an eyebrow at the question. Kensei elaborated on seeing Daichi''s expression. "You were pretty worn out. You''ve greatly exhausted your chakra by the time you were done yesterday. So¡­" Daichi nodded as he heard Kensei. "I''m good. I''m feeling much better. And I''m ready for the next step. I''ll be spending the week on this training¡­ Well after I''ve had my morning workouts." Daichi quickly finished his breakfast and went to complete the daily tasks of the long running quest. Kensei sighed as he had already predicted this. He sensed Daichi''s chakra the moment he woke up. ''His chakra is fully recovered. I knew it! His body can heal and recover to peak form even after such intense chakra exertions after a single night''s rest¡­ I suppose I''ll add that to the rest of the abnormalities of his body. And it''s not just that. His chakra volume had grown again.'' Kensei thought back to their last fight. ''Even though he is only 8 years old his physical strength and chakra level is almost equal to a high chunin. I''ve had to use much more force than usual to even bruise him. And he hasn''t even hit puberty yet. What kind of a beast would he be by the time he becomes a genin or he reaches 16¡­? I can''t see his limits. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Only time will tell I suppose!'' The old ninja sighed and continued sipping his tea. Once he was done he went to the porch and sat in silence. Daichi was going through his morning workouts. He thought about yesterday''s gains. ''Got a new skill and several of my chakra related skills have gone up. Not to mention the 5 point increase in my chakra stat. Now it''s at 115. I have a feeling it will keep increasing as I complete this training.'' He completed the workout shortly after and then meditated. Daichi wanted to be in top form before starting the second step of the Rasengan. After half an hour of meditation Daichi went to get the rubber balls. He took one and then stood in the middle of the backyard. He had a single rubber ball in his right hand and he let out a breath. "Time to get started." Daichi concentrated his chakra into his palm and started rotating the energy. The rubber ball started to show small bulges here and there but it didn''t break. As Daichi focused more chakra into the ball the bulges became more and more but the ball still remained intact. A minute after he began, as he expected, a new notification box appeared. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously concentrating chakra to the palm of your hand and forcing more and more to flow, the skill ''Chakra Potency'' has been created.] Chakra Potency - (Active/Passive)(LV.01): A skill that helps the user master their chakra and use it more proficiently. This skill is one of several advanced chakra control techniques to help the user increase the size of their chakra volume and potency of their chakra. This skill also helps with controlling the size and range of a jutsu. Effects: +2% Increase in Chakra size and range. +0.1% Increase in Chakra Potency and CP. CP Cost: Depends on the user. Daichi read the details of the new skill. ''Chakra potency huh! This skill increases the potency of my chakra and my Chakra points. That''s big. It looks like instead of control, this skill focuses on increasing the strength of my chakra¡­ Hmm¡­ Makes sense.'' Daichi looked intently at the rubber ball. ''The academy is closed for 5 days and reopens next Monday. So that gives me a full week of training time. I have to complete this step and then the last part of the Rasengan in these 7 days.'' With a renewed determination Daichi pushed forward. He gathered his chakra to the center of the palm and started rotating it. A few hours went by as he trained. The chakra potency skill increased little by little. He trained till his whole CP was down to single digits and then he would meditate for an hour. His chakra stat point increased by 2 due to the intensity of the training. Sweat was pouring down Daichi''s face as he concentrated on the ball in his hand. ''Come on¡­ Come on.'' As he gritted his teeth and forced more chakra into his hand, the rubber ball bulged more and more and then a light pop was heard. Skill Chakra Potency''s level has risen by one. Daichi was breathing hard as he looked at the result. "It popped." He looked at the small hole in the ball. "Well it''s a start." ''And the chakra potency skill has reached level 10¡­ Not bad. Not bad at all for almost 4 hours of work.'' Kensei, who was quietly sitting on the porch reading a book, was also surprised when he heard the ball pop. ''He actually managed to do it. Amazing¡­ Keep it up kid. You got this in the bag.'' Daichi then noticed the growling sounds of his stomach and went to get something to eat. Once he had his fill he quickly returned and began to meditate under the shade of the tree and after his chakra was fully recovered, he resumed his training. ''The key is to increase the amount and use more chakra.'' Daichi resumed his training while Kensei narrowed his eyes and sensed Daichi''s chakra. ''This training forces the chakra coils in the body to expend more chakra quickly and thus expand. This will increase the chakra reserves and the power of one''s chakra. But anyone with insufficient chakra reserves would never be able to complete this training even in a few months. And this type of training also puts an enormous strain on the body. After a while you would be unable to move a finger let alone keep training¡­'' Kensei kept looking at Daichi as he forced more chakra and tried to pop the ball. ''Anyone training this control technique would be in pain and completely exhausted. They would need to rest and recover. But this kid¡­ He is able to recover his chakra and heal much faster than normal. Especially when he meditates. I''ve heard that the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, had similar abilities. Able to recover chakra and heal quickly¡­ But he was a freak of nature¡­ And now looking at Daichi and his speed of improvement¡­ I have a feeling he''ll one day be in the same league as the first Hokage.'' Daichi kept training till it was nightfall. Just like before, he took turns taking rest and then resuming his training. He was only able to increase the skill to level 32 by the time he was done. "POP." A loud sound resonated through the backyard of the house. Daichi fell to his knees and was breathing hard. His entire body shook as he took each breath. "Damn¡­ Only level 32?... I thought I would be able to complete this by now¡­" Daichi looked at the last ball he burst open. The hole in it was much wider than the first one. It indicated the improvement in his skill but Daichi wasn''t satisfied with it. "I need to do better¡­" Daichi took several breaths and stood on shaky legs¡­ "Arg¡­." He hissed in pain. ''My whole body feels like it''s on fire.'' "Do you need help?" His grandfather asked him. Daichi shook his head. Determined to do it on his own. He took shaky steps into the house and went straight to his room. After cleaning himself up he went straight to sleep. ¡ª- Tuesday. "Ding!" You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored. Daichi opened his eyes as he heard the notification sound of the system message. He got out of bed and got ready for the day. He quickly freshened up and went downstairs to get something to eat. "Morning Gramps!" He greeted Kensei and quickly started eating. Kensei greeted him like normal but he was amazed at Daichi''s recovery ability. ''His chakra reserves are back to full capacity. And it doesn''t seem like he''s in any pain whatsoever. Incredible! To be able to heal with one sleep. This must be one of his abilities like immunity to direct Genjutsu attacks. I''m sure of it. But how? Is this some kind of new Kekkei Genkai ability? Or was he born with his body like this? I''m sure I''ll find out one day.'' Kensei didn''t address his thoughts as he knew he might not get an answer from Daichi. Kensei knew Daichi loved him but he also knew Daichi wouldn''t share his secrets. He knew the child had trust issues but he didn''t know what caused it. For the moment he was content with how things were going between them. Daichi began the second step of the Rasengan training after he completed his workouts. He took the rubber ball and concentrated. As time went by Daichi''s progress increased. He also gained 2 stat points in chakra and was able to level up several chakra related skills. Hours passed by as he pushed himself to complete this step. It was evening around 6. Daichi stood with several rubber balls around him. He took a new one and focused his chakra. He narrowed his eyes and concentrated as much as he could. His chakra was rushing to his hand with great force. The ball bulged more and more and became unstable. "Boom!" A loud blast sounded out through the area. Kensei, who was asleep, woke up with a startle. ''What the f¡­?'' He then turned his attention to Daichi. The rubber ball exploded in Daichi''s hands. There were small burn marks in his right palm and it hurt but he didn''t mind. He had a huge smile on his face as he looked at the shredded pieces of the ball. "YES! I DID IT!" His loud shout brought a smile to Kensei''s face. "Well done. You''ve exceeded my expectations. Now come on. You''re done for the day. Time to get some rest." Daichi nodded and slowly went into the house. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 79 – Shape Transformation Training – Final Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was in his room meditating. He spent much longer than usual due to the mental fatigue he accumulated throughout the day. He wasn''t at 100% but the pain and trembling throughout his body subsided. "Haaa¡­" He let out a breath and got up. He joined his grandfather as they ate their last meal for the day. "I didn''t think you''d successfully master it in such a short time." Even after all this time Kensei was amazed at the talent Daichi displayed. And it was evident in his voice. Daichi nodded but he didn''t say much. "What''s wrong? You don''t seem satisfied!" Kensei asked the kid. Daichi took a few moments before he answered. "It''s just that¡­ I did learn the second step of the technique¡­ But I''m nowhere near mastering it." Kensei quietly listened. Daichi gathered his thoughts and explained. "I did make the rubber ball explode but I had to concentrate hard and use up a lot of chakra. It took almost over a dozen seconds to make the ball blow up." Kensei nodded as he understood Daichi''s intentions. "So you want to reduce the time taken and refine your control over this step." Daichi nodded. "Yeah!" ''Right now my chakra potency skill is only at level 51. I have to get it to 100 before moving to the final step. But that''s easier said than done¡­.'' "It''s not just the time but you have to increase your chakra reserves as well." Kensei said to the kid. Daichi looked at his grandfather. Kensei explained his thoughts. "Only someone with above normal reserves would be able to properly use the Rasengan. To destroy the rubber ball, the person must have sufficient chakra reserves as well as have a strong chakra. So mastering the second step would definitely improve your chakra abilities. This kind of training forces your chakra coils to expand and it increases the power of your chakra as well. Giving an overall boost to your strength." Daichi nodded with the assessment. He rested and didn''t continue training that day. Wednesday. "Boom." It was night time and the sound of a rubber ball bursting was heard. Daichi fell on his hands and knees gasping for air. He looked at the chakra potency skill. ''Level 60? That''s it? I''ve only increased about 9 levels?'' Daichi then opened his stats and looked at the chakra stat. ''It looks like I was able to increase my chakra stat by another 4 points.'' Daichi tried to get up but wobbled and fell down¡­ "Aargh¡­." He grunted in pain as his palm touched the hard soil. Daichi looked at his right hand. ''Chakra burns¡­ It stings like hell¡­ And my whole body¡­ Feels like sharp needles prickling on my insides.'' Due to the intensity of the physical punishment Daichi put himself through, even the physical endurance skill increased in level a couple of times. Daichi laid on the ground unable to move and in pain. At that moment Kensei walked towards him. "I would tell you to take it easy and not over do it but¡­ I know that''s not your style!" The old man said with a small smile. He then kneeled beside Daichi and extended his hands. "What are you¡­?" Before Daichi could even finish the question he saw the old man''s palms lit up in green color indicating the use of medical Ninjutsu. Warm and cool chakra entered Daichi''s body numbing his pain. "Oohhh wow! That feels soo good¡­" Daichi almost moaned as he felt the pain recede. Kensei focused on Daichi''s hand and healed the burned skin. He then focused on the rest of the body. Daichi saw his HP increasing. He looked at the green chakra flowing into his body. Daichi wanted to learn medical Ninjutsu but due to the gamer''s body he didn''t put much priority on it. But the last few days have changed his mind. "Hey gramps¡­" Daichi slowly called. Kensei looked at the kid sprawled on the ground. "Let me guess¡­ you want to learn Medical Ninjutsu?!" Kensei had a smirk on his face as he anticipated such a thing. Daichi pouted as he heard the teasing tone of his grandpa. "Now you''re just showing off!" A couple more seconds later Kensei let the green chakra flow die down and stood up. "How do you feel?" He asked. "Much better! Thanks." The academy student answered as he stood up. He looked at Kensei with a questioning look. "So¡­ Can I?" Kensei nodded. "Yes. I know your wounds heal much faster than normal but having some medical skill under your belt would be beneficial. But we''ll begin your medical training next year. When your fourth academic year begins I''ll introduce you to someone I know. By that time you''ll have a much bigger chakra volume and perfect control." Daichi nodded and they went inside. Thursday. Kensei was watching Daichi blow up another rubber ball. ''He''s getting better at that. The speed and power of the explosion is increasing. His chakra reserves are expanding at an incredible rate. It''s as if his body is sensing the stress and limitations and adapting itself accordingly.'' "Hey¡­" Daichi suddenly called out to Kensei. "Hmm¡­ What is it?" "How do I build up my chakra faster?" Kensei thought about it for a couple of seconds and then gave the answer. "Concentrate the chakra in your body into a tight spiral. This will help you familiarize the way your chakra moves and helps build up chakra reserves over time." Daichi nodded at that and got back to work. Kensei looked over to the second Daichi that was meditating under a tree. ''To think he would use shadow clones like that¡­ it''s actually brilliant.'' Daichi took a page out of Naruto''s book and created clones at several intervals that rested and gathered chakra. The created clone meditated and kept himself in optimal shape. But Daichi, having his reserves halved, had to force every ounce of his chakra as he trained. But still this method did help cut down the time needed to rest. Daichi started his training at dawn and by late afternoon he was able to increase the chakra potency skill level to 70. "Boom!" Another rubber ball blew up in Daichi''s hands. Daichi let out a breath as he looked at the remains of the ball. He wasn''t nearly as tired as before. The boy then looked at the clone and dispelled it. The chakra of the clone came back to Daichi and was ready to increase the difficulty. He now had no problems destroying the rubber balls with his chakra. But the skill only reached level 70. Daichi wanted to perfect the skill before moving on to the last step. This time he took out two balls and held them in both hands. And just like he did with the first step, he wanted to blow up both balls at the same time. This refined his skill to perfection. Daichi continued training like that for the remainder of that day and the next. He got closer and closer to his goal and it only motivated him to keep pushing himself. He endured chakra burns and severe body pains and chakra exhaustion but he never stopped. With only 4.5 hours of sleep needed to be back to his best, Daichi pushed forward like a maniac. It was Friday night. Millions of stars lit up the sky. It was a magnificent view and Daichi was laying sprawled on the ground enjoying it. Chakra Potency - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: +200% Increase in Chakra size and range. +10% Increase in Chakra Potency and CP. CP Cost: Depends on the user. Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 Exp. +75 Exp. "Finally!... It''s done." Daichi had mastered the second step to perfection. The chakra potency skill was now leveled up to a hundred. He also gained another 6 points in chakra stat in the last two days, bringing his chakra points to 129. It wasn''t the only stat to grow. The stamina and vitality stats also gained several points during the last week. After a few minutes Daichi sat up and meditated. Once the fatigue left and his chakra was somewhat restored he stood and went to a nearby giant rock. ''I remember Jiraiya showing Naruto how the Rasengan attack would look like, after mastering the first two steps.'' Daichi stood in front of the rock and gathered chakra into his right palm. Within a second a powerful torrent of chakra swirled into life and spun in Daichi''s right hand. Without wasting a second Daichi thrust his hand into the rock. The Rasengan made contact and blew a few chunks of the rock away. The rock didn''t crumble but it had a deep spiral grove etched into it. The mark of the incomplete Rasengan. Daichi looked at the results. ''It''s similar to what Jiraiya shows Naruto. I''ve successfully mastered the first two steps. Took me 6 days to complete them¡­ But now I''m ready. Time for the last one.'' Daichi then looked at clouds blocking the moon light and the stars. ''Ok, maybe tomorrow. '' Saturday. Daichi blew air into a balloon and soon tied the end and held it in his hand. He remembered the principles of the first two steps. ''Rotation and power. And now the final one. Containment.'' Daichi began gathering chakra and in seconds the empty balloon had bulges forming on its surface and the next second it exploded. ''Need more control.'' He took another balloon and repeated the process. Each time the balloon exploded Daichi felt that he was getting closer and closer to his target. After a couple more tries a new skill appeared. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Through continuously concentrating chakra to the palm of your hand and trying to contain it, the skill ''Chakra Confinement'' has been created.] Chakra Confinement - (Active/Passive)(LV.01): A skill that helps the user master their chakra and use it more proficiently. This skill is one of several advanced chakra control techniques to help the user control and confine their chakra to a specific area. Effects: +2% Increase in Chakra Form. +2% Increase in Chakra control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. Even though the third step was the most difficult, once Daichi got the hang of it, he was able to make quick progress. By late night, Daichi had leveled up the latest skill to 62. Sunday. It was Sunday. Daichi woke up early and got ready. He wanted to complete the last step today as the academy would resume classes tomorrow. ''Once the classes start I wouldn''t be able to dedicate my time to training like I had been this week.'' The moment Daichi began training the third step, he knew it would be a challenging task. Daichi took another balloon as the one in his hand popped. ''This is by far the most difficult step. Combining the previous two aspects is not easy. It''s no wonder there are only a handful of people who can use the Rasengan.'' Daichi created several shadow clones to speed up the control training and it helped. All of them used both hands and trained hard all day. ''It''ll take too much time if I don''t train like this. Since this part is all about the containment and control aspect of chakra, the shadow clones would be of great help.'' Each time a shadow clone made significant progress, Daichi dispelled them. To counteract the fatigue he got from the clones, Daichi had a couple clones meditate as well. The level of the skill was rising much faster as Daichi had perfected his previous chakra control exercises. Daichi also had the ''Absolute Chakra Mastery'' skill working for him. It tremendously helped in speeding things up. Skill Chakra Confinement''s level has risen by one. Daichi didn''t use shortcuts like Naruto. Yet by dusk he was able to level up the skill to Max. Even though it was difficult at first and the most difficult step, Daichi managed to complete it in a single day. Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 Exp. +75 Exp. Chakra Confinement - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: +200% Increase in Chakra Form. +200% Increase in Chakra control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. Daichi looked at the motionless balloon in his hand and grinned. The balloon didn''t make a single ripple, indicating that Daichi had mastered the technique. He then let go of the technique and went to the nearby rock. The same rock that had the spiral pattern on it. Daichi held his hand and gathered his chakra. Within a second a bright blue ball of swirling chakra came to life. Kensei who was watching Daichi was gobsmacked. ''That''s¡­ That''s the Rasengan¡­ He did it¡­ He actually did it! In a single week he mastered what it took others months and even years to learn.'' Watching the blue ball of chakra in Daichi''s hand, Kensei''s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Daichi looked at the blue ball of chakra in glee and amazement. ''One of the most iconic jutsus in the world¡­ And I''m holding it in my palm.'' Daichi was unable to hold back any longer. His eyes narrowed and he thrust the ball towards the rock. "Rasengan!" He excitedly shouted. "BOOM!" The chakra ball completely crushed the giant rock as if it were brittle glass. Only a few small chunks of it survived. At that moment he read several notifications that appeared. Daichi read the messages and his grin widened. Author''s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 80 – Origin of a Teacher Student Bond Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was walking through the somewhat quiet streets of the leaf village. Even though a week had passed the villagers were still reeling from the Uchiha incident. Daichi slightly shook his head as if to get rid of the memories of that incident. His mind then went to the messages he got last night. ''Not only did I get a new skill, with all the experience points I was able to level up to 38¡­ There are four more years before my class graduates. If I decide to graduate with them, then I''ll have plenty of time to master all the 5 chakra nature elements¡­ But should I wait that long¡­?'' Daichi let out a short sigh. ''I''ll decide when the time comes.'' Before long he reached the academy grounds. It didn''t take long for him to reach his classroom. As Daichi entered the room he saw some kids whispering and pointing towards Sasuke. He could somewhat hear their discussion. As Daichi looked at Sasuke he thought about the question Kensei had asked him that morning. Flashback. "Are you going to tell Sasuke Uchiha about the girl?" Kensei asked the question as Daichi was about to leave for the academy. Daichi halted as he heard the question. He had been thinking about it for a while and made a choice. "No! Right now the only thing keeping Reo safe is her anonymity. If I tell Sasuke, there is a chance he''ll go and see her and that would put her at risk. I''m not gonna do that." Daichi replied. Kensei nodded after hearing him. "It''s your choice." Flashback End. Daichi looked at the brooding Uchiha sitting in the middle row looking out the window. ''It''s also because I don''t trust Sasuke. If things follow as it did in the story then Sasuke will turn against the village. When that happens¡­ His character is unpredictable. He might try to take her away from the village or try to kill her¡­ He''s not someone I can put my trust in. I wouldn''t be able to turn him away from the path of vengeance. And he needs Orochimaru''s training to prepare for the future enemies¡­ Or does he¡­?'' Daichi gave up on that line of thought. ''Problems for later.'' He took his seat in the back and leaned back in his chair. It wasn''t long before Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto and the others arrived. "You heard about what happened didn''t you?" Shikamaru asked Daichi as he sat next to him. "Yeah¡­ And even after a week the villagers are a bit tense." Daichi replied in a low voice. "It''s not surprising! Something like that has never happened before¡­ My mom didn''t even let me go out of the house for the first few days after it happened¡­" Shikamaru didn''t say anything more and laid his head on the desk to take a nap. Daichi noticed that Naruto was unexpectedly subdued. He quietly went to his seat and leaned back in his chair and just whistled. ''Perhaps he read the situation and felt that it was not the best time for antics¡­ Or maybe he''s just tired and I''m reading too much into this?'' Iruka sensei came and classes started. A few days passed and things somewhat returned to normal. Sasuke competed with Daichi at the academy and Naruto resumed his pranks on Iruka. Daichi was focused on improving some of his current skills and leveling them up to 100. He decided he would start on the Nature transformation chakra in a week. It was at this time another incident took place. It was Friday morning and Daichi was on his way to the academy. As he reached the academy he saw Shikamaru and Choji running towards him. Both of them quickly reached Daichi and were slightly out of breath. Daichi was surprised. "What''s got you two excited?" He asked the two. He then noticed the serious expression on Shikamaru''s face. "What''s wrong?" "It''s Naruto. He went into the back hills." Shikamaru said. Daichi was confused. "What? Why? Classes are about to start." "It was Hibachi. He tricked Naruto into thinking you''re there searching for some secret treasure and was looting the enemy ninja''s corpses¡­. But seeing as you''re here, it looks like Hibachi played a bad prank on Naruto." Shikamaru answered. "What?" Daichi''s eyes narrowed as he listened. "Yeah. We overheard them talking and saw Naruto taking off. We were on our way to the academy to tell Iruka sensei." Choji replied. Daichi was momentarily confused but then memories of a certain episode came to his mind. ''Fuck!'' Daichi''s face immediately darkened. "Both of you listen. You need to get to the academy quickly and tell Iruka sensei what happened. I''m going after him." "Wait, what?" Without waiting to explain, Daichi bolted from there. He had explored most of the village areas several times over the last few years. So he knew how to get to the back hills. As Daichi was running through the streets his mind went through certain memories. ''This incident must be the filler episode incident. The one with Iruka and those Taki ninjas. I thought since I changed some things in Naruto''s life, that it wouldn''t happen. Looks like I was wrong¡­ Is this the universe correcting itself¡­? And this also confirms that fillers are real¡­ And that Hibachi. How dare he use my name¡­ I''ll deal with him when I get back!'' Daichi increased his speed and quickly reached the hills. He stood for a moment and concentrated. He used the chakra sense skill. After a couple of seconds¡­ ''Found him!'' Daichi opened his eyes as he sensed the massive chakra of his friend. He quickly jumped and took to the trees. Within minutes he saw Naruto and jumped down near him, startling the kid. "Ahh! What the¡­ Daichi?" Naruto fell on his butt, startled by Daichi''s sudden landing. He quickly regained his composure and jumped up. "Aha! I found you!" Daichi sighed, hearing him. "Idiot! I''m the one who found you." "Hey! You find the secret treasure yet?" Naruto excitedly asked. "There is no secret treasure and I wasn''t even here. Hibachi tricked you." "He did what?" Naruto lowered his head then clenched his fist. "That bastard¡­ I can''t believe he did that¡­" "Yeah¡­ Now come on. We better get back to the academy." Naruto then looked at Daichi with a serious expression. "Hey. You think it''s true?" "What are you talking about?" "That there might be treasure hidden here? I heard that some enemy ninjas were fighting here in the forest a couple days ago. Wanna go find it?" Despite being tricked, Naruto had a smile on his face as he looked at Daichi and asked that question. Daichi had been keeping an eye on his surroundings and hadn''t sensed any enemy chakra yet. He was about to decline and bring Naruto back but stopped himself. He thought about the situation. ''The safest and most rational option is to bring this knucklehead back to the academy and let the ninjas handle the situation. But if the enemy ninja has stashed documents here like in the story then without anyone to intervene the Taki ninjas might find it and sensitive information could fall into enemy hands.'' ''On the other hand if I decide to help him, then we can find the documents and quickly get out of here. If I remember correctly then it was 3 chunin level Taki ninjas who were here. Based on what I remember, I won''t die or even get hurt by weak people like them. But since my existence has changed things here, is there anything else that has changed? Does the butterfly effect still exist? Do they have reinforcement? Or this time instead of chunin could it be Jonin¡­?'' After thinking about it for a few more seconds Daichi made a choice. ''The best and wisest course of action is to get out of here.'' "Hey¡­ Anyone home! Earth to Daichi! You there?" Daichi saw an impatient Naruto with hands crossed, and foot tapping on the ground. "I''m sorry Naruto but we better leave. Classes have already started. Not to mention the troubles we''d be in if there are enemy ninjas here." Naruto had a downcast expression as he heard Daichi''s answer. At that moment a new quest appeared for Daichi. ''Damn it! Why system, why!?'' Daichi mentally screamed as he looked at the quest. Quest Created - ''Retrieve The Documents.'' Successfully retrieve the documents stashed by the enemy spy and defeat your opponents. Rewards: 3000 Exp. Reputation increases with Naruto, Iruka Umino and Kakashi Hatake. Reputation increases with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kensei Yasaji. Failure: Reputation decreases with everyone. Accept (Y/N) Daichi looked at the quest details. ''I could refuse the quest but those exp. points¡­ Can''t refuse that¡­'' "Ughhh¡­. " Daichi let out a long sigh. ''Fuck it!'' Daichi accepted the quest. "Fine¡­ let''s search the place." Hearing Daichi answer, a wide smile spread on Naruto''s face. "Yes." He pumped his fists and screamed. But at that moment someone else joined them. Iruka landed next to the two academy students. "Thank God I found you two." "Iruka sensei!? Why are you here?" Naruto frowned as he asked the question. "Looking for the two of you. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is here right now! Naruto, it was foolish to come here for such a stupid reason. And Daichi, it was reckless following him here." The academy instructor admonished the kids. Daichi looked sheepish and replied. "Sorry sensei." Iruka let out a small breath. "Alright you two back with me!" "No way!" Naruto shouted. "Naruto, you need to come with me to class.!" "You don''t even like me. You only want me there because it''s convenient for you." Naruto shouted. Daichi noticed that Naruto''s words had an impact on the chunin. Iruka was taken aback by what the boy had said and looked down in sadness. He thought about everything that had happened with his parents on the night of the attack and his life since. He then remembered the reason why he became a teacher in the first place. A moment later he looked at Naruto with a softer face. "Naruto, I''m still taking you back to the academy. You too Daichi! Follow me." Naruto, hearing this, suddenly had a mischievous grin. Daichi seeing the look on Naruto''s face knew he was up to no good. "Alright, plan B!... Sexy jutsu!" Naruto yelled and quickly used the transformation jutsu. Smoke covered his body in an instant and then he turned into a naked teenage girl version of himself wearing only bikinis. "Gha!... You little brat¡­" A stunned Iruka fell down with a giant nosebleed. "Ha! Grownups are so easy to fool.!" Naruto was laughing as he looked at his teacher. Daichi looked at the whole scene with utter bewilderment. ''Huh! He really fell down because of the nosebleed. I thought it was just some comic relief¡­ Some things just don''t make sense. Or maybe they''re not meant to!'' Daichi shook his head and looked at the transformed Naruto. ''I don''t get what the big deal is¡­ It''s just a bikini body and I know it''s Naruto. Feels kinda gross just thinking about it.'' A shiver ran up Daichi''s spine. Naruto looked at the fallen chunin and then to his friend who was looking at him with a deadpan expression. "You resisted my sexy jutsu. I didn''t expect you to be so strong." The amazement in Naruto''s voice was unmasked. "Why do you sound so surprised? Don''t think this dumbass jutsu will work on me!" "Come on. Let''s get out of here before he wakes up." Naruto said before running away from there. Daichi looked at the fallen chunin teacher and sighed. He then followed Naruto deeper into the forest. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 81 – Enemy Ninja Attacks Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. 3 Shadows swiftly moved through the trees of the back hills. They were searching everywhere their teammate had come in contact with inside the forest. "We need to find those documents quickly." The one leading, urged to the other two. "Itachi Uchiha killing the Uchiha clan has left the village severely weakened. Otherwise we wouldn''t have made it this far. Our village superiors know this. It''s why we were given this task. We need to complete it before the leaf gets back on its feet." The person led the three person squad and was thoroughly searching the forest. As they were searching the area suddenly they heard some voices. "Shh!... Hear that?!" The three quietly went to investigate and found two children searching for something as well. ¡ª- Daichi and Naruto were looking through the woods. As they looked through the area they came across a field littered with shuriken, kunai and a couple of swords. There were burn mark on the woods indicating the use of fire jutsu and the two could see some trees that were destroyed by what was most likely an explosive paper bomb. "This must be the battlefield¡­ So whatever is hidden has to be near here." Naruto exclaimed. Daichi looked at the area and nodded. He was keeping an eye on his surroundings as they searched. Getting caught unaware could be deadly. Daichi had learned this lesson in the dungeon on multiple occasions. As Naruto and Daichi looked around the place he suddenly sensed 3 chakras slowly coming near them. Daichi didn''t make any outward indication that he sensed their presence. Daichi used the chakra sense skill and tried to gauge his enemy discreetly. He also enhanced his sense of hearing and smell. To the world Daichi was simply looking through the bushes, rocks and trees but he was secretly analyzing his soon to be opponents. ''3 chakra signatures moving from the east. I don''t sense any other enemy signatures here and I don''t hear or smell anyone else other than the three and Naruto and Iruka in the forest. So this team is most probably the same as that in the story. And based on their chakra level they won''t be that much to handle. That''s good.'' "Hey Daichi, pick up the pace you slow poke. We got a lot of places to search." Naruto yelled from above the tree branches. He jumped and resumed his search elsewhere. "Yes, boss!" Daichi saluted in a mock style and calmly looked through the place. He wanted to make sure these three let their guard down around him. ''I already found the nest and saw the top of the kunai. If things happened the way they did then the kunai containing the documents must be there. But I can''t just walk up to the nest and retrieve it. It has to be Naruto¡­. And also I need to test something.'' Since Daichi was openly helping with finding the documents, he wanted to minimize the risks. ''The Hokage wouldn''t think twice about how we found the secret documents but still¡­ The cautious approach is the best one. Having Naruto retrieve the documents reduces the chances of any suspicion to zero. And not only that, if I have to engage the enemy ninjas in a fight I can''t let Naruto get involved. So he should be the one to hold on to the information.'' Daichi was making plans as to how to best neutralize the threats. Naruto was eagerly searching the place but after 20 minutes had passed he was starting to get tired. He searched for a few more minutes before sitting down on the ground tiredly. "Ohh man! There''s nothing here. What a waste of time." Naruto said dejectedly. "Sorry Naruto. Maybe on our next adventure." Daichi said with a small smile. ''Come on¡­ Look at the nest¡­ Should I use mana manipulation on him?'' At that moment Naruto''s stomach grumbled. Daichi was happy inside as he heard the kids'' tummy rumble. ''Yes! Saved by hunger.'' "Man, I''m so hungry!" As Naruto looked around he saw a nest on the tree branch. "Well, we may not have treasure but at least we''ll get some fresh eggs!" Naruto quickly climbed the tree and reached the nest. It was at that moment something shiny caught his eyes. "Yes!" He shouted with excitement. Daichi held in his smirk and quickly went near his friend. "Look at that. You found it. Well done!" "Yeah. I was about to give up there for a minute." Naruto exclaimed as he looked at the weapon. He took and looked at it from different angles. "What a weird looking kunai. And it looks like there''s something tied to it. Whatever it is, I bet it''s important." Naruto was excited to share his findings with Daichi. As Daichi looked at the kunai he also kept a close eye on the three chakra signatures. He could hear them speaking and could hear someone ordering the other two to move. Daichi''s eyes narrowed. ''They''re coming.'' "You got that right kid. And they are more important than you know. So hand it over and you can live to see tomorrow." Three masked ninjas quickly appeared and the one in the middle spoke to Naruto. Their faces and head band was covered concealing their origin. "No way. If it''s important then I''m definitely not giving it to you." Naruto was stubborn and looked unafraid. The one who spoke then looked at Daichi and spoke. "Hey you! You look like a smart kid. Do you really want to die because of your friend''s stubbornness? Either take it and give it to us or run away. Do that and we''ll let you live." Daichi frowned at the arrogant tone in which it was said. He quietly looked at the three of them. ''Observe'' [LV.43] [Hina] Age: 26 HP: 4875 CP: 4035 [A chunin kunoichi affiliated with the Village hidden in the Waterfalls. Hina is assigned as the team''s healer for this mission. Primarily uses fire nature attacks. Capable in shuriken jutsu and some simple medical jutsu. Knowledgeable in herbs.] [LV.45] [Ichiko] Age: 25 HP: 4733 CP: 4187 [A chunin kunoichi affiliated with the Village hidden in the Waterfalls. Ichiko is assigned as the team captain for this mission. Primarily uses fire nature attacks. Capable in shuriken jutsu and swordsmanship. Has some experience infiltrating enemy lines.] [LV.44] [Akari] Age: 25 HP: 4902 CP: 4200 [A chunin kunoichi affiliated with the Village hidden in the Waterfalls. Assigned as additional strength to the team. Primarily uses fire nature attacks. And capable in shuriken jutsu and swordsmanship.] Daichi stayed silent and quickly read the information. To everyone else he was looking at the three as if he had no cares in the world. Because of his sunglasses they couldn''t see his eyes and his silence made the scene awkward for a few seconds. "Hey kid. You deaf or an idiot?" One of the three couldn''t help but ask. "He''s probably petrified in fear facing real ninjas. You leaf kids. So pathetic." The three laughed looking at the silent Daichi. "Hey! You take that back. You don''t know us." Naruto was angry after hearing their remarks. He was about to say more but Daichi raised his hand and stopped him. He looked at the three and only uttered a few words. "Bunch of fools." Although it was said in a soft tone, in the quiet forest everyone heard it clearly. The three ninjas quickly quickly became angry hearing him. "What did you say you brat?" "Let''s just get rid of these three and get the documents." "Yes. I agree." The three spies were getting ready to attack the 2 students. Daichi quickly looked at Naruto and said "Zeus formation." Naruto heard Daichi and smirked. He nodded and both of them immediately took off into the forest. The three enemies quickly chased after them and started hurling shurikens at the two. Both of them nimbly dodged the sharp throwing stars aimed their way. They lured the three into the trap-filled portion of the jungle. Naruto and Daichi had been through the back hills several times. So they were aware of the different traps that were hidden in the forest. Naruto smirked as he remembered the day his friend taught him a few code words in case of any troubles. Flashback. Daichi brought Naruto to an empty room in the academy and told the kid he was going to teach him some code words. In case they were ever in trouble. "Now I need you to pay attention, Naruto." "Do I really need to remember this?" "Yes.! So pay attention. Now the first one. If we are ever in trouble and the enemy is about to attack us then the code for that is ''Zeus formation'', got it?" "Yes. So if we hear ''Zeus formation'', then we attack the enemies before they attack us?" Naruto asked in excitement. "No. We run away. This code is there if the enemy outnumber us or is stronger than us." "But¡­ I don''t want to run." Naruto said with a pout. "It''s called a tactical retreat. We can try to lure them into a trap or just run to safety as fast as we can. Depending on the situation." "Now for the next one¡­." "How many are there¡­?" "Just a couple. I''ll tell you the rest later. Don''t want to fry that small brain of yours¡­" Daichi said with a smirk. "Hey!" Flashback End. Both of them set off the hidden traps in the forest hindering the three enemies. Naruto and Daichi quickly gained distance and while they were running, Daichi created a shadow clone. "Is that a solid clone?" Naruto asked with amazement. "Yep. He''ll be a distraction when the time comes." Daichi replied. "So I never got the chance to ask¡­ Who is Zeus?" Naruto asked Daichi. "Hmm. I read in an old story book that says Zeus was the god of the sky and ruler of thunder and lightning. The reason I gave that name to this code is¡­ To remember to run like lightning." Daichi replied. "Thats a dumb reasoning... you know it''s kinda lame giving the name of a god to a running away tactic." Naruto said with a small laugh. An invisible arrow hit Daichi''s heart as he heard that. ''I can''t believe I just got called dumb by Naruto of all people.'' "Maybe I was just too bored to think up another cool name." Daichi replied with a sad smile. As both of them were jumping through the trees Daichi sensed Iruka''s chakra signature closing in on them. Within a few seconds the teacher appeared in their view. He body flickered in front of them and all of them came to a stop. "You two¡­ I found you at last." Iruka said with relief. "We need to get going sensei. We have enemy ninjas after us." Daichi quickly said. "What?" Iruka''s eyes widened. Daichi sensed the three catching up to them. "Too late." The three ninjas quickly jumped down a few meters away from them. Iruka looked at the three ninjas. Most of their face was covered by a black cloth. But he knew the gear they used was not ones used by the leaf ninjas. "You three¡­ you''re not from the leaf village. What''s your purpose for entering the village without permission?" Iruka asked them. "Like we''d tell our goals that easily." "Hand over that blond kid and walk away." As the three got ready and stood in a fighting stance Daichi and his clone looked at each other and nodded. One of the Daichi''s looked at Iruka and Naruto and spoke in a low voice. "Iruka sensei. You can''t fight all three of them while protecting us. So we need to retreat. When I drop the smoke bomb, I''ll use my clone as a distraction and we run as fast as we can." Iruka looked at the two Daichis and was impressed. ''He''s right. I can''t fight the three and protect both of them. It''s best to leave here. Still¡­ To think he can make shadow clones. He must be planning on using the clone to fight them and buy time while we escape. Not a bad plan. If we rush out of here, we can leave the forest and get some backup.'' Both of them nodded to the plan. Daichi immediately dropped a black ball and covered the area in black smoke. Daichi, Naruto and Iruka ran out through the forest while another Daichi stayed behind. The three spies jumped out of the smoke and stood on a tall branch. They looked at the lone student standing in their way. "You think a mere clone will stop us. How stupid. You will pay for delaying us¡­ You two go after them. We can''t let them out of this forest with those secrets." "Understood!" The other two ninjas were about to leave when several shuriken were coming towards all of them with precision. "Evade!" The team leader shouted. All three of them jumped and barely dodged the projectiles aimed at their vitals. "We''ll deal with this clone swiftly and then chase after them." One of them said. "You''re mistaken." The voice of Daichi suddenly interrupted them. "What are you talking about?" "I''m not a clone. I''m the real deal¡­ It''s true that I did create a clone. But it''s to distract them. They wouldn''t have left if they knew I would stay behind to fight. So¡­ I used the clone as a distraction. A distraction for them that is¡­" Daichi said with a smirk. "You brat. If that''s true then you''re a bigger fool than I thought. Just because you joined the ninja academy, do you think you can take on real ninjas? How dumb. You will pay for your overconfidence." All three of them took out their swords and pointed them at Daichi. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 82 – Show of strength Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi smirked, hearing their comments. "Like I said before. A bunch of fools." "This kid is getting on my nerves." The leader of the team was aggravated hearing the child. Daichi looked at the three nonchalantly. A cold smile grew on his face as he looked at them. "Based on your outfits I''d say you''re not from the leaf. And judging by your voice and the pheromones you give out I''d say you''re females. Ages approximately between 23 and 28. Based on your chakra level and shuriken jutsu skills I''m guessing chunin ranks." The enemy spies stiffened as they heard the child speak. Daichi looked at the three who were now cautious. He continued. "You''re not from the other great nations. I''m absolutely sure they wouldn''t send amatures like you three to infiltrate this village." Daichi smirked as he could see the signs of anger as they heard that. "I also heard rumors that an enemy infiltrator died fighting here in the forest. A single enemy. And your timing here in the village¡­ Less than two weeks after the Uchiha massacre. You wanted to take advantage of the temporary blindspot in the leaf''s security. So predictable¡­" "You''re a lot smarter than you look brat! Too bad. You could have lived if you had just walked away from the beginning. But now¡­ we can''t let you leave here alive after knowing about us." The leader who Daichi knew as Ichiko spoke. "And just because you made a few deductions about us doesn''t mean you know what we''re capable of!" Daichi smirked. "Don''t I? Assuming that person who died was your friend/teammate I''d say you guys are a 4 person squad from one of the minor villages. And I''d say you''re the leader of the team." Daichi pointed to Ichika. He then pointed to the one his observation said was Hina. "And you''re the healer of the group aren''t you? I can smell the faint scents of several herbs on your fingers. And then there''s your chakra¡­ Based on what I sensed and the properties of your chakra, I can tell that you''re all fire style jutsus users¡­" Daichi smirked as he finished. Daichi remembered one of the lessons his grandfather imparted onto him. Flashback. It was an evening day and Daichi and Kensei were having a Shogi match. "In a battle, attacking your enemy''s mental state is just as important as attacking their body." Kensei said as he moved another piece on their shogi board. Daichi looked at the move his grandfather just made and cautiously chose his next step. "You''re talking about psychological warfare, aren''t you?" "Yes! If you are able to unbalance your opponent, affect his mental state, no matter how big or small, it will have an effect on the battlefield. And sometimes that could be the deciding factor in a life or death battle." "I see." Flashback End. Daichi looked at the three. "Tell me, have I gotten anything wrong?" The three spies couldn''t believe that a child would be able to analyze them so quickly and with minimal interactions. They took the child in front of them much more seriously. "No! You''re right about everything." The leader took off her face clothes revealing her face and headband. The other two followed. "The village hidden in the Waterfalls." Daichi said, looking at their headbands. "That''s right. You''re smart. Much smarter than we gave you credit for. Letting you leave here will be a mistake." The leader Ichiko clenched her sword and got ready to attack. You have sensed killing intent. Daichi just smiled. He raised a single hand seal and released the shadow clone. As the chakra and memories of the clone came, Daichi slightly grimaced. ''Yeesh! Naruto and Iruka are not happy with me. Need to find some way to pacify them after I''m done with these three.'' Daichi then focused his attention on the enemies in front of him. ''Make the first move Daichi! Don''t let them dictate the battle.'' Several shuriken appeared in Daichi''s hands. The next instant they flew at the three spies aimed with precision. "Dodge!" Ichiko shouted and the three were able to dodge most of the shuriken but a few still struck them in non vital areas. The three landed surrounding Daichi. All three of them were now wary of the child. The team captain Ichiko looked at the child in horror. ''The speed and strength with which those shuriken came¡­ If we were even a second late in dodging¡­ We''d be dead right now¡­ I was wrong. This kid is definitely not some weakling academy student.'' The team healer Hina looked at her wounds and then the wounds on her teammates. Her heart was pounding in her chest. ''All the injuries seem non lethal. But it was only luck that we escaped with such minor wounds. Those shuriken were aimed at our vitals. This child. He was aiming to kill.'' The last member of the team, Akari, looked at Daichi with newfound caution and slight fear. ''His shurikenjutsu skills show that he''s fought with other highly trained ninjas before. The skills and the deadly precision¡­ He was looking to kill us. There is no way he''s an academy student.'' With revealing their secrets and unbalancing them mentally and with just one show of force, Daichi put pressure on the three enemy kunoichis. You have sensed killing intent. "Attack." The team captain Ichiko gave the order and rushed towards Daichi with her sword aimed at his head. The other two followed suit. Three of them rushed towards Daichi as fast as they could. But to Daichi they were painfully slow. He was on alert and looked at the three coming. His face showed no signs of distress. ''Why am I not feeling any fear? These three¡­ Even though I''m outnumbered and they intend to kill me, I don''t sense any threat from them. My heart is beating normally and I''m so calm. It''s as if my body isn''t registering them as a threat. Is it because they''re pitifully weak¡­ or have I gotten that strong?'' Daichi sidestepped and evaded the sword swings with minimal effort. He continued dodging the slashes while keeping the same bored expression on his face which only infuriated the enemies. After dodging a few more swings Daichi suddenly disappeared from their view. "What!? Where''d he go?" The three looked around and after a few seconds found Daichi sitting on a branch looking down at them. "Who are you? There is no way you''re an academy student. What are you? Some kind of secret Jonin?" The leader Ichiko shouted at Daichi. "No! I am a student at the academy. Third year now." Daichi said with a smile. "Bullshit! Like I''d believe that." She didn''t speak any more and quickly threw several shuriken at Daichi. The other two attacked as well. Almost two dozen shurikens flew at Daichi. He smirked and took two shuriken and aimed them at the weapons coming at him. The two shurikens launched by Daichi hit the ones in the front and changed its path, striking the others and starting a chain reaction. In moments all the shuriken were hit and their paths slightly changed and struck the trees surrounding Daichi, and none even got close to him. The eyes of the three ninjas widened as they saw the scene. ''No way! He was able to deflect all of them with just two shuriken of his own?.!'' The ninja Akari''s eyes widened as she saw what just happened. At that moment a certain memory and an image of a child came to her mind. Several years ago she was attending her Chunin exam and she saw a child several years younger than her, participating. At first she felt pity and contempt but after seeing his skills throughout the exams she felt fear towards him. She also remembered the cold remorseless eyes of the child as he defeated his enemies with ease. The child''s skills, name and image was forever imprinted on her mind. A child she vowed to never go up against. Akari looked at Daichi with renewed fear. Sweat rolled down her face as she looked up in horror and remembered the memories of her chunin exam. ''This child. His shurikenjutsu skill, his speed and strength¡­ and that cold expression¡­ He¡­ He reminds me of Itachi Uchiha!... There is no mistaking it. This child¡­ He''s just like him¡­'' "Captain! Forget about the mission. We need to leave now!" Akari shouted toward Ichiko. "What!?" The team captain couldn''t believe her ears. ''She wants us to leave? Sure this kid has some skills but¡­ Is she that afraid of a child?'' Akari looked at Daichi in fear. ''I have to tell the village superiors. They have to know¡­ There''s another monster hiding in the leaf village.'' "You think you can come and go as you please? What exactly do you take the leaf village for? None of you are going anywhere except back to the village under custody." Daichi said as he heard the words. He jumped down and looked at the three. They instantly got ready for the second round of battle. "I''ve seen your shurikenjutsu skills. Now let''s see how good you three are at Taijutsu." Daichi disappeared the next second after saying those words. "Where''d he go?" As Ichiko looked left and right, she felt a blow striking her back. She was sent flying forward and her sword fell out of her grasp. Akari and Hina turned around and tried to slash Daichi. He evaded the sword strikes and chopped at their wrists holding the swords. The two were forced to let go of their weapons and Daichi quickly sent the swords flying away from them. "You''re both chunin aren''t you? Let''s see how good your hand to hand combat skills are¡­" Daichi attacked the two enemy ninjas. Both of them struggled to defend themselves let alone land an attack on Daichi. Daichi was holding back by a wide margin. He was analyzing their fighting style and came to the conclusion that they were weak in Taijutsu skills. ''Even though they have higher levels than me, their strength is far below mine. So this is why I didn''t feel any sense of danger from them¡­ These three¡­ They''re just pitifully weak. I''ve seen enough.'' Daichi sent two powerful blows and it sent the two flying and they leaned near their captain. All of them were in pain and struggling to get up. "I''m only gonna say this once. Surrender now and come quietly." Daichi''s tone showed no indication that he felt any mercy for them. The three stood on shaky legs and looked at the boy in front of them. Ichiko spoke in a low voice. "We can''t let him take us. He''s strong in Taijutsu and shurikenjutsu so he must not be very good in Ninjutsu. We have to use Synergy jutsu to finish him. Use everything you''ve got to finish him. Then we''ll leave." The two besides her nodded. What they didn''t realize is that Daichi heard every word. ''Amatures! You want to fight me in Ninjutsu? Go ahead¡­'' The three ninjas from the hidden waterfall village weaved several signs. "Synergy jutsu. Fire style - Fire dragon jutsu." They converted their chakra to fire and spit it out. The three chakra combined to form a single large fire dragon and it headed straight for Daichi. Seeing the fire dragon coming for him, Daichi''s hands went through several seals as well. ''Earth style - Mud wall!'' A strong wall of earth immediately rose from the ground and stood tall. It was several meters tall and over two meters wide. The giant powerful wall took the full force of the fire dragon attack and a second later there was an explosion. A couple of seconds later the winds blew and the smoke cleared and the enemy spies saw that the giant wall was still there. Aside from a few scorch marks on the wall, there was no other indication that it had been attacked. "No way!" Their eyes widened looking at him. "We can''t beat him. Let''s get out of here while he''s distracted." Ichiko said and as she turned around to leave she saw Daichi a few feet in front of her. She froze as she looked at the smiling child. The other two were also petrified seeing him. "Sup!" Daichi greeted them. He disappeared and struck their pressure points. Within a second all three of them fell on the ground unconscious. Daichi looked at the three bodies on the ground and then looked up to a certain tree. "How long are you gonna hide there and watch me like a creep?" Daichi asked the unknown person who was watching everything that had happened. Seconds later a figure stepped out of the shadows. A ninja with spiky silver hair and left eye covered with his forehead protector and wearing the standard leaf Jonin flak jacket stood on the branch looking down at Daichi. Both of them stared at each other and didn''t say a word. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 83 – Meeting the Copy Cat Ninja Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi looked at the Jonin standing on the tree and internally smirked. He was sure that man was there since the beginning of the skirmish. Daichi could have ended the fight with the three chunin spies in seconds but he wanted to put on a show for his hidden spectator. The reason was that Daichi wanted to cement his strength early on. He thought about the moment when he sensed the man lurking in the shadows. Flashback. Daichi threw his shurikens and watched the three ninjas clumsily dodge them. They luckily were able to avoid lethal strikes to their bodies but were still wounded. Daichi could see the fear spreading on their faces. As Daichi was focused on the three in front of him, he was also keeping an eye out for anyone else that might be there. ''Based on my memories Kakashi should be here by now¡­ But I can''t sense his chakra nor can I smell or hear him¡­'' Daichi then had an idea in mind. He used Mana scout and the moment he used it and expanded the range he sensed the presence of a powerful mind. One which belonged to someone of Jonin level strength. ''I knew it. Kakashi is here. But for how long? I''m guessing probably since before I threw the shurikens. And he was hiding his presence. So that''s why I couldn''t detect him earlier¡­ The fact that he is only observing means he wants to know what I''m capable of and then everything that happened here will be reported to the Hokage. I need to make a solid impression.'' Flashback End. ''Observe'' [?] [Kakashi Hatake] ? ''Of course I can''t see his level. So that means he''s even stronger than the old man¡­? No. I''m not so sure about that. My ''Observe'' showed that Kensei''s level regressed due to the injuries he received in the war. But he has a ton of battle experience. If he and Kakashi fought I''m pretty sure the old man would come out on top.'' Daichi then sighed and relaxed his posture. "Since a Jonin is here, I don''t have to interfere with this matter anymore. I''m sure you can take these three back to the village." The silver haired ninja tilted his head as if he was curious. "What makes you think I''m a Jonin and that too from the leaf? I could be an enemy in disguise." Daichi had a small smile when he heard that question. "I can sense your chakra level along with its distinctive nature¡­ Lightning chakra nature but also has a strong earth nature as well. You got 2 natures going for you. So I''m pretty sure you''re a Jonin. And I''m certain my fight with these three had drawn the attention of the patrolling ninjas. I have no doubt they''ll be here in less than a minute. If you were someone from another village you would have either attacked me as soon as possible or left without alerting your presence to me. So¡­" The ninja put his hands in his pocket and leaned against the trunk of the tree. He looked at the kid below. ''He''s smart!'' "What''s your name kid?" He asked. "Daichi Hekima¡­ Yours?" "You''re a smart kid. Find out for yourself." With those words the ninja jumped down and looked at the three unconscious spies and once he confirmed they were alive he took an orange book from his pocket and started reading it, completely ignoring Daichi. Daichi sweat dropped as he saw the iconic comic scene. He let out a small sigh. ''He hasn''t changed from the show. That''s a good thing I guess. I better get going.'' "Look, I need to get back to Iruka sensei and Naruto. I''m sure they''re pissed off with the stunt I pulled. So if you don''t mind I''ll take my leave." Daichi said and waited for a response. But other than a small grunt he didn''t get anything from Kakashi. Daichi left the place and headed back to the academy. Kakashi watched the child''s disappearing form from the corner of his eyes. ''I''ve only seen one other person with such shurikenjutsu skills and strength at his age¡­ Itachi Uchiha! And based on what I''ve seen today, I have a feeling this kid''s talent is on the same level as Itachi''s! Who is this child?'' Shortly afterwards several patrolling ninjas appeared and they took the three spies into custody. Kakashi then quickly made his way to the Hokage''s office. The Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was stamping away at the documents as usual. With the removal of Danzo from power and the loss of the Uchiha military force, his workload had increased significantly. "Lord Hokage, Kakashi Hatake is here to see you." His secretary informed him. "Send him in." Sarutobi looked up from the papers and saw Kakashi casually walking in with his usual book in his hands. Kakashi then closed the book and greeted his kage. "Lord Hokage." "What brings you here Kakashi?" "A couple of things. First, we found the teammates of the enemy spy that infiltrated a week ago. They are currently incapacitated and being taken to the interrogation rooms." "Good work bringing them in, Kakashi. Ibiki will get everything we need from those three." "Yeah. That''s the second thing. I''m not the one who dealt with them. It was a student in the academy named Daichi Hekima." Hiruzen''s eyes widened as he heard the name. ''Daichi? What was he doing fighting enemy ninjas?'' "Tell me everything." "Yes sir." Kakashi began reporting even from his point of view. Flashback. Kakashi was running through the tree and headed for the back hills as fast as he could. He met Shikamaru and Choji earlier while they were roaming outside the academy and heard what had happened. He instructed them to head back to the academy and left for the hills. ''There is a possibility that enemies could be lurking there. If that''s the case then Iruka won''t be able to keep the children safe while fighting them. I need to get there before anything happens.'' Kakashi entered the forest and was able to track their location. He neared Iruka and the two students and before he could reveal himself he heard one of the students mention that they were a shadow clone. Kakashi could see the surprise and then anger forming on Iruka and Naruto''s face. But he didn''t stick around to find out what happened next. Kakashi silently leapt through the trees and headed in the direction Iruka and his group were running from. ''That reckless kid. He''s going to get himself killed.'' He then sensed the presence of several people ahead. He quickly landed on a nearby tree and hid. "What are you talking about?" Kakashi heard the spy asking the boy. ''So that''s the kid huh.'' "I''m not a clone. I''m the real deal¡­ It''s true that I did create a clone. But it''s to distract them. They wouldn''t have left if they knew I would stay behind to fight. So¡­ I used the clone as a distraction. A distraction for them that is¡­" Kakashi could see the smirk forming on the child''s face as he said those words. Kakashi was good at reading one''s body language. He saw no presence of fear or anxiousness on the child''s face. Originally he was going to intervene but he was curious as to what made the child think he could take three ninjas on his own. "You brat. If that''s true then you''re a bigger fool than I thought. Just because you joined the ninja academy, do you think you can take on real ninjas? How dumb. You will pay for your overconfidence." Kakashi saw the three spies aiming their swords at the child. He had to agree with what they said. ''Sadly, I have to agree. Learning the shadow clone jutsu is impressive at his age but all it shows is that his chakra level is a bit larger than his peers. These three look like they''re chunins. Even if they were on the weaker side of the chunin rank, taking three of them alone will be difficult for anyone below High Chunin or Jonin rank.'' Kakashi saw the child smirk. "Like I said before. A bunch of fools." He then listened as the child analyzed the three ninjas in front of him. As Kakashi listened, he became more and more impressed with the boy''s analytical skills. ''From just one interaction he was able to deduce their age, gender, rank and even the nature of their chakra. He was also able to analyze their team structure. Pinpointing the leader and the healer of the group¡­ Alright¡­ Maybe this kid has some skill after all.'' Kakashi watched the three spies take off their face masks. ''The hidden waterfall village. What is Hisen thinking? Sending spies to infiltrate the village at a time like this? He must know there will be repercussions to this¡­'' Kakashi decided that he would watch the fight and only intervene if the life of the child was in danger. He wanted to see where the boy''s confidence came from. He then saw Daichi forming a seal and sensed a spike in his chakra. ''He must have released his shadow clone.'' What he saw next impressed him. Kakashi watched the kid send shurikens with deadly precision, wounding them. He saw the fear appearing on the enemy''s faces. He watched Daichi dodge their sword swings with ease. He looked on as the kid disappeared and reappeared on top of a nearby tree. ''He''s toying with them. He''s also a lot faster and stronger than he looks.'' He looked on as Daichi then engaged the three in Taijutsu. He saw the kid dismantling their abysmal defenses with practiced ease. ''He''s had some serious training. Whoever he is, his skills are far beyond that of an academy student.'' Kakashi then saw the three getting ready to use Ninjutsu. He was about to intervene but he stayed put when he saw Daichi making hand seals as well. A giant wall quickly sprung out of the ground protecting the kid from the attack. ''The speed with which his chakra responded and created that earth wall¡­ And the strength of the wall itself. Except for a few scorch marks there''s no indication it had been attacked¡­ The speed and strength of his chakra¡­ It resembles someone who''s trained in shape manipulation exercises. I''m sure of it.'' He then watched the kid incapacitate the three by striking the back of their necks. What surprised Kakashi the most was when the boy turned to face his direction. "How long are you gonna hide there and watch me like a creep?" ''He knows I''m here?! Seems there''s no point in hiding myself.'' Kakashi stepped forward from the shadows. ''I made sure to hide my presence¡­ Che!¡­ To think I would be made by an academy student¡­ Either I''m getting sloppy and made a mistake or this kid has some exceptional senses. I''m betting it''s the latter.'' "Since a Jonin is here, I don''t have to interfere with this matter anymore. I''m sure you can take these three back to the village." The child spoke. "What makes you think I''m a Jonin and that too from the leaf? I could be an enemy in disguise." Kakashi wanted to see if he could glean any more information on the child''s abilities. As Daichi laid out his explanation, Kakashi came to a conclusion. ''To even pick out a person''s chakra nature with such accuracy. He must have a powerful sensory ability. And his intelligence and observational skills¡­.. This child¡­'' ''He''s smart!'' "What''s your name kid?" Kakashi asked the child. "Daichi Hekima¡­ Yours?" "You''re a smart kid. Find out for yourself." Kakashi saw the slight twitch in the kid''s eyes. He slightly smirked under his mask at being able to irritate the boy. Flashback End. "After that, he left!" Kakashi completed his verbal report. The Hokage leaned back in his chair. "I see." After a few seconds Hiruzen made a decision. He made a hand gesture and a second later the Anbu and guards hidden in the room left without a word. "Daichi is one of the most talented students currently in the academy. He''s at the top of his class and if these were war time circumstances then he would have graduated long ago¡­ And you were not mistaken in your observation of his skills. He''s been training in shape manipulation technique and based on what you said I''m assuming he''s completed it." "Sir?" "Kakashi! What I''m about to tell you next is information about Daichi not known to others except his grandfather." Kakashi realized the seriousness of the situation and paid close attention to the Hokage''s words. "Shortly after the academy exams last month Daichi''s teacher approached me with the proposal to move Daichi up a grade. I had a talk with the boy afterwards about it and what I learned at that time startled me. His skills have already grown beyond that of academy students and he was preparing to train in change in chakra form and then nature transformations." "But such training for someone his age¡­ Is he ready?" Kakashi asked with some doubts. "I had my doubts as well but he understood the risks and he showed me he was ready. Despite his talents I wanted him to stay with his classmates due to his close friendship with Naruto. So I said he could collect a favor from me if he stayed with his class. Daichi agreed and the favor he asked truly surprised me." Hiruzen stood up from his chair and went to the windows of the room. He looked at the people below and a moment later he continued. "He asked me for instructions on how to master the Rasengan." Kakashi''s eyes widened. "What?" Hiruzen nodded. "Yes. Apparently when his grandfather was away on some trip he went through his jutsu library and found some mentioning on the Rasengan. Just a few basic notes from what I understand. But Daichi was able to accurately figure out the secrets of the Rasengan with just the information on those notes. He figured out that mastering the Rasengan is a shortcut to mastering one''s change in chakra form. I have no doubt that with time he would have been able to learn the Rasengan even without my help. So I made the choice to give him the steps for learning Minato''s jutsu." Kakashi couldn''t believe his ears. "Lord Hokage, no offense but are you sure that was wise? He''s just a kid¡­ If someone learns about the secrets of that jutsu then¡­" "I''m aware of the risks, Kakashi. I haven''t grown senile yet¡­ It was a calculated move. He''s growing too strong, too fast. I needed to make sure he formed some strong loyalties to the village. It''s one of the reasons I wanted him to stay with his peers. And this way I can keep tabs on his progress¡­ I thought I had an understanding of his talents but¡­ It seems I''ve underestimated him again¡­" Hiruzen then turned to look at Kakashi. "Even though it''s only been a few weeks since I told him how to perform the Rasengan¡­ I have no doubt that he''s already learned the technique. I''m sure of it." Kakashi''s eyes widened in disbelief. "But that''s¡­" "Incredible¡­ And frightening. Such talent is indeed amazing and yet fearsome at the same time." Hiruzen then looked back outside and saw Iruka, Daichi and Naruto entering the tower. "They''re here." Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 84 – The Rasengan Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi ended his conversation with Kakashi and left. He headed straight for Naruto and Iruka sensei. ''Naruto''s chakra is like a beacon for any competent sensor ninja. Even in this large forest it''s easy to find him.'' Within a minute he reached his classmate and teacher. Iruka was relieved to see his student come back unharmed. "Daichi! You''re safe. Are you hurt anywhere?" "You''re back!" Naruto ran up to him and gave him a tight hug. Daichi chuckled and pried Naruto off of him. "Yes I''m here. And I''m fine you guys. You worry too much." Confirming that Daichi was uninjured, Iruka started grilling him for the stunt he pulled. "What were you thinking? You could have gotten hurt or worse.!" "Yeah! What''s the big deal? I thought you would escape with us." Naruto also questioned him. "Calm down. They would have defeated the clone easily and I knew you two wouldn''t agree to me staying behind." Daichi said with a calm tone. Iruka narrowed his eyes. "So you decided to lie to us!" "Technically I didn''t lie. I said I''d use my clone as a distraction but I never said they were the ones who''ll be distracted." The boy said with a sheepish expression. "You could have gotten hurt Daichi! If you had intended to fight them then I could have helped." "I had it handled sensei." The boy let out a small sigh. "I figured the documents Naruto found were important since they were willing to attack us for it. And if all of us had stayed, then there was a chance they would have used us against you." He continued. "Besides, my clone told you that he sensed a Jonin was nearby. I''m sure he would have saved my life if anything had happened." "Who was it?" Naruto asked curiously. Daichi shrugged. "Don''t know. He had silver spiky hair and wore a face mask that covered everything except one eye." Iruka''s eyes slightly widened as he heard that description. ''Kakashi? He was here?'' The academy instructor pinched his nose and let out a long tired breath. "Let''s go to the Hokage''s office. We need to report this matter." ¡ª- Naruto, Daichi and Iruka entered the Hokage''s chamber shortly after they reached the tower. "Gramps!" Naruto greeted the Hokage. "Lord Hokage." Iruka and Daichi also quickly greeted their kage. Hiruzen looked at the two kids in the room. He had a warm smile on his face as he addressed them. "So what troubles have you two gotten yourselves into this time?" He asked, smiling. Naruto excitedly recalled everything that happened. From how he was tricked to Daichi finding him, to Iruka showing up and then escaping the three enemy ninjas and finally finding out about Daichi''s clone and then anxiously waiting for him. Hiruzen patiently listened to everything and now had a clearer understanding of what had happened. He looked at Daichi. "What you did was reckless¡­ But since you''re here safe and sound I won''t speak on the matter any further." "Thank you lord Hokage." Daichi slightly bowed and said nothing else. Hiruzen then asked Naruto for the kunai he found in the forest. Naruto gave the weapon to the Hokage. The old kage untied the document from the weapon and his eyes slightly widened as he looked at the contents. ''Confidential information on the patrol routes and number of guards. If this had gotten out it would have caused me quite a headache. Seems this little adventure of theirs yielded some really positive results.'' "This is secret information regarding the security of the village. If it had gotten out then it would have created a lot of problems. Good work finding and bringing this back, you two." Hiruzen smiled at the kids. "Thanks gramps.!" Naruto grinned as listened to the kage''s praise. At that moment a quest completion notification popped up in front of Daichi. He mentally closed the blue message box and stood still without making the slightest move. "Alright, Iruka, Naruto you two are dismissed. Daichi, a moment." Hiruzen looked at Daichi after he dismissed the two. "Gramps¡­." Naruto slightly whined thinking his friend might be in trouble. "Don''t worry Naruto. Daichi will be along shortly. I just need his report on what happened with the three enemies. Go on." Hiruzen smiled as Naruto left the room. As Iruka was leaving the room Hiruzen spoke up. "Iruka. Wait outside. I need a word after this." "Yes sir." Iruka bowed and left the room. The door closed and Daichi stood in attention as the Hokage''s gaze focused on him. Hiruzen had a small smile on his face as he looked at the upcoming prodigy of the academy. A grandfatherly smile that would have many drop their guards around him. "I know I said I wouldn''t speak of the matter but I have to know. You stayed behind to fight them alone. Why?" He asked calmly. "Iruka sensei loves teaching. He really cares about us. His students. So I knew he wouldn''t have let me fight them no matter what. And he wouldn''t have been able to defend himself and protect us if he fought. Not that I needed much protection. And if we had engaged then there was a possibility that Naruto would have gotten caught in the crossfire. And I figured those documents were pretty important. So I couldn''t let them get their hands on that¡­ A clone wouldn''t have done the job. And I was sure I could handle them and come out unscathed. That''s why I stayed behind." Daichi replied. Hiruzen smiled for a few seconds hearing the response. "An apt answer. Certainly enough to fool young Naruto and Iruka." Then the smile vanished from his face. "Now why don''t you tell me the real reason." Daichi was slightly startled. ''He saw through me. I guess he wouldn''t have made a competent Hokage if he couldn''t see through people''s bullshit. Have to give him credit for that. Too bad this perception doesn''t extend to Danzo¡­ Lying to him is pointless now and I would only jeopardize a useful relationship if I do. Best come clean then.'' Due to the gamers mind Daichi kept his composure. The academy student let out a small breath and rubbed the back of his head. "Gramps may not agree but you and him are really alike. I can''t get away with anything with that old man either. It''s kind of annoying sometimes." Daichi said with a small sheepish smile. "When you''ve lived for as long as we have you learn a lot of things." Hiruzen nodded and replied. Daichi then turned serious. "I didn''t lie all together. I really didn''t want Naruto or Iruka sensei to get hurt. But that''s not the whole thing. The truth is¡­ I wanted to fight them. On my own with no help or outside interference." "Why?" "The only person I''ve been sparring with, and I mean really sparring with is the old man Kensei. I know he was a Jonin before he retired and I have a rough estimate of my strength because of our fights¡­ But I wanted to see for myself where I stand in the real world. Those three were the perfect opportunity. You could say that I was selfish and got excited at the prospect of a fight. And I wanted to fight them myself without anyone''s help." Daichi let out a small breath as he was done with his explanation. Hiruzen nodded. He then smiled at the boy. "In our world we''re surrounded by people who lie and cheat for a living. You''d be surprised at how far honesty could get you sometimes." Daichi tilted his head. "You''re not angry I didn''t tell you everything?" Hiruzen shook his head. "No. I would have been disappointed if you had still lied but everyone is entitled to their secrets. As long as it doesn''t cause harm to the village, I don''t mind." "I understand Lord Hokage." Daichi slightly bowed. "I almost forgot to ask. How far have you come along with the Rasengan." Hiruzen was looking forward to the results. "I mastered the jutsu." Daichi replied with a straight face. "I''m impressed that you learned the jutsu so quickly." Daichi shook his head after hearing the kage. Hiruzen was confused at that. "I didn''t just learn it. I completely mastered the jutsu." Hiruzen was shocked when he heard that. Learning the Rasengan was hard enough but it was only the beginning. Mastering it would also take several more months. He was somewhat skeptical. "Show me!" Daichi nodded and brought up both hands. In a single second a perfect Rasengan formed on each palm. Hiruzen and the hidden Kakashi were shocked when they saw this. The old kage was quick to analyze the blue swirling balls of chakra in Daichi''s palms. ''He created them together and in an instant. The speed with which the Rasengan formed and the countless chakra nodes spinning inside it. It shows his perfect chakra control¡­ It must be even higher than most medic ninjas. And he created the Rasengan on both his hands. It shows his chakra volume. And then there''s the power I can feel emanating from them¡­ He completely mastered the second stage. The size and shape are the same as when Minato completely mastered the jutsu. And if he hadn''t mastered the third step to perfection then it wouldn''t keep its shape perfectly like this¡­ Impossible! How did he do it so quickly?'' "How long did it take you to master this Daichi?" Hiruzen asked while trying to keep his emotions neutral. Daichi let go of the two swirling orbs of chakra. "A week¡­ Well technically 8 days." Daichi said nonchalantly. Hiruzen''s eyes widened as he heard it. ''8 days? It only took him 8 days to learn and master the jutsu?" "I began training the Rasengan a couple days after the Uchiha incident. With the academy shut down I had the whole week to train non stop." Daichi looked and understood the Hokage''s reaction. It was a jutsu that required months to master. Him completing it in a week would be a shock to anyone who knew the secrets and specifics of the technique. Hiruzen looked at Daichi with renewed focus. ''This is insane¡­ I keep underestimating his talent. If he could master change in chakra form so quickly then it stands to reason that he could master the change in chakra nature just as fast. Coupled with Kensei''s training, by the time he graduates the academy he''ll be as strong as a Jonin. This boy could become a great asset to the leaf if guided correctly¡­ Or he could become one of the most dangerous enemies of the village. His path is unclear. Now more than ever, I need him to form bonds with the village. Hopefully Naruto and his classmates will be able to accomplish just that.'' "You''ve certainly exceeded my expectations¡­ I take it you''re going to start on the change in chakra nature training." Hiruzen asked just to confirm. "Yes sir. I was planning on starting with earth and then fire. I intend to master these two elements by this time next year." Daichi revealed a small part of his training plan. "I see. Do you know what your chakra affinity is?" Hiruzen asked the boy. "Earth." "A powerful element indeed." Hiruzen got up from his chair and headed for the nearby shelf. He opened a small portion and took out two scrolls. He locked the cabinet and then gave the scrolls to Daichi. "I did tell you that I would give you some change in chakra nature techniques if you learned the Rasengan quickly¡­. These two scrolls contain Nature transformation training techniques for fire and earth elements. It also has some of my personal notes. So make sure to keep them safe and locked up and use them wisely." Daichi received the scrolls with a wide smile. "Thank you lord Hokage." Hiruzen nodded. Shortly after, Hiruzen dismissed Daichi and he was looking out the window as the hidden Jonin in the room appeared behind him. "Do you now understand Kakashi?" "Yes. His talent is indeed frightening. To master Minato sensei''s jutsu in a week¡­ It''s absurd and should be impossible¡­ and yet he did it. I''ve seen his skills first hand and now¡­ I''m almost positive that he''s just as much of a genius as Itachi or Minato sensei." Kakashi could spot talent a mile away. And when he looked at Daichi he saw an ocean of untapped potential. Hiruzen didn''t say anything about Kakashi''s assessment. ''I have a feeling we''re still underestimating his talent. There is a possibility that he could be a genius beyond even Minato. It also means there''s a possibility that the village would have someone who would one day possess even greater strengths than the fourth¡­ Whether that''s a boon or a nightmare¡­ Only time will tell.'' ''I need to keep an eye on him. And under no circumstances can I Iet Danzo anywhere near the boy. That''s just a recipe for disaster. Danzo may be keeping his head down for now but If he finds out about Daichi, finds out what the boy is really capable of, then he would stop at nothing to get to him. And if Daichi becomes Danzo''s subordinate¡­ I don''t even want to think about that scenario¡­'' "Kakashi¡­ Keep an eye on that kid. But make sure you''re discreet." Hiruzen said with a hardened tone. "Yes sir. I understand." Kakashi nodded and disappeared. Hiruzen looked out the window and looked at the Hokage monument. ''One of the hardest choices a kage has to make is to question and surveil their own shinobi. Even when they have done nothing wrong.'' Hiruzen let out a long breath and returned to his seat. He then called back Iruka. The academy instructor came and gave a report on what had happened and after a while he left the office leaving the old kage to his thoughts. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 85 – Fear – A Powerful Motivator and Deterrent Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi quickly reached the academy. By the time the whole ordeal with the enemy ninjas was over, it was already noon. When he reached the academy the students were on their lunch break. Daichi quickly found Naruto and the others sitting in their usual spot under a tree in the corner of the academy grounds. "We then gave the information to the Hokage and I quickly came here." Daichi heard Naruto describing the tail end of the incident to his friends. As he got near the group Kiba noticed Daichi and greeted him. "Daichi! You''re back.!" "Arf!" Kiba''s exclamation drew everyone''s attention from Naruto to Daichi. Most of them had an awed expression on their face as they looked at Daichi. "Hey guys. I see Naruto here has filled you all in on the details." Daichi sat down under the shade. "Are you alright Daichi? Did you get hurt fighting them?" Ino''s worried tone was evident in the question. She got near him and checked him for any wounds. "I''m fine Ino. Don''t worry." Daichi smiled but inwardly he was troubled. ''I''m not sure how to deal with this predicament. Should I tell Ino that I''m not interested? That would definitely hurt her and it could affect my friendship with her and probably others¡­ For the moment I''ll let things be like this. After graduation we won''t have time for things like this. Not until after¡­'' Daichi slightly shook his head as if to rid of the future memories of the war and events that''s to come. "What''s wrong?" "It''s nothing. I''m good Ino. Really." Daichi said with a wide smile reassuring the Yamanaka girl. "Hey Daichi! Can I ask you something?" Shikamaru looked at Daichi with an unusually serious demeanor. "What is it?" "Why did you stay with us?" The question confused Daichi and everyone else. "What are you talking about Shikamaru?" Naruto asked the young Nara. Shikamaru ignored Naruto''s question and focused on Daichi. "I''m sure Daikoku sensei saw just how strong you are during your last Taijutsu spar with Sasuke and now you''ve proven that you can defeat adult ninjas." "Where are you going with this Shikamaru?" Daichi asked. "I''m certain Daikoku sensei must have informed the Hokage of your strength and he most certainly would have recommended you for advancing a grade and going higher. I thought for sure you would have taken that chance and you''d be in the grade above us. It''s the logical thing to do. But you''re here! Why?" Shikamaru wanted to know why someone like Daichi who prioritized training and getting stronger over everything else wouldn''t make use of such an opportunity and get ahead. "Why does that matter?" "Yeah, what gives Shikamaru?" Ino and Naruto were indignant at the question. Some others like Sakura and Shino looked at Daichi and waited for an answer. The rest were curious but didn''t care either way. They all knew Daichi''s goal and were curious to hear his answer though. Daichi smiled as he heard the question. "Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to stay among my few friends." "No. Try again." Shikamaru crossed his arms and gazed at the boy. "You don''t have to answer him Daichi. He doesn''t know what he''s talking about." Ino glared at Shikamaru for putting Daichi in such a spot. "It''s ok Ino. He just wanted to know. It''s no big deal." Daichi sat down and gently petted Akamaru who was lying near him. "Yes it''s true. The Hokage asked me if I wanted to jump ahead and skip a year. But I didn''t take the offer¡­" Daichi took a moment before he continued. "I didn''t lie, you know. Aside from you guys I don''t have anyone here I can call my friends. If I had skipped a grade then I''d be kind of lonely and I would have to make some new friends all over again and in your words¡­ That would be such a drag¡­ But as you''ve probably guessed, that''s not the whole reason I stayed." Daichi looked at everyone and he turned serious. "The reason I stayed is to buy some time for myself. The moment I put on the leaf headband I''d be walking into danger on every single mission. If I''m not prepared, then there is a great possibility that I could die. Being strong here in the academy doesn''t mean much out in the real world. So I need as much time as I can get before I start on that dangerous path¡­ That''s why I stayed." "Yeesh, you''re being too grim Daichi. You''re going to be fine. We all are." Naruto said with a slight smile. Daichi looked at Naruto with a complicated expression. There were many things he wanted to say to the blonde boy but he refrained from speaking them. Instead he wanted to see if he could get Naruto to understand the dangers of the world and start taking his training more seriously. "Itachi Uchiha massacred the entire Uchiha clan except Sasuke in a single night. Nobody thought something like that could happen. Someone killing scores of people inside the village and then getting away with it. So what makes you so sure that we''d be safe outside the protection of these walls." Naruto''s smile dimmed and he didn''t have an answer for that. "The first Hokage created this village to stop conflicts but instead it created great wars. 3 of them have already ravaged the lands and people. And there will be a fourth one in our lifetime. Not to mention the countless dangerous missions we''d be going on after we become genin¡­ If we''re not prepared we will die. Or we''ll have to watch the people we care about bleed to death in our arms. I''m going to make sure I''m ready to face those days when they come." Daichi''s speech turned the mood solemn. Shikamaru looked at Daichi and then sat down without saying a word. Seeing that he spoiled their mood for lunch, Daichi decided to take a walk. "I''m gonna head to the library. Need to check some things out." Daichi walked away before anyone could say anything. He thought about the things he said. ''It''s true. The Rasengan wasn''t the only thing that affected my decision to stay. I need to make sure I''m as strong as possible when I become a genin. I still have much to learn. Most of my choices since I was reborn here are because of my fear. My greatest fear. Fear of death. I know it''s inevitable but¡­ I don''t want to die before my time like¡­'' Daichi let out a long sigh. He didn''t want to remember the final day of his past life. As Daichi turned around a corner he saw Hibachi with his two friends. Daichi narrowed his eyes as he saw the class bully laughing without a care. There was no one around and Daichi made a choice. He walked towards them. One of Hibachi''s friends saw Daichi coming and pointed to him. "Daichi!? W-what do you want?" Hibachi asked him in a nervous tone. Daichi didn''t say a word to him. Instead he looked to the other two near him. Daichi released a bit of killing intent. Even though it was only a fraction the three became terrified. "I''m only gonna say this once. Get lost." Daichi looked at the two and spoke. Without wasting time Hibachi''s two friends scrambled from the place. "Y-You¡­ W-What are you¡­?" Before he could even complete the question Daichi placed his right hand on the boy''s shoulder. Daichi had a menacing tone as he spoke. "I could say something like, if you do this again I''ll kill you or something¡­ But you and I both know that won''t happen¡­" Hibachi was petrified as he felt the killing intent and the chilling sound of Daichi''s voice. The grip on his shoulder tightened. To the point it was beginning to hurt. "What I''m going to say is this¡­ If you do something like this again, I''m not gonna kill you Hibachi¡­ I''m going to break you. Not your body. No¡­ I''m going to break your mind. In ways you couldn''t fathom. In ways not even the best Yamanaka will be able to put you back together. And by the time I''m done you''d be nothing more than a living corpse. And if you had even a piece of yourself intact¡­ then you''d spent every second wishing for death¡­" Daichi slightly increased his killing intent to get his point across. Tears, snot and sweat fell down Hibachi''s face. He had never experienced such a terrifying feeling before. He was totally petrified and couldn''t even move or say anything. Daichi let go of his killing intent. "Nod if you understand." The moment the intent was lifted Hibachi gasped for air and then frantically nodded. Daichi didn''t say a word and kept looking at him for a few more seconds. He let go and took his hand off the boy''s shoulder. "Get lost." Hibachi ran like a bat out of hell from the area. "Che¡­" As Daichi was about to leave, someone else spoke up. "That was a little harsh, don''t you think." Daichi was startled and swiftly whirled around while he took a kunai in his hand. It took a second later for him to recognize the voice and then the face of the person that spoke. Daichi saw Kakashi reading his usual orange book with the same laid back expression. Daichi held in a breath he didn''t even know in his chest. ''Shit! Is he following me? I didn''t even sense him.'' "Was that really necessary? What you did to that boy?" Kakashi asked while keeping his eyes fixed on his book. Daichi slightly relaxed and put his kunai back in his pouch. He then answered. "He used my name and sent Naruto into a place he knew could have enemies. Naruto could have died there. I''m not someone against harmless pranks but this was anything but. So yes! This was necessary¡­ And I didn''t hurt him. I just needed to put the fear of God in him. I''m sure he won''t pull something like that again." "Hmm¡­" "Why are you following me?" Daichi asked Kakashi after a few seconds of silence. "You''re mistaken. I wasn''t following you." "Oh really? Then you''re here because¡­" At that Kakashi looked at Daichi and then put on his iconic eye smile. "I just got lost¡­ on the road of life." Daichi''s eyes widened and his jaw dropped at that line¡­. "Y-You¡­" The Jonin chuckled at Daichi''s incredulous face. Before Daichi could say anything Kakashi vanished from his view. Daichi stood there with a slack jawed face. ''I can''t believe that just happened.'' Daichi shook his head and regained his composure. He didn''t see a notification that said reputation decreased with Kakashi. So he concluded that Kakashi wasn''t necessarily against what just happened. He checked the nearby area and found no trace of Kakashi. ''He''s really gone this time.'' With that Daichi left the place and went back to his classroom. ¡ª- Kakashi was outside the academy grounds and walked down the streets. He thought about what he had learned about the kid. Kakashi silently followed him and heard him speak to his friends and heard the reason he stayed behind. As someone who fought in the third world war he could agree with Daichi''s reasoning. Kakashi tensed when Daichi released his killing intent but he wanted to see what the child would do. He was impressed with the tactic used. At least for a child who hasn''t left the academy. There was also a reason he revealed himself to Daichi. He wanted to know if the kid had sensed him and was just ignoring him or if he was able to evade Daichi''s senses this time. And watching Daichi''s genuine reaction Kakashi found the answer. ''It seems after the battle and around his friends he let his guard down. And it looks like his sensing ability is not something that automatically activates. It seems like he''ll have to consciously search to find chakra signatures like most.'' Kakashi closed the book and put it back in his pocket. He recalled the information in the boy''s file and everything he learned a few minutes ago. ''I think I''m starting to have a better understanding of you¡­ Daichi Hekima.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 86 – Legendary Ninjas Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Classes were over for the day and Daichi decided to return home quickly. As much as he liked spending time with his few friends he was much more invested in getting stronger. On his way back he opened his status page. Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 8 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Dungeon Warrior, Executioner. Level : 38 (6023/38975) . HP : 6946 CP : 7962.75 SP : 6957 MP: 4360 . Primary Stats Strength - 101 Vitality - 105 Dexterity - 101 Agility - 101 Intelligence - 113 Chakra - 130 Wisdom - 101 . Special Stats Sense - 81 Stamina - 103 Indomitable - 14 Charisma - 40 Persistence - 15 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . Stat Points - 406 Ryo - 646582 ''Hmmm¡­. Based on the information I gathered from observing other ninjas, my chakra level is at normal chunin level. But that''s not gonna be enough. For someone my age it''s impressive but compared to people like Naruto this amount of chakra is abysmal.'' Daichi looked at the stats and then his eyes fell to the points he had saved up till now. ''I have 406 points. If I don''t use them now to increase my chakra reserves it won''t help me speed up the ''nature transformation'' training¡­ It took Naruto several hundred clones training for over an hour to master the first stage. And I have only a fraction of his chakra. I must increase my chakra points.'' Before long he reached his home. Kensei was near the garden admiring its beauty when he sensed Daichi entering the house. "You really are a magnet for trouble aren''t you?" The old man had a smirk on his face as he looked at his grandson. "You heard?" "Hiruzen informed me of what happened¡­ And what he gave you after." Daichi nodded and was about to go inside but Kensei''s next words stopped him. "Be careful who you trust, Daichi." Daichi nodded. "I know gramps. I''m well aware that the Hokage agreed to help me with my training only because he wants to keep an eye on me. I''ll be careful." "As long as you understand¡­" Daichi went to his room and freshened up. He opened his status page again and decided to add 30 points to his chakra stat. Chakra - 130 - 160 Stat Points - 376. "Wow¡­" Daichi immediately felt his chakra reserves expand. It was not painful but it was still somewhat an uncomfortable feeling. It only lasted a few seconds. Daichi took several breaths of air and he felt like he was on adrenaline. He could feel the chakra overflowing flowing throughout his body. ''This is truly incredible.'' He quickly checked his HP, CP and SP. HP : 7233 CP : 10104.32 SP : 7572 "Wonderful!" ''Now my chakra is on the low end of the Jonin level. With this much I''ll be able to increase my shadow clone use.'' Daichi opened the brown scroll that contained the training for the earth element. He read the information on it a couple times even though he memorized it on his first try. ''From the show I know two steps to the change in chakra nature training. In the case of wind the first step was to cut the leaf in half and the second is to cut off a waterfall¡­ It seems based on this the training for the earth element is going to be similar.'' Daichi placed the scroll on the table and went near his window. Even though it was evening Daichi had no intention of not training. He recalled the information on the scroll he just read. ''The change in chakra nature of the earth element. The first step is to use my chakra to crumble a leaf to dust. Seems similar to the wind chakra training. Instead of cutting I''m using chakra to turn the leaf into mostly dirt and earth and have it crumble¡­ The second step is to split the waterfall. But since earth is stronger than water, this step will be easier when compared to the other elements.'' ''But in the scroll, some personal notes of the Hokage indicate that there is another higher step for those who mastered these first two steps. However it''s not given here¡­ I wonder what that might be.'' Wasting no more time, Daichi went downstairs and to his backyard. Kensei looked at Daichi in understanding. He knew Daichi was not one to push things to the next day. "So you''re going to start your training right now I see¡­" "Yeah. No point in delaying it." He went near a tree and plucked several leaves. "You''re starting with ''earth nature'' aren''t you?" Daichi nodded. He then asked Kensei about the hidden third step to the training. "After cutting the waterfall is there another advanced step beyond that?" Kensei tilted his head curiously. "Why do you ask?" "The Hokage had made some mentions of an advanced step beyond the waterfall cutting but he didn''t clearly specify it." Kensei narrowed his eyes when he heard it. ''That sly son of a bitch. He knows the kid will want to perfect his control. So he''s banking on Daichi coming to him for advice. A slow but effective way to cultivate trust and thus form a relationship with the target¡­ Hiruzen can be cunning when he wants to be. And people say Danzo is the one who emulates Tobirama Senju the most out of the two.'' Kensei knew how cunning and pragmatic Hiruzen could be. He didn''t want Daichi to feel like he owed the man anything. And luckily he also knew the answer to the question Daichi was asking. "Yes it''s true. There is another step beyond the training with the waterfall. There is one for each element but it''s different for each one. The reason most people don''t train the third step is because one, this knowledge isn''t common. Most Jonin know the first two steps but only a few know about the one beyond that. The second reason is mastering the first two is difficult enough and once they are mastered you''d have enough control over your chakra nature that you wouldn''t bother with the last one. Because the third step is on an entirely different level of difficulty than the first two. So most give up." "Do you know anyone who could have trained and mastered the third step? Not just for ''earth nature'' but the other natures as well!" Daichi wanted to know if there were people currently alive who had absolute mastery over the 5 main chakra natures. "I do¡­ But I''m not sure knowing their names would help you." Kensei replied cryptically. Daichi raised an eyebrow in confusion at that. "There are six people throughout history that have mastered the most advanced step of change in chakra nature. At least they are the 6 that I know of." Daichi was listening with rapt attention. Seeing Daichi''s focused gaze Kensei smiled. "For the water element there were two people who completed the third step. Our first and second Hokages. Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju." "What?" Daichi was surprised. ''Ok. This is new information about them. I''m pretty sure this wasn''t in the story.'' "Yes! The second Hokage Tobirama Senju could pull water out of the atmosphere and create powerful techniques. He didn''t need a water source to use A and S rank water style jutsus. He had an extremely powerful water affinity but that was only part of his strength. It was because he completed the third step that he was able to achieve such mastery of the water element. Of course he had mastery of other chakra natures too but they weren''t nearly as strong as his water nature." "Wow." ''Amazing! So that''s how he was able to create such strong water style jutsus.'' Kensei knew he had Daichi''s undivided attention now and kept going. "Now the first Hokage used wood style Ninjutsu. He was able to combine earth and water and use his chakra to create and use wood style. But since neither his descendants nor any other Senju showed powers of wood style ability, it was concluded that it was a genetic mutation that was special to him. His talent and power was beyond even his younger brother. He mastered earth and water nature to their highest point. Not to use them individually, he could of course, but he mainly trained them to help increase the strength of his wood style Ninjutsu." Daichi was learning information not shown in the show and he was hearing first hand accounts of the strength of the men who are now hailed as legends. "Have you seen him¡­ In battle I mean." Daichi asked with great curiosity. Kensei nodded to the question. "Yes. And it''s something I''ll never forget¡­ Trust me when I say this Daichi, you couldn''t even begin to comprehend his power. His chakra level, jutsu, healing¡­. They were all in an entirely different league. He earned the title God of Ninja. And he deserved it. None could match him¡­. Well¡­ Except one anyway." Daichi partially agreed with that assessment. ''Old man, I know what you''re talking about. If he''s anything like in the story then I agree that he was an absolute beast¡­. But I plan on reaching and surpassing him. It may not be anytime soon¡­ But I will¡­. One day!'' Kensei continued. "Now Hashirama had a rival. The only person who could match his strength and force him to go all out. Madara Uchiha." As he said the words his face turned slightly grim. "Just like the first Hokage, Madara was leagues ahead of others. His skill and talent was immense. But he had a falling out and left the village shortly after it was founded¡­ Now Madara mainly used fire style jutsus. Just like the first and second Hokage he mastered an advanced step beyond the waterfall training and used it to increase the strength and power of his fire style jutsus¡­" As Daichi heard this, images of Madara unleashing his fire style jutsu on the allied shinobi forces came to his mind. "His mastery of fire nature was second to none. There was a nickname for Madara Uchiha amongst us... ''Madara of the inferno style''." "Damn that sounds badass!" Daichi unknowingly exclaimed. Kensei chuckled at that. "Yes. I suppose it does sound badass doesn''t it! He was a man who was born for war and destruction." ''You have no idea how right you are, old man.'' Daichi thought to himself. Kensei had a sad smile as he thought about the events that happened after Madara Uchiha left the village. A couple seconds later Kensei continued. "Alright moving on. The three people I mentioned above are ones who I know for certain have mastered the third step. The next 3 are just speculations based on their strength and the ability of their jutsu." Daichi nodded. "Now the next person is someone who completely mastered the Lightning Nature transformation. The third Raikage¡­ Now all the Raikage are quite proficient in using lightning nature. But the third was even more capable at using it than others. The reason was, he had a heavenly blessed body which could withstand all kinds of punishments. His chakra level was also comparable to a¡­" Kensei stopped himself. He didn''t want Daichi to know about the tailed beasts yet. So he quickly corrected himself. "Well, let''s just say he had chakra reserves that could match an army. He''s someone who most probably mastered the third step of lightning nature. Because of that his control over the lightning nature increased and coupled with his abilities, he''s known as the strongest Raikage in history. His nickname, the one who possessed the ultimate shield and spear." "Now the last two are both Tsuchikage. The second and third¡­ Daichi! Do you know what Kekkei T¨­ta is?" Kensei asked his grandson. Daichi nodded. "It''s a combination of more than two chakra natures. Something even more rare than Kekkei Genkai." Kensei nodded. "Yes. A combination of 3 elements to be precise. Both the second and third Tsuchikage were able to use something called dust release. It''s a combination of wind, fire and earth nature. But based on what we''ve learned the third and second are not blood related so it''s not something that''s genetically passed down. Based on this and the abilities displayed by them we''ve come to the conclusion that to perform dust release, one must master either two or three elements of the three used in the jutsu. It''s most likely 2 because mastering three elements to such a degree seems unlikely. One of them would definitely be earth." "What makes you say that?" "The third Tsuchikage Onoki is someone who is also known as Onoki of both scales. The reason for this title is that he''s someone who can increase or decrease the weight of an object without affecting its shape or mass. He can manipulate the weight to both scales. Plus or minus. He uses this technique to fly too. Or at least that''s our theory¡­ Someone without absolute mastery of earth chakra nature wouldn''t be able to accomplish this. And without mastery of one more, creating the Dust release jutsu seems unlikely¡­" Daichi crossed his arms and had a pensive look. "So the only person who is currently alive who has mastered the third step is the third Tsuchikage." "Unfortunately, yes. Of the 6 people I mentioned, 5 are dead and the last one is the leader of a village that is not on friendly terms with the leaf. I told you that learning the names wouldn''t be of any help." Kensei agreed and spoke. "Why didn''t the third Hokage learn it as well?" Daichi asked. Kensei had a serious expression as he answered. "Daichi! This is one of the most difficult things in the world to master. Its difficulty makes the Rasengan look easy. Hiruzen was focused on learning more and increasing his knowledge and arsenal. If he had focused on that singular aspect and trained then I have no doubt he would have accomplished it. I may not like the man but I have to admit that much." Kensei wanted Daichi to know just how difficult of a task mastering the final step was. "Daichi. For the moment I want you to forget about the third step. Focus on completing the first two. Then try and master the other elements. After that if you are still interested then you can begin training in the third step¡­ Understood?" Daichi nodded. "Yes sir." "Good. Let''s begin.!" Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 87 – Nature Transformation – Earth Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi sat down under the tree and looked at the leaf in his hand. He then looked up at Kensei. "Any advice gramps?" Kensei thought about it for a few seconds and then replied. "Every element is unique. For earth the goal is to turn the leaf into earth to the point it crumbles. When you''re focusing your chakra I want you to combine your chakra. Instead of spreading it out, combine it and harden your chakra. You''ve used several types of earth jutsu. So you know what your earth nature chakra would feel like. Concentrate on that." Daichi nodded and placed the leaf between both palms. He remembered how his chakra nature changed and felt when he used earth jutsu. He concentrated and focused his chakra into the leaf. He kept up his concentration and continuously poured chakra into the leaf. After a minute he heard the familiar sound of the system message notification. Daichi opened his eyes and looked at the leaf. A tiny portion of the tip of the leaf had turned to earth. He smiled and then looked at the new skill he got. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] Earth - Leaf crumbling technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1): An earth chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to a leaf to turn it into dirt. A basic technique to help the user increase the strength of their earth nature chakra. [Note: increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Earth Affinity.''] Effects: 1% increase in Earth Chakra control. CP cost : 30/sec. ''Interesting. So this skill increases my Earth Affinity skill too huh. Makes sense now that I think about it¡­ I thought there would be more effects to this skill.'' Daichi then mentally opened the skill page and went through the skill list until he found what he was looking for. Earth Affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.24): Earth Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Tiger hand-seal. At higher levels the user can control the several minerals saturating the earth. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Primary affinity of the ''Player''. Effects: 48% Increase in earth attack jutsu. 48% Increase in earth defense jutsu. 40% Increase in success when creating earth style jutsu. 20% Decrease in Chakra cost when using earth style jutsu. ''So training the leaf control technique increases this skill which in turn increases the power of my Earth nature.'' "You already picked it up I see! That''s impressive. But it will still take a while for you to master it." Kensei sat down on the porch and watched his adopted grandson train. Daichi agreed with that statement. "I know. Even with my speed, it will take a long time if I go like this. But fortunately I have a shortcut." He said with a grin. Kensei raised an eyebrow at that. Daichi made the hand seals for the shadow clone jutsu and created 4 clones. One went to mediate a little ways away from the group. The other 3 along with Daichi picked up a leaf and started training. Kensei''s eyes widened as he saw this. ''To think his chakra had already grown to such a point. To create 4 clones and have them train¡­ Impressive¡­ The chakra of the shadow clone will return to the user when it is dispelled. And along with it the memories and¡­ experiences. Since he uses 3 clones then his training time will be reduced by 3 as well. This is an ingenious training method. But¡­ Thinking about it¡­ there is also a risk to this type of training. Along with the experience he will also feel their combined fatigue. Of that I''m sure. It will push him to his limits.'' At that moment Kensei looked at the clone meditating and his eyes widened in realization. ''He knows?! He figured out the draw back and created a countermeasure. He''s using his clone to combat the fatigue as well. And after fighting him I can say that his body and mind are abnormally strong. Seems he knows what he''s doing.'' Kensei didn''t say a word and was content with watching Daichi practice. Daichi''s control over his chakra was far superior than anyone currently in the village. He also had the skill Absolute Chakra Mastery to aid him. Daichi was making slow but steady progress with the technique. He trained until a little after midnight before deciding to rest. Skill Earth - Leaf crumbling technique''s level has risen by one. x12 Skill Earth Affinity''s level has risen by one. x2 Daichi then looked at the clones and had them dispelled one by one with a few minutes of interval between them. As the experience and fatigue came, Daichi wobbled and fell to his knees. His eyes clenched shut as if he was in pain. But it only lasted for a couple seconds. +1 STAMINA Daichi looked at the stat point he just got. ''Unexpected but not unwelcome.'' He was breathing hard and then dispelled the last clone. The one that was meditating and it rejuvenated Daichi by a small margin. Skill Meditate''s level has risen by one. He took the leaf he trained last and showed it to his grandfather. A small portion of the leaf was missing and the edge was covered in dirt. "You''re progressing faster than I expected. Still¡­ Don''t over do it and strain yourself." Daichi nodded. "You didn''t have to stay up with me you know." "Don''t take me for an old man who has a bedtime and needs to be tucked in, you brat." Daichi smirked at that response. "Thank you." Kensei merely nodded. "Come on. Let''s get something to eat. I''m starving." ¡ª- Daichi created 4 shadow clones and trained the earth nature control technique. While he was in class instead of training he would try and meditate. He didn''t want the class to see him exhausted and out of breath while doing nothing. Combined with his clones, he would spend over a total of 50 hours a day training. Several of his skills improved along with his Earth Affinity. And his stamina, vitality and chakra stats also gained some points. Several days went by with the same routine. But Daichi does take a single day break every 5 days or so to mentally recharge himself. With his gamer ability he could train everyday without any problems but Daichi didn''t want to do that. Even he had some limits. ¡ª- Daichi meditated most of the time and Shikamaru noticed Daichi''s odd behavior. The young Nara narrowed his eyes as he saw Daichi crossed legged and meditating during the lunch time. ''Strange! Is he¡­ Is he meditating? For a guy who spends every free second reading or training this is surely strange. He''s doing nothing except meditating. He''s doing it in class too. Wait! I heard that meditation improves chakra control. Could that be it? Is he doing a chakra control exercise?'' It wasn''t just Shikamaru who noticed Daichi''s behavior. Naruto and the others also took note of Daichi''s new behavior. The future Rookie 8 was having their lunch and were chatting about one thing or another. Suddenly Naruto and Kiba came up with an idea to prank Daichi. "Hey what if we throw a water balloon at him? Do you think he''ll be able to catch it?" Naruto asked with a devilish grin. "Probably. But if we do it when he''s not expecting it then we might be able to get him." "You guys better not go disturb Daichi with your stupid pranks." Ino narrowed her eyes at the two. "Come on Ino! It''ll be fun¡­ Besides I bet if his clothes got wet you''d be able to take a closer look at his body. Don''t you want that?" Naruto said with a teasing grin. Ino was flustered hearing that. Her cheeks went red as she imagined that scene. "Yes¡­N-No¡­ I mean No!" She vehemently shook her head. "Naruto you''re gonna pay for that." Ino yelled at the whiskered boy embarrassed. "I can''t believe you got her. Here!" Kiba handed a candy to Naruto who happily took and ate it. "You tricked me!?" The blonde Yamanaka realized. "We made a bet. And I won. You''re so easy to fool when you''re angry. Hahaha¡­" Naruto and Kiba laughed at Ino''s furious face. "Why you¡­" Just as she was about to walk over to the two and give them a piece of her mind, Shikamaru spoke up. He had an unusually serious demeanor. "Hinata!" He looked at the Hyuga girl. "Y-yes Shikamaru?" "Can you use your Byakugan?" Shikamaru asked her. "Umm¡­ Yes. But not for long." Hinata answered meekly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on Shikamaru. He then turned his attention to Daichi who was meditating on the other end of the academy ground. "I need you to use your Byakugan on Daichi right now." "Umm¡­" Hinata was hesitant to use her visual power to spy on a classmate. "What! No way. Hinata, don''t do it." Ino protested. "I just need her to confirm something for me Ino." "No way. I won''t allow it." Seeing Ino''s adamant refusal, Shikamaru gave up. "What a drag¡­" He let out a sigh. "Why do you want Hinata to use her byaku¡­ whatever?" Naruto asked in confusion. Hinata''s entire head turned red as she heard Naruto talk about her. "I have a feeling he''s doing a lot more than just sitting around... I think he''s training." "What? Really?" "You believe he''s doing chakra control training. Why? Because meditation helps strengthen the mind and thus the spiritual aspect of chakra." Shino spoke up. "Ghaa..!" Naruto and Kiba were slightly startled. ''Forgot he was even here.'' Naruto then got excited. "Hey Hinata. Can you really tell if he''s training with your eyes?" He asked the blushing girl. "Umm¡­" Hinata, not having any words simply nodded her head. "Come on. Can you do it? Please¡­" Naruto looked at her with a big smile. "Absolutely not Naruto¡­" Ino was against the idea of another girl peeking at her crush. But Hinata, unable to resist Naruto''s charm and plea, made a hand sign to activate her eyes and looked at Daichi. A second later shock was evident on her face. "No way¡­" Everyone seeing Hinata''s reaction got extremely curious. "Well don''t leave us in suspense now!" Ino slightly yelled at the girl. "He''s molding his chakra at the center of his belly and then running it throughout his body¡­ And Daichi''s chakra is increasing at a steady rate and¡­ It''s in perfect harmony." Hinata said. "What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked. "His m-mental energy and physical energy are in perfect harmony¡­ and his control over his chakra¡­ It''s¡­ I don''t know how to say it except it''s¡­ perfect¡­ It''s even beyond anything I''ve ever seen¡­ Not a single ounce of his chakra is being wasted. Not¡­ Not even my father has such precise control over his chakra network." Shikamaru thought about what Hinata just said. He then asked her "How large is his chakra?" "His chakra reserves are huge. I''ve only seen adult ninjas with his chakra volume. And his chakra coils¡­ They''re much bigger than the normal person''s." She fibbed as she said the last part. She had seen one other person amongst them with a greater chakra reserve than Daichi. And he was the blonde sitting right next to her. "That much!?" Sakura and Ino were shocked. "He is the number one in class¡­ And he did beat those 3 adult ninjas a few days ago. I guess we should have expected this." Choji said, munching on his chips. "Just as I thought. He''s doing chakra control exercises." Shikamaru was slightly confused. ''But I thought he would start on the change in chakra nature or change in chakra form training¡­ Did he give up because of its difficulty or¡­ No. Daichi isn''t the type to give up¡­ If he really is training in that, then this meditation must be a part of it.'' As the group was discussing their findings there was another person who was listening to their conversation unseen by everyone else. Sasuke clenched his fists as he looked from the group to Daichi. ''No matter how much I train, I can''t get close to him. And¡­ and the gap only seems to widen¡­ Now his chakra reserve has already reached Jonin level?... How is he getting so strong so quickly? Is there some shortcut or is his talent that much better than mine?... He''s just like¡­'' Sasuke gritted his teeth and quietly walked away. ''No matter how hard I have to train, I will defeat you one day, Daichi. And then¡­ I''ll come for you, Itachi! And I will make you pay.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 88 – The truth is, My Ability is… Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. It was the second weekend of May. Daichi was at home completing the first step of his earth nature training. It has now been three weeks since he started the training. ''Come on. Just a bit more¡­'' Skill Earth - Leaf crumbling technique''s level has risen by one. ''Yes!'' Earth - Leaf crumbling technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 100% increase in Earth Chakra control. CP cost : 3/sec. Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level. +500 Exp. +75 Exp. "I did it. It''s finally completed." Daichi sat down to meditate and soon was back to prime condition. At that moment Kensei came to the training field. "I completed the first step, gramps¡­" "What?!" ''So soon?'' "Yup!" Daichi picked up a leaf and placed it between his index and middle finger. He only injected a small portion of his chakra into the leaf for a second but it was enough. The leaf instantly turned to dirt and earth and crumbled with the wind. Kensei was astonished as he watched the scene. ''I thought I had gotten used to his talents and growth speed, yet he still managed to surprise me.'' "For ordinary people it would take 5 to 8 months to master this step. For someone capable it would take two or three months. And yet you were able to complete it in 3 weeks¡­ You used the shadow clones to speed up the process¡­ But still¡­ Truly impressive, boy!" Kensei had a smile on his face. Daichi had a smile when he heard him. "I''m going to take the next two days off and do some light training and relax. I''ll start the second step after that¡­ Truth be told. I''m exhausted." Kensei understood and simply nodded. "I''ll be back. I''m gonna get something to eat. You want anything gramps?" Kensei merely shook his head. He watched Daichi go inside the house for some snacks. For the past three weeks Kensei had seen the boy training relentlessly, with only taking a couple days in between to rest. At that moment he tried to sense Daichi''s chakra and what he felt was within his expectations. ''He only had a small amount of chakra left after he was done with his training but¡­ His body is regenerating his chakra at an astonishing speed. His chakra is replenishing at 3¡­ No 4? Times faster than before. Hmm¡­ '' Kensei had a complicated expression as he looked at Daichi who came back with some fresh steaming buns. ''I can''t delay it any longer¡­ The secret of his incredible growth. I want to know. I''m sure Daichi knows the secrets of his body. Or at the very least he has an idea. The question is¡­ Is he willing to share those secrets with me?'' Kensei came near Daichi and sat down. He had a serious expression which confused Daichi. "Daichi, I''m going to ask you a question¡­ I''d very much like for you to answer me... But¡­ If you don''t want to answer, then I''ll understand¡­" Daichi was on guard as he heard Kensei. ''What is he¡­? What does he want to know?'' "Daichi¡­ Do you have any special abilities that help you with your growth?" Kensei kept his eyes on Daichi. He saw that the kid had become defensive the moment the question was asked. It was the subtle signs. ''He''s learned how to mask his reactions far better now. A trained interrogator would still be able to see through him, but¡­ he''d be able to fool the average Joe.'' Daichi was startled. He knew the old man would ask this question one day but he didn''t think it''d be so soon. ''In hindsight I should have expected this. With everything I''ve learned and shown¡­ And my speed and strength¡­ Now that I think about it, I''m kinda surprised it took him this long to ask. Still¡­ Should I tell him?'' Daichi decided to respond with a question of his own. He had a wide smile and asked "Come on! What makes you say that¡­?" Kensei sighed as he heard the question. "Daichi, the way I see it¡­ Your secrets are yours. Like I said before, if you don''t want to tell me¡­ It''s fine. But don''t think of me as an idiot." Daichi''s smile fell and then he sighed. "Fair enough." Daichi mentally struggled with the decision. ''On the one hand, he''s helped me a lot. Much more than I ever expected. On the other hand, do I trust someone else with my secrets?'' Daichi was silent for several seconds. Kensei could see that the boy was struggling to make a choice. ''Seems those secrets will stay with him¡­'' The old man let out a small, slightly sad sigh and was about to walk away when Daichi spoke up. "Yes!" Daichi looked at Kensei and replied to his question. "To answer your question, yes! I do have some abilities. At least I think so." Kensei was surprised that Daichi admitted that much. He felt happy that Daichi decided to open up to him. "What are they?" Kensei asked with great curiosity. "Before I answer that, how much have you figured out about my abilities?" Daichi asked while sitting down on the back porch. Kensei joined him. He looked at the setting sun and began to recall the observations he made on Daichi over the course of the last 3 years. "Over the years I noticed that your chakra reserve increases at an exceptionally faster rate. Despite being 8 years old, you only need at most 5 hours of sleep each day. No matter how exhausted, bruised or wounded you are, you completely recover with a single night''s rest. Your chakra and stamina recovery after exhaustion is incredible but when you meditate, that recovery increases by several fold. For some reason your natural recovery has become much faster this year. You''re immune to Genjutsu. Well, most genjutsu anyway. You have a steep learning curve. Your body is far more durable than most chunins. And finally based on my observations your body has the ability to adapt and become stronger when pressured. It''s as if your body detects that it needs to improve to survive. For example when you lack chakra your body increases your chakra volume and expands so on. I don''t know if you''re the one consciously doing it or if it''s your body''s automatic response? But I know there is a limit. Otherwise you''d already have surpassed me by now." Kensei concluded and turned to look at Daichi. He saw that the kid was wide eyed and jaw dropped. Kensei smirked at that. "Seeing your reaction I take it, I''m right?" "Umm¡­" Daichi didn''t have any words to speak of at that moment. He was having a mental freakout. ''Holy fucking shit! How the hell is someone so perceptive? He knows all that? I thought he only knew about my genjutsu immunity and my growth speed but this is insane! He figured out the immunity aspect of the gamer''s mind and several aspects of the gamer''s body. He was able to sense my HP, CP, SP recovery and he was able to note that it increases during my meditation. He figured out that I heal wounds with one night''s rest and somehow he came to the conclusion that I was able to increase my strength at will¡­ By using points I can increase my strength and chakra volume. But he''s not sure if I''m the one doing it or if its my body''s natural response. Still¡­ I can''t believe he figured out something like that¡­ Despite not knowing about the gamer''s ability, he was able to deduce several of its aspects from just observing me¡­ His intuition, perception and observational skills are incredible...'' Daichi opened and closed his mouth several times but no words came out. Neither of them spoke for a couple of minutes. After a minute Daichi gathered his thoughts and answered. "I can''t believe you figured out so much." He said in a low voice. "Well¡­ you have been living under my roof, sparring with me and training in my backyard for the last 3 years. It''s only natural that I''d notice your anomalies." Daichi nodded at that. ''I need to be more cautious from now on.'' "Yes. You''re right, gramps. I only need to sleep for about 4 hours to be fully healed and be at peak form. And my body does have a limited ability to adapt to stressful situations by increasing my strength and chakra. It''s an automatic response. And I pick up jutsus and techniques at a much faster rate than others. And meditation does help me recover chakra and stamina faster after a workout. You''re right about everything." Daichi said with a small smile. Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji. Kensei had a gentle smile on his face. ''He trusts me. I could see how difficult revealing this was for him¡­ But the fact that he did means he trusts me with his secrets. Thank you Daichi. I''ll make sure not to betray this trust.'' Kensei only smiled and didn''t say a single word of his thoughts to Daichi. Actions speak louder than words afterall. "The truth is¡­ My ability is a special kekkei genkai. Or at least that''s my understanding. I don''t know anyone in the village that has abilities like mine. I don''t think there is any¡­ So ¡­" Daichi told the old man. "I see¡­" Kensei pondered on that. "You might be right about that. I haven''t heard of a person let alone a whole clan that has shown your uniqueness." "You figured out this much about my powers.! Think you have a theory?" Daichi enquired with genuine curiosity. Or at least that''s what it looked like. Daichi knew no matter how smart Kensei was he would never be able to figure out that Daichi possesses an ability that could interact with the world itself. The gamer ability. Because the concept of a gamer itself didn''t exist in this world. "I might have an idea." Kensei thought about Daichi''s question and answered after several seconds. "The first Hokage Hashirama Senju had the power to use Wood style. It was a unique Ninjutsu that only he could use. From what I know neither his brother nor his descendants possessed the ability to use this Kekkei Genkai. It was concluded that it was a mutation specific to him¡­ My guess is¡­ you''re the same case. Your ability might be a rare genetic mutation. I''m sure your parents didn''t have your abilities but you might be able to pass it on to your descendants. Or you might not¡­ We can''t know for sure¡­ But what I''m sure of is that you''re probably the only one in the world who possesses a body with such capabilities¡­" Daichi crossed his arms and thought about what Kensei said. He nodded along with his grandfather''s assumption. ''That''s an interesting idea. If someone¡­ No! When someone in the future asks these same questions then I can say that I have a specific mutated Kekkei Genkai. They can''t exactly disprove it. And by that time, I''ll be strong enough to handle most people that come my way.'' Both of them sat in silence for a while and enjoyed the last rays of the sun as it disappeared over the horizon. "Thank you Daichi." Kensei looked at the kid. "For trusting me with your secret." Daichi smiled and nodded but didn''t say anything. They both retired to their rooms shortly after. Kensei was happy that his grandson decided to trust him but unknown to him, happiness was not what Daichi felt. As Daichi closed the door to his room, he had a complicated feeling in his heart. ''I''m sorry I can''t tell you the whole truth, old man¡­ It''s just¡­'' Daichi clenched his fists in anger and sadness. ''Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!... Despite everything he''s done for me¡­ I¡­ I still can''t bring myself to completely trust him¡­ Why?'' Small trails of tears started rolling down his eyes as he sat in a corner of the room. The Gamer''s Mind activated and calmed him down more than once¡­ But, Daichi''s tears didn''t stop for several minutes as he sat there in silence without an answer. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 89 – Inner Fears Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi tilted his head and dodged the fist that was aimed at his face. He then raised his left hand and blocked the punches and kicks Sasuke sent his way. Daichi had a bored nonchalant expression on his face as he parried the strikes of the Uchiha. Sasuke jumped back after a few seconds and glared at his opponent. "Don''t just stand there. Fight back.!" Daichi let out a sigh which infuriated the Uchiha child. He raised his vigilance and senses and prepared for Daichi''s attack. But those precautions didn''t change anything. One second Sasuke was looking at Daichi, the next he felt a punch ram into mid section and then all he felt was the blackness surrounding his eyes. Daichi looked at the unconscious Sasuke in his arms and gently laid him down on the ground. "You didn''t have to knock him out Daichi!" Iruka came and checked Sasuke''s condition. "If I had held back any more, then Sasuke would have only gotten angrier. And I''m in no mood to deal with his bitchiness today." Iruka sensei let out a tired breath hearing Daichi''s reply. ''Daikoku was right. Lord Hokage should have let Daichi skip a grade. There is no one here that can give him a challenge.'' "Now that the fight is over you still need to make the seal of reconciliation when he wakes up." "Sensei he''s not gonna do it and frankly I''m not going to either." "But¡­ " "I''m going to meditate. So¡­ If that''s all sensei¡­" "All right! Just¡­ go to your spot." Iruka was confused and let out a tired sigh. Daichi turned around and left the ring. Iruka looked at Daichi and was concerned. ''Unusual. He''s irritated. Strange¡­ I wonder what happened?'' Daichi went to the nearby tree on the training ground and sat down. He began meditating while the sparring between his classmates continued. Shikamaru and the others noticed his behavior. Shikamaru slightly narrowed his eyes as he looked at his classmate. ''Is it just me or is something bothering him?'' "Have you noticed that he''s been doing nothing but meditate these last few weeks." Ino quietly asked Sakura and Hinata. "Yeah. He doesn''t even go to the library anymore. And even in class he''s meditating¡­ I wonder what kind of training would need him to meditate so much?" Sakura wondered. Sasuke woke up a few minutes later and looked around. He seethed in anger as he looked at Daichi who was meditating under the tree. He clenched his fist and went to another corner of the academy ground. As Sasuke kept looking at Daichi his anger slowly vanished. He too had seen Daichi''s odd long meditation sessions. And he was more than curious as well. ''He''s not someone to sit around and waste time. So this must be some kind of training! Question is what? Chakra control? I read that meditation helps the Yin aspect of the chakra. Is that it? Is he trying to increase the strength of his Yin chakra?... If he''s so invested in it then it must be important¡­ Should I start meditating?'' Naruto gazed at Daichi as well¡­ ''My goal is to be the strongest.'' Those words rang in Naruto''s head like a bell. He then thought about his own goal. The dream to become Hokage one day. ''He reads all kinds of books at the library and trains so much and so hard every chance he gets¡­ But I''m here playing pranks and goofing off! I said I want to become Hokage but have I really worked for it?'' Naruto clenched his fists and made a decision. He turned to Sakura who was near him. "Hey Sakura¡­ Can you¡­ Can you help me out with my homework?... Please¡­" Naruto sheepishly smiled as he made the request. Sakura, Kiba, Ino and the others were shocked hearing that but they quickly figured out the reason. They realized that Daichi''s fight motivated Naruto to try harder. Sakura looked at Naruto and narrowed her eyes. She then let out a sigh and agreed. "Fine but only for an hour or two. And no funny business." "Yes! Thank you Sakura! You''re the best." Naruto was excited and had a wide grin. Hinata had her head down as she heard this. Ino noticed this and then looked at Naruto and then back to Hinata. After a couple seconds her eyes widened in realization. "OH MY GOD! Hinata you like-" Before Ino could complete that sentence Hinata clamped her hand on Ino''s mouth, silencing her. "Quiet! I¡­ I don''t want him to know yet." Hinata mumbled to Ino. Ino quietly nodded her head. "What is it, Hinata? What do you like?" Naruto and Kiba asked with a grin. The shy Hyuga girl took her hand off Ino''s mouth. "C-cinnabuns. Ino found o-out I just really c-cinnabuns." Hinata stuttered and replied looking down while having a small blush. "Oh! I like cinnabuns too!" Choji replied. "You like everything that counts as food." Kiba retorted. "HEY! QUIET YOU ALL AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPARS!" Iruka shouted at the group and he had his signature big head jutsu to back him up. Naruto and the group stayed silent and focused on the fights. Meanwhile Daichi was still in deep meditation. One of his clones dispelled and he was feeling the fatigue of the clone. But due to the passive skills he received after his vitality and stamina stats reached 100 his recovery rate had increased exponentially. It had been a week since Kensei had confronted him on his powers. Daichi was bothered by the fact that he couldn''t bring himself to truly trust the old man. But thanks to the Gamer''s Mind he was able to keep a calm and cool facade near the old man but it still weighed on his mind. And this distracted him from his training. Luckily Daichi found the solution in meditation. His meditation helped him confront his deep inner thoughts and fears and Daichi was now becoming much more intune with his emotions. He realized that his trust issues were born from his fear of an untimely death at the hands of a powerful enemy or even an unknown stranger. Daichi realized that the knowledge of being reborn into a world that was once known to be fictional and where killers rule with an iron fist, has had an impact on his psyche on a far deeper level than he ever thought. For the past several days Daichi entered deep meditation and confronted the fear in his mind and he slowly and steadily began to control it. The fear in Daichi''s mind wasn''t like another self with a negative persona or consciousness or anything of the sort. It was just a culmination of negative thoughts and emotions. Hours passed by and the spar and class came to an end. Naruto and the others came near Daichi to wake him up but it was unnecessary. The moment they neared him, Daichi opened his eyes. He was much calmer and his heart felt much lighter. He had finally confronted and overcome most of his fears. Several notifications popped up. You have confronted and won against the fears that have been deeply rooted in your mind since the day you were awakened. Your mental fortitude has become stronger. You have achieved a brief enlightenment. +10 WISDOM. Daichi looked at the message boxes and then dismissed them. He smiled at his friends as they reached him. Naruto, Ino and Shikamaru noticed that Daichi was a lot calmer now and he had a genuine happy expression. Ino had seen people come to her father for help with their mental troubles and she had seen the faces of people who got a lot better. It was how she realized the change in Daichi''s Aura so quickly. "You''re secretly training aren''t you? All this meditating¡­ It''s training right?" Kiba asked at that moment. Daichi chuckled. "Yes. Something like that. I''m doing a chakra strengthening exercise and this is part of it." Naruto and Kiba got excited hearing that. "Hey can you teach me?" "Me too?" Daichi got up and stretched his arms and legs. "Meditation isn''t all that difficult. Well¡­ once you get used to it anyway. But I''d doubt either of you has the patience for that." Kiba and Naruto pouted hearing that. At that moment Ino stepped forward with a smile. "Classes are over. Would you like to walk home with me?" Daichi smiled at her childish crush. He didn''t want to break her little heart by refusing so he indulged her. "Sure, Ino!" The group then split up. Naruto and Sakura, staying back at the academy so she could help with Naruto''s homework. Hinata, Kiba and Shino heading to their clan compound together and Ino, Choji, Shikamaru and Daichi heading the opposite way. Ino talked about several topics to Daichi and paid little attention to the other two following behind them. Daichi smiled and nodded and gave his input whenever it was needed. Soon they reached Ino''s flower shop and Daichi bid farewell to his friends. As he walked home he thought about telling the real truth about his powers to his grandfather but decided against it. ''The old man is satisfied with the answers he has now. And we''re in a really good place. I don''t want to jeopardize that. If the need arises I''ll tell him.'' His mind then wandered to his training. He thought about the second stage of the ''Earth'' change in chakra nature technique. He thought about the skill he got after the first day of training. Earth - Waterfall Cutting technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1):An earth chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing the chakra to cut off the flow of water. An advanced technique to help the user increase the control and strength of their earth nature chakra. [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Earth Affinity.''] Effects: 2% Increase in Earth Chakra control. 3% Increase in power of Earth Chakra nature. CP cost : 99/sec. ''Till now I haven''t been able to focus but now I''m ready. Based on my memories, it took Naruto over 8 days of training and with hundreds of clones to master the second stage. So for me it should take several months. My chakra has increased due to the intense training and now I can create 5 clones. Instead of adding the 5th clone to training I''ll have him meditate and improve other skills. That way I''ll recover much faster and can keep training for a lot longer in a day.'' Daichi got home and saw Kensei watering the garden. "Hey Gramps!" Kensei turned and saw Daichi with a wide smile. He was relieved. Even though Daichi tried to hide it, Kensei saw that Daichi was uncomfortable after sharing his secret. He felt bad that he put Daichi in such a position and didn''t want to upset the boy any further but now after seeing Daichi''s genuine smile he felt a weight off his shoulders. ''It seems he''s accepted what happened and came to terms with it. I''m happy for him.'' "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Daichi asked while he placed his school bag on the porch. Kensei smirked. "Nothing much. Who has time nowadays to see a weak old crippled man." He made a sad face so fake that Daichi deadpanned. "Yeah right. An old cripple that I''m pretty sure can kick a Jonin''s ass." The boy retorted. Kensei laughed, hearing him. He enjoyed the banter with his grandson. He then turned to a more serious topic. "How goes the second step?" "It''s a lot harder than I thought. But I suppose I should have expected that." Daichi replied admiring the beautiful flowers of his garden. Kensei nodded. "Earth nature is strong against water nature. So compared to the second step of the other natures this is the easiest. And you don''t have to rush. This is a step that would take years to master¡­ But you''re a talented freak of nature." "Thank you for that compliment, you old geezer." Daichi replied in a dry tone. Kensei cheekily smiled. "You''re welcome¡­ Now I''d estimate that you''d be able to complete it in maybe 7 to 9 months." Daichi had thought about that time frame. ''It won''t take that long if I really push it. I need to master the fire chakra nature too this year¡­ Then there is the dungeon run¡­ Ghaa¡­! I''ve got a lot on my plate but I''m really excited for it. But for now I''m gonna take a rest.'' Both of them stood there and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of their garden. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 90 – 3rd Dungeon Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. ''197¡­. 198¡­. 199¡­. 200.'' Daichi stood up and let out a deep breath as he finished his daily 200 push-ups. His daily workout was completed and now Daichi was ready for the day. He opened the ongoing quests and looked at the conditions of his third year quest. [Complete 200 Push ups (Daily)] [Complete 200 Squats (Daily)] [Complete 200 Punches(Daily)] [Run 20 Kilometers (Daily)] [Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of this academic year.] [Take the top spot in your class.] [Learn advanced chakra control techniques.] ''I''ll be able to complete the daily quests no problem. I''ve learned two advanced chakra control exercises and by the time this year ends I plan on learning two more. And I''ll be able to take the top spot this year as well¡­ So the only thing remaining is the dungeon.'' He decided that it was time for the third dungeon run. Several months had passed and Daichi was steadily increasing his strength. The October semester exams at the academy ended yesterday and now Daichi had a two week break. He also recently completed the second step of the Earth change in chakra nature control training. ''Along with completing the first two steps of nature transformation I learned plenty of Earth style Ninjutsu as well. Now I just need experience using them in battle. The next dungeon should be a decent start with that. And I think I know which dungeon I should go to this time.'' Daichi gets random rewards for completing the daily quests. Most of the time it''s common ordinary items but sometimes he would get jutsu scroll or something of similar value as rewards. But these types of rewards were rare. Several months ago Daichi got an instant dungeon key as a reward. The dungeon key to the ''Zeroth Ground''. Daichi recalled the limited information he knew about the training ground. ''It was designed as a training ground when it was built but now it''s a wildlife preserve. I wonder how it''s dungeon version will look. Whatever the case, I''ll be ready.'' Daichi checked his status page. His level was the same as before but he was able to increase points in several stats with just training. He then opened the skill list and went through them. His eyes landed on the Earth - Waterfall Cutting technique. [Earth - Waterfall Cutting technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX):An earth chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing the chakra to cut off the flow of water. An advanced technique to help the user increase the control and strength of their earth nature chakra.] [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Earth Affinity.''] [Effects:] [200% Increase in Earth Chakra control.] [300% Increase in power of Earth Chakra nature.] [CP cost : 18/sec.] ''The strength of my Earth style jutsu have gotten a lot stronger. It took me almost 5 months of non-stop training but it was totally worth it. And my earth affinity has improved as well. So that''s a bonus.'' [Earth Affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV. 76): Earth Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Tiger hand-seal. At higher levels the user can control the several minerals saturating the earth. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90. Primary affinity of the ''Player''.] [Effects:] [182% Power Increase in earth attack jutsu.] [182% Power Increase in earth defense jutsu.] [72.5% Increase in success when creating earth style jutsu.] [60% Decrease in Chakra cost when using earth style jutsu.] ''Excellent. It is so gratifying to see my progress like this.'' Daichi headed back home from the training ground. He quickly reached the house and went to his room. He took the necessary supplies and got ready for the third dungeon run. ''The old man went to see Shi and won''t be back for an hour or two. Now''s the perfect time.'' Daichi took out the key and activated it. He was teleported and landed in a hallway that was similar to the hallway he saw in the first dungeon, but it had some key differences. It had wines and roots growing all over the place, but it also had carvings of exotic animals on the walls. Daichi looked at the carvings with fascination and walked forward. Within a minute he reached the end and inserted the key into the door. [You have reached the entrance to the dungeon - Zeroth Ground.] [Would you like to enter? [Y/N] "Yes. Yes! Let''s get on with it." The door opened and Daichi stepped inside. [The title ''Dungeon Warrior'' is now active. All your stats are increased by 15% while inside the dungeon.] His titles activated and his stats increased. Daichi smiled as he felt the power flowing through his body. The first thing he saw was a vast expanse with little plants. ''Observe''. [Dungeon - Zeroth Ground] [This dungeon and its beasts are based on the wildlife sanctuary previously known as Zeroth Training ground. This dungeon is much larger and comprises different terrains that are home to various species of animals. The beasts inside the dungeon are unique and are a stronger and more evolved and powerful version of their strongest counterparts.] At that moment, as Daichi expected, a quest appeared. [Quest Created - ''Kill the 68 unique beasts inside the dungeon''.] Time limit : None. Rewards: 15000 Exp. Ryo 150,000. Failure: Death. [Accept (Y/N)] Daichi read the details and was slightly confused. ''These rewards don''t seem like much. And 68 unique beasts? That''s not a lot of enemies¡­.'' Daichi looked ahead and started walking forward. "Well, whatever the case¡­ I don''t plan on losing." Daichi walked through the large expanse while keeping his senses on high alert. Daichi decided to not use the mini-map or his ''observe'' skill for this challenge. He wanted to increase his own observational and analytical skills and rely on his senses instead of being completely dependent on the gamer abilities for everything. He kept walking for over half an hour and then his senses picked up something. He heard the sounds of footsteps. And they were getting louder and louder with each second. Before long Daichi saw the cause of the sounds. ''Is that a¡­. it''s a fucking Bison. But it''s¡­ It''s huge.'' The Bison was covered in brown fun with a yellow stripe running down the middle and had two large horns on either side of its head. The most noticeable feature was its size. It was almost 3 times taller than Daichi. "Rhaaa¡­." The Bison let out a roar as soon as it saw Daichi and rushed at him. Daichi immediately went through hand-seals. ''Earth style - Mud River.'' [Earth Style - Mud River Jutsu - Active(LV. 3): A common Earth style jutsu that converts portions of the floor or ground that the user and their opponents are standing on into a raging avalanche of mud and earth. The opponent quickly loses his/her standing and starts being dragged along the flow of the river.] [Rank: B.] [Type: Ninjutsu] [Hand Seals: Tiger - Ox - Dog - Snake.] [CP Cost: 133 Per Use.] The ground around the charging Bison turned from flat rock formation to a raging flow of mud and soft soil. It quickly lost its footing and due to its large size it quickly began to get dragged underground. Daichi again quickly went through several seals. "Earth style - Earth Dragon bomb." A dragon head made of mud appeared out of the earth and several mud projectiles were launched out of its mouth. The mud projectiles struck the bison and it roared in pain. Unable to defend itself, and due to the force of the impact the bison was dragged down and in seconds was completely submerged under the earth river. After several seconds Daichi placed his hands on the ground and let the jutsu go and turned the earth back into a solid rock formation. He waited for several seconds and then a notification appeared. [Enemy killed.] +1000 Exp. +150 Exp. [Enemies killed: 01/68] "Not a bad start." ¡ª- Daichi jumped back and evaded the sharp claws of black panther. He covered his hands with solid rock and struck the giant cat the next second sending it several meters away. It was in the middle of the night and Daichi was traveling through the jungle. It was there he encountered the ferocious creature. ''Bisons, giant spiders and eagles, a four armed ape and now a panther. This place is truly one of a kind.'' The black panther was quick to recover and looked at Daichi with anger in its eyes. The most noticeable feature about the panther was that it had two tails. It circled Daichi while trying to find the best way to attack it''s prey. Daichi was unusually calm as he faced the giant creature. He had gotten used to the ferocious intent and due to his plentiful life or death battles he was not nervous. The panther jumped with lightning speed and tried to claw at Daichi''s head. Daichi dodged and quickly sent a powerful blow to its underbelly. The force sent the giant feline flying into a tree. Daichi smirked at seeing the effects of his attack. ''This jutsu is perfect for Taijutsu users.'' [Earth Style - Fist Rock Jutsu - Active(LV. 2): The user encases the arm in a rock formation and deals a strong hardened punch against an opponent while being protected from direct contact with their target. The weight of the rock can be increased to further increase the power of the attack.] [Rank: C.] [Type: Ninjutsu] [Hand Seals: Snake - Ram - Dog - Rat - Snake - Tiger.] [CP Cost: 98 Per Use.] ''With this I can punch as hard as I want without getting my hands wrecked. But the negative side effect is this slightly reduces my speed. Against enemies who rely on strength this is perfect but for people like Lee¡­ I''ll need something else.'' [You have sensed killing intent.] The panther got up and shook it''s head. It glared and then ran at Daichi full speed. Daichi was faster than the beast and avoided the strikes while dealing damage to the beast. A powerful uppercut to the jaw staggered the animal and Daichi sent a powerful double blow to its head the next second. The strike ended the animal and it burst into smoke. [Enemy killed.] +1200 Exp. +180 Exp. [Enemies killed: 08/68] ''60 more to go.'' ¡ª- There were several environments in this dungeon. From lush jungles to barren wastelands and snow covered hills to a small desert. Several large lakes were in between them. Daichi realized that even though the number of enemies he had to fight was small, this dungeon was the biggest one he had encountered yet. He fought powerful animals of all kinds throughout the various habitats. Daichi was currently in the snowy hills battling a Mammoth. He dodged the fast trunk and jumped back and gained some distance from the animal. The Mammoth seeing its target avoiding it''s strike, took in a lot of air and used it''s trunk to shoot it out like bullets. Daichi''s eyes widened. ''Wind bullets. This thing can also use Ninjutsu too.'' During the battles in this dungeon Daichi found out that some animals were capable of using elemental attacks mimicking Ninjutsu. Daichi evaded and ran to his right to take cover under a large rock. ''I''ve been attacking it for a while. It has some significant wounds and it''s slowing down. This is the perfect time to finish it.'' He quickly created a lightning clone and had it run in the opposite direction. The Mammoth was a simple creature and followed the clone. Daichi created 3 shadow clones and quickly and silently surrounded the giant beast. The lightning clone was chased and backed into a corner. Or at least that''s what it looked like. The Mammoth used it''s trunk to grab hold of Daichi and the moment it did the clone released itself and electrocuted and paralyzed the mammal. Daichi and his clones quickly capitalized the moment and let loose some of their powerful attacks. One clone used lightning attacks to keep the animal paralyzed while the others used earth, fire and wind attacks. They used attacks that were suitable to be used as combination attacks and quickly finished the job. [Enemy killed.] +1550 Exp. +232.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 61/68] ¡ª-¡ª- Each beast in the dungeon was unique. There were no two of the same animal. Daichi realized that it was this reason that the dungeon had so few enemies. He traveled through the place for over 12 days and battled all types of creatures. He defended himself against attacks that came from the sky and down from the earth. He had to find and kill some enemies that were deep beneath the lakes, which were some of his most difficult tasks in the dungeon. But on the 13th day he finished off his last opponent and the return key was delivered to him. Author''s Note: Originally I planned on writing a 3 chapter dungeon run but then I scrapped the idea. Why drag things out. We''re 90 chapters in and Daichi still hasn''t left the academy. That was not part of my plan when I started writing the story. Honest to god. So I''m gonna be speeding things up a bit but not too much that it''d seem like I''m suddenly skipping things. I can''t wait for his graduation, his missions and I''m most excited about the chunin arc. I already have his opponents in mind¡­ But still¡­ That''s a long way from now¡­ My plan is to complete this story before Feb 2024. Maybe keep the story between 300 and 400 chapters long¡­ I already have an end goal in mind. Just a matter of reaching it. Hope you guys stick with the journey to the end. As always, If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 91 – Fire Affinity Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi stood with his eyes closed and felt the cool breeze on his face. He got the quest rewards and was currently thinking about the battles he went through in this dungeon. ''I didn''t suffer any serious injuries in this dungeon like I did in the other two. It''s proof¡­ I''ve gotten a lot stronger.'' His mind went through the different types of creatures he fought these last two weeks. ''There were about a dozen beasts that used ninjutsu on me. Or at least techniques that mimicked ninjutsu. I was able to counter most but some still overpowered my techniques... I have several strong defensive jutsu and some that can be used to trap multiple enemies or to use as long range attacks. But I don''t have a strong attack type jutsu. Or the ones I have aren''t strong enough¡­ It seems I made the right choice to train fire as my next chakra affinity. If I master the first two steps of change in the chakra nature of fire then my fire ninjutsu will definitely get a boost.'' Daichi opened his eyes and called upon his status page. [Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer)] Class : Student Age : 8 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Dungeon Warrior, Executioner. Level : 41 (2700/44425) . [HP : 7858] [CP : 11368.5] [SP : 8435] [MP: 4625] . [Primary Stats] Strength - 108 Vitality - 113 Dexterity - 104 Agility - 107 Intelligence - 117 Chakra - 175 Wisdom - 112 . [Special Stats] Sense - 85 Stamina - 121 Indomitable - 14 Charisma - 41 Persistence - 15 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . [Stat Points - 452] [Ryo - 796582] "My stats have increased a lot. And now I have over 450 stat points. Should I use them now?... No¡­ I''ll use a few during the next few years but I''ll think about adding the remaining points to my stats after I become a Genin. I wonder who my teacher and teammates would be?" Daichi returned to the entrance and placed the return key inside the entrance door keyhole. [You have used the return key. Would you like to leave this dungeon?] [Y/N] "Yes." In seconds Daichi was back in his room. He freshened up and went downstairs to make something to eat. It was his way to decompress and relax. He hummed a simple tune and made his dish. A couple hours later his grandfather returned. They both ate and a while later both of them were sitting on the porch talking about several topics. Among them was Daichi''s visit to the orphanage a couple weeks ago. "How was the baby?" Kensei enquired. "She''s alright. Miss Aiko is taking good care of her. I''ve already given her some funds from Ren''s scrolls to cover her needs. But I told Miss Aiko it was from you." Daichi replied with a small smile. Kensei nodded. After several seconds of silence he spoke. "You need to be careful with your visits." Daichi looked at his old man with a questioning gaze. Seeing Daichi''s face, Kensei elaborated on his thoughts. "For the moment she is safe. To the world she is just another orphan without any ties. But if you make your visits regular and the wrong people find out then they will know you have a connection to that orphanage. Once you become strong enough and make a name for yourself, that connection will put either Aiko or that baby in danger. People like Danzo would no doubt use them as leverage against you. If he decides to come for you anyway. So you need to be careful." Daichi nodded and agreed with that statement. "Not to mention she is an Uchiha. When she awakens the Sharingan it''ll be a headache for me¡­ But I''ll handle it." "Well you have a few years before that happens. So I wouldn''t worry about that for now¡­ On a different topic, have you decided the next nature you''re going to train in?" Kensei asked the boy. He knew Daichi wanted to learn and master every chakra nature. Daichi nodded to the question. "Fire. That will be my second change in chakra nature training." "Hmm¡­ you have mastered earth chakra nature. It would increase your defense and close quarter combat power. So now you''re looking for something with serious attack power huh." Kensei concluded. "Yeah! I have about 2 weeks of free time. I was thinking about starting the training now.!" Kensei smiled hearing that. "Daichi, it''s good that you want to improve and get stronger but it''s not a bad thing to slow down and relax once in a while. But I know that advice will go through one ear and out the other." Daichi looked at Kensei with a neutral expression. "You say something gramps?" "Arghh¡­." Kensei let out a groan and shook his head. Daichi laughed seeing the reaction. ''I''ve always wanted to do that¡­ Now I know why Kakashi finds this so funny.'' Daichi then got up and went to pick up a leaf. He then looked at Kensei. "Got any words of wisdom for me, old man?" Kensei rubbed his chin and then answered a few moments later. "Fire is a fundamental element which makes up this world. It nurtures life and gives warmth to all living things. But just as it is a blessing it can also be a curse. It has the ability to annihilate all things in its path. If it can''t burn through then it burns around. Sometimes just a single spark is enough to set a forest ablaze. A dangerous and powerful element." Daichi paid attention to every word Kensei said. ''Its indeed a strong element, if harnessed could increase my strength by a wide margin.'' Kensei continued. "Now in earth chakra nature training you had to combine and harden the chakra. But when it comes to fire you have to split the chakra and then rub them against each other. Your intent should be to produce heat. So split your chakra and rub it against each other and rejoin them to produce heat and then burn the leaf." Daichi nodded and began his second chakra nature training. He placed the leaf between his palms and concentrated. He visualized his chakra being split into two halves. He proceeded and his chakra responded accordingly. Due to Daichi''s perfect chakra control, his ability to manipulate and move his chakra was far easier when compared to others. He split his chakra and started rubbing it against each other. The friction created energy and after a minute Daichi combined his chakra and the result was that heat was produced. Several tiny portions all over the leaf burned. This showed that while Daichi understood how to do the technique, he didn''t have the necessary control of Fire nature chakra. Several notifications alerted Daichi and he opened his eyes and then his palms. He smiled looking at the result. He showed the burned leaf to his grandfather. [Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji.] Kensei nodded but didn''t say a word. But Daichi knew he was impressed based on the reputation increase notification. Kensei was calm on the outside but he was deeply impressed and surprised. ''He got it on the first try. Even Hiruzen wasn''t this good when he first attempted this training. And his primary nature was fire¡­ I thought the reason Daichi grasped the earth nature training so quickly was because he had an unusually powerful earth affinity. But it seems I''m wrong. Could this kid really master two chakra natures in a single year? That would be something unheard of¡­ What monstrous talent!'' [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Fire - Leaf burning technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1): A fire chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to a leaf to burn it. A basic technique to help the user increase the strength of their fire nature chakra.] [Note: increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Fire Affinity.''] [Effects:] [1% increase in Fire Chakra control.] [CP cost : 52/sec.] Daichi looked at the new skill he received. ''The chakra cost is much larger when compared to the earth skill. It must be because earth is my natural affinity. During the leaf crumbling and the waterfall training I used 4 clones to train and another to meditate. But even this wasn''t enough. Due to the intensity of the chakra cost my clones had to meditate often. It''s a good thing my clones can use chakra regen as well. Otherwise I would have been in trouble¡­ But now¡­ With this much chakra cost, I won''t be able to create 5 clones and train properly. Now I get why Kakashi said that only Naruto would be able to do this kind of training effectively. Without a massive amount of chakra this type of training won''t work.'' Daichi thought about adding some points to his chakra stat but after thinking about it for a few seconds he decided against it. Daichi created two clones. ''The speed will be slower but I have time. The old man is right about that. I don''t need to rush.'' Daichi had 11368 chakra points. Split that evenly amongst Daichi and his two clones, then each would have roughly 3790 points. So Daichi and his two clones would only be able to use the chakra and burn the leaf for roughly a minute before they had to meditate and restore their chakra. But this simple calculation didn''t take Daichi''s normal chakra regen speed into consideration. He sat down and began his chakra training. Daichi dispelled the clones every couple hours to increase his level and understanding of the technique. He would then meditate and rest and create new clones and continue training. It was rinse and repeat. While it was a monotonous process Daichi still made progress. It took about 5 weeks for Daichi to completely master the first step of the fire nature skill. [Fire - Leaf burning technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX)] [Effects:] [100% increase in Fire Chakra control.] [CP cost : 5/sec.] The last week of November began and Daichi was in the academy library. He was reading information about different villages and their landscape and terrains. Daichi wanted to increase the wealth of his knowledge and learn about the formation of other villages that interested him. In his hand was a book on the hidden Grass village. At that moment the image of a red haired girl with glasses came to his mind. ''Karin! I can''t believe I didn''t even think about her. She''s in that village and her mother is probably being forced to heal the grass ninjas. She''s either dead or it won''t be long before she dies and Karin is forced to take her mother''s place at the hospital.'' Daichi closed the book on the grass village and crossed his arms. ''There is no point in thinking about people I can''t help¡­ Come to think of it, would I even help her if it came to it? If I helped her would that lead to a different future? She will be a crucial element in the future. If I do anything regarding her situation what will happen? Will I create a timeline that could be even worse than the one shown? Answers to that are unknown. Because of these reasons, I barely helped Naruto and he''s at arms length from me¡­'' Daichi shook his head and stood up. ''I need some air.'' Daichi left the academy and entered the nearby forest. He walked aimlessly for several minutes before he reached a clearing. He saw a giant wooden stump in the middle of the clearing. ''Huh! I haven''t been here before.'' Daichi walked closer and inspected the wooden stump. There were indicators that someone was training here. Daichi didn''t think much about it. He walked under the shade of a nearby tree and started meditating. What he didn''t realize was that this is where he would meet another prominent ninja of the future. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 92 – Meeting Rock Lee & 3rd Year End Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. About an hour went by as Daichi peacefully meditated under the cool shade of the tree. His mind was on the second step of the fire chakra control technique. ''It will take me a lot longer to master the second step. I only have 4 months before this year ends. I''m not sure I''ll be able to complete it by then. Looks like I slightly overestimated myself. It seems mastery of Rasengan and the earth element at such a quick pace has gotten to my head¡­'' Daichi let out a sigh. He sat there and composed himself. At that moment he started hearing the sounds of footsteps. It was faint but as the seconds went by it got louder and louder. Daichi focused on his senses and he realized that the person was a child and was headed to the clearing. He used ''chakra sense'' and after a few seconds came to the conclusion that it was just a civilian child. Daichi believed it was just some random child and decided to keep meditating and not interact with the person. His mind was focused on how to improve his training efficiency. Several seconds later a small figure reached the clearing. The child looked at the giant training stump and was about to walk over when he noticed a boy his age sitting under a tree and meditating. The child, not having seen this person here before decided to introduce himself. He walked up to Daichi and after a couple seconds of silence spoke. "Umm¡­ Hi!" Daichi felt the child approach him. He didn''t want to interact with the kid but hearing his voice Daichi immediately opened his eyes. When Daichi took in the image of the boy in front of him he was astonished. ''No way. It''s him!'' The boy had long hair fastened in a braid. He wore a white kimono sleeved shirt with dark pants and a martial arts belt. The most prominent features about him were his round eyes and thick eyebrows. Daichi stared at the kid and didn''t speak for several seconds. The child shifted on his feet and looked at Daichi with uncertainty. "H-hi. I''ve never seen you here before. My name is Rock Lee." Daichi snapped out of his stupor and introduced himself with a small smile. "Hi. I''m Daichi. Daichi Hekima." The moment Lee heard the name his face got slightly serious. ''Daichi Hekima? So this is the underclassmen the teachers call a prodigy. He''s probably like the rest. He''ll just make fun of me when he finds out who I am.'' "Excuse me. But I''m going to train here." Lee gave a short quick bow and walked to the stump before Daichi could say another word. Daichi was observing every emotion on Lee''s face. Daichi saw recognition in Lee''s eyes the moment he mentioned his name. ''Seems this kid has heard of me. And his attitude¡­ He''s shy but he''s also unusually serious¡­ Makes sense. All those insults and mockery at the academy didn''t do him any good. He needs that Might Guy motivation and training to have that unbreakable will and bursting confidence and smile.'' Daichi watched as Lee got into a basic punching stance. He began punching the stump and Daichi heard Lee counting the strikes. Daichi, not wanting to intrude on the training, decided to leave. "It was nice meeting you Lee. Good luck with your training." With those parting words Daichi left the clearing. Daichi had a smile as he heard the sounds of fists hitting the wooden stump. ''Lee is one of my favorite characters. His will and determination is far above that of normal people. With sheer brute training he was able to stand toe to toe with people who had powerful bloodlines and inborn talents¡­ Train hard Lee. I''m sure you can reach those heights once more.'' ¡ª- The days quickly passed with Daichi trying to master the advanced fire nature chakra technique. 3 clones were currently trying to separate the waterfall with fire nature chakra. The whole area was covered in steam. In the second step of the ''Fire nature'' Daichi had to expel the fire chakra and turn the water to vapor and thus separate the water flow. "This is a lot harder than before." "That''s obvious. Fire is weak against water so this step would be more difficult when compared to other elements." "I''m out of chakra. I''m going to dispel myself so the original can recover." One of the three clones burst into smoke and the other two gained its knowledge. Before long they both dispelled themselves as well. Daichi was in his backyard as he felt the clones dispel and the chakra returning to him. He was breathing hard but he endured it. His chakra and stamina regeneration was absurd when compared to a normal person. Daichi was going through the memories while his body recovered. He opened the skill and took a look at his progress. [Fire - Waterfall separation technique - (Active/Passive)(LV.18):An advanced fire chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing the chakra to heat and separate the flow of water. An advanced technique to help the user increase the control and strength of their fire nature chakra.] [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Fire Affinity.''] [Effects:] [36% Increase in Fire Chakra control.] [54% Increase in power of Fire Chakra nature.] [CP cost : 140/sec.] ''Only level 18 huh. And that''s with a month and a half of training¡­ The new year will begin within a couple days. Seems I might not be able to Max level this skill by the end of March.'' Daichi sighed and got up. It was night time and he decided to finish for the day. He looked at the night sky and saw countless stars shining. He pondered on the question he had for a while now. ''I wonder¡­ If this world is real¡­ Isn''t it possible that the others are too¡­'' After several seconds of just staring into the black sky he went inside. ¡ª- Leaf Shopping District. It was early morning and Daichi was looking through a shop in the leaf shopping district. He pointed at several objects and was browsing for something special. "Yes. I''d like that one as well." Daichi said pointing to the small white tiger plushie. "All right. That''ll be 4600 Ryo total." Daichi paid the cash and headed for Aiko''s orphanage. It was January 29 and it was baby Reo''s birthday. He wanted to get her something on her birthday. Even though she won''t remember this moment, Daichi didn''t want her to feel alone. He quickly reached the orphanage and met with the matron. "Hello Miss Aiko." "Daichi! I had a feeling you would show up today. You''re here to see her, I take it?" Daichi nodded. The matron took Daichi to Reo''s room. The room had several other young children as well. Along the way Daichi brought a few sweets and toys for the other kids as well. There were two reasons. One, Daichi wanted to keep his relationship with Reo under wraps for as long as possible. This way people wouldn''t be able to quickly connect him to Reo. And the second was that he occasionally got gifts and candies when he himself was a ward here. He wanted to return the favor and do something nice for the children. Daichi spent the day at the orphanage playing with the kids and answering their questions about the academy. He gave Reo the white tiger plushie and stayed with her for hours. The matron and the kids celebrated Reo''s first birthday. Daichi had a gentle smile as he looked at the small child. ''Happy birthday Reo..'' He only left at dusk when Reo went to sleep. Daichi clenched his fists as he walked home. ''You''re going to pay for what you did, Obito¡­ And if you go anywhere near her, Danzo... I don''t care what happens. It''ll be the last thing you ever do.'' ¡ª- Lee jumped backwards and barely avoided the blow to his torso. He was breathing hard while his opponent looked fresh as a Daisy. "Not bad Lee. Your Taijutsu style is getting better. Let''s stop for now. Your muscles need rest." Lee nodded and bowed. "Thank you for the spar Daichi." Daichi waved him off. "I told you, you don''t need to do that." After their first encounter, Daichi and Lee began meeting occasionally in that same clearing. Lee, understanding that Daichi was not like the rest of his classmates who mock or jeer him, quickly warmed up to him. They became friends and after a while Daichi decided to help Lee improve his taijutsu skills. Lee was extremely happy that there was someone who finally believed in him and he trained with renewed vigor. Both of them went to rest under the shade. Daichi took a few snacks from his bag and gave them a couple to his friend. Lee, after taking one bite, had sparkles in his eyes. "These are so delicious. I can''t believe you can also cook. You''re so awesome Daichi!" Daichi had a smirk and rubbed his nose. "Well I''m not one to brag¡­" Lee laughed seeing his friend''s attitude. They ate and talked about various things. The topic of the final exams came up. "I still can''t use any ninjutsu or genjutsu. So I can only rely on my Taijutsu and written grade to pass." Lee looked down as he said those words. "Everything will work out as long as you don''t give up. You need to have faith in yourself. As long as you don''t give up, I have no doubt that you can be something amazing in the future." Daichi said words of encouragement as he ate his snack. Lee''s eyes widened as he heard those words. A bright smile appeared on his face and he lunged and hugged Daichi as hard as he could. "Oh my good friend Daichi! Thank you for your words of encouragement. I will remember them forever." "Oy oy get off me." Daichi tried to pry the laughing Lee off him. Daichi didn''t fail to notice the system message he got just before Lee jumped at him. [Reputation massively increased with Rock Lee.] ¡ª- March 14th Iruka was supervising the class as they had their final exams. The students were writing the answers as fast as they could. He saw some struggling with the questions(Naruto) while others having an easy time(Sakura). His eyes then landed on three particular students. All three of them were doing nothing. That''s not entirely accurate. One was meditating while the other was glaring at him and the last one was taking a nap without a care in the world. Iruka quietly sighed as he looked at the three of them. ''Daichi, Sasuke and Shikamaru. Those three... Their intelligence is above the others in the class. But only two of them seem to take this seriously. Well, one of them takes it too seriously. Being second place has really motivated Sasuke to improve himself. But I feel that this rivalry is being too serious¡­ And then there is the third one... Thankfully he knows to keep himself in check. Daichi and Sasuke finished all the questions quickly but Shikamaru answered only just enough questions to get him a satisfactory grade. And now he''s taking a nap¡­ Why did I expect him to do anything else.?'' Iruka let out another sigh and supervised the exam. Before long it came to an end and with it their third year at the academy. Daichi hung out with his friends and after a while he left for his home. Time passed quickly and he was in his room going over his skill list when he noticed that it was almost midnight. A few seconds after the clock struck midnight the blue system message boxes came. [Ongoing Quest - ''Path to the strongest.''] [3rd Year tasks successfully completed. Distributing the Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Distributing New Skill for successfully learning chakra control techniques.] [Special Reward.] [A-Grade Item Blueprint (1/3).] Daichi''s eyes widened as he looked at the reward. ''An A grade item? The Atamagai cloak is an A grade item and its functions are incredible. Does this mean I will get an item with extraordinary abilities¡­? No! This says blueprints. That means I have to build it or find someone who can build it for me, depending on what this blueprint says. And moreover It says I only have one part out of three¡­ So I need two more huh¡­ If this item is anything like the cloak then I can wait. I''m sure it''ll be worth it.'' A blue paper appeared in his inventory slot. Daichi took it out and used ''Observe'' on it. [Special Item - Rank A. Item and functions unknown (Need complete blueprint for more information.)] Daichi then looked at the new skill he got. His eyes widened as he read the details of the skill. "What kind of sick shitty skill is this?" [New skill: ''I''m Ready to Die'' stance.] Author''s note: Rock Lee and Might Guy are two of my favorite characters in the series. No matter what anyone says, They''re awesome in my view. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 93 – Interlude 04. And the Ripple Effect Continues… Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi couldn''t believe what he was reading. He went over the skill a couple more times just to be sure he didn''t miss anything. "Who the hell would design a skill like this?" [''I''m Ready to Die'' stance - Active(LV. MAX): This skill is a unique one time ''conditional trigger'' skill that can only be activated in a certain scenario. This skill activates when the user has mentally prepared himself to sacrifice his life. Once this skill activates, the CP, HP, SP and MP of the user are restored to 50% of maximum for 20 seconds. The user must die in these 20 seconds. If not, the body of the user will violently explode.] [Conditions for activation.] 1. Health points of the user must be below 10%. 2. Chakra points of the user must be below 10%. 3. User must be resolute in his decision to die. Only then will this skill activate. [Effects:] [HP, CP, SP, MP of the user are restored to 50% for 20 seconds.] [300% Increase in effects of all techniques used during the 20 seconds activation period.] [All stats will gain a 20% boost for 20 seconds.] ''Da faq?... Well at least if anyone comes close to killing me, then I can be sure that I''ll be able to take him with me to the afterlife.'' Daichi then thought of the skill he acquired after saving Reo. His eyes slightly widened as he recalled the details of that skill. ''It seems this skill is designed to be paired up with that one. Interesting¡­'' Daichi closed the system messages and laid down in his bed. He crossed his arms behind his head and just laid there thinking about the next year. ''I need to complete the second step of the Fire Nature chakra. I was able to separate the waterfall but it wasn''t perfect. I was only able to increase it up to level 64¡­ And I''ll need to start on medical ninjutsu this year. Have to ask the old man if he knows anyone¡­ But I also need to keep myself off Kabuto''s radar. I definitely can''t have him knowing about my abilities¡­. One step at a time Daichi. Take one step at a time.'' The boy let out a long breath and closed his eyes and soon went to sleep. ¡ª- Hokage Office. An anbu wearing a mask with a bear pattern was standing silently in front of Hiruzen. "You took your time Bear! Over a year to investigate a single spy?¡­ Report!" At Hokage''s command, the Anbu ninja began his report on a certain spy. "I was able to identify the spy within the first two weeks of my assignment, Lord Hokage. But¡­ the reason it took so long to compile the report is because of his background." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "Go on." "Based on the description we received, I identified the suspect as Kabuto Yakushi. His rank is genin and he works at the hospital as a medic ninja. Nothing out of the ordinary about him. That''s the first impression anyone would get when investigating him. " "Yakushi?... Where have I heard that name before?" Hiruzen asked himself. "Nono Yakushi. She was a Jonin and a medic ninja and was the former captain of the medic corps." The Anbu explained. "Ahh yes. Now I remember. She was also part of the foundation and for a while worked undercover for Danzo." Hiruzen said as he recalled the face of the woman. "Yes sir. And it seems this Kabuto Yakushi has followed in her footsteps." The Hokage raised an eyebrow at that. He didn''t realize that Orochimaru''s spy also had ties to Danzo. "Tell me everything." "When I first investigated Kabuto Yakushi, I found out that he was a child adopted by Nono Yakushi. She was assigned to heal the wounded from the battle of the Kikyo Pass and it''s said that it was there that she found a young child. She adopted him, gave him the name Kabuto and taught him medical ninjutsu¡­ But I later found out that some of this story is false." "Some?" "Yes sir. The part about Miss Yakushi finding the child and teaching him medical Ninjutsu was true. But the rest of it is false. During my investigation I learned that Lord Danzo had made contact with Nono when she was running the Leaf Orphanage. I''m not sure how, but Kabuto ended up in Root and they trained him." "What?" Hiruzen couldn''t believe Orochimaru''s spy was a former root agent. Bear nodded. "Yes. I surveilled him for weeks and I learned that he is much more than he seems. He knows advanced surveillance and counter surveillance tactics. Most of the methods he employs¡­ I''ve only seen one group use those tactics. The Root forces¡­ At that point I established that he had connections to the foundation and dug deeper into his history. I had to infiltrate the root archives room. I found out the information needed there. The foundation trained Kabuto in espionage and he''s quite talented. I retraced his steps and paid a visit to the other great nations. I learnt that he infiltrated the Sand, Stone, Cloud, and Mist villages and posed as one of their shinobi gathering intelligence. An excellent infiltrator. On paper he is a Genin but I estimate that he''s at least a high Chunin or Low Jonin level." Hiruzen clasped his hands as he listened. ''This Kabuto sounds like he could become a major problem. I''ll need to handle this carefully.'' The Anbu continued. "During one of his infiltration missions in the stone village, he was found out and they pursued him. The person who pursued him was none other than Nono Yakushi." "What?" "It''s the truth sir. Turns out Lord Danzo employed Miss Yakushi and fed her false information about Kabuto. Convinced her that he was safe and doing something else. Even created false photographs to make the story believable. The root used both of them as spies and when Lord Danzo deemed them to be too dangerous he assigned them on a task that would force them to kill each other." The gears in Hiruzen''s mind spun. He quickly deduced what had happened. "The mission in the stone village. Danzo told me that the stone village found out that Nono was a spy and killed her. But you''re telling me¡­" "He lied sir. According to the stone village records it was an enemy spy that killed Nono. Danzo also sent Orochimaru to kill whoever remained. Tying up loose ends no doubt. I believe that Kabuto killed Miss Yakushi without realizing her identity and Orochimaru instead of killing Kabuto told him the truth and turned him against us." Bear concluded his report. He gave the Hokage a thick folder containing various documents he copied from the root missions records room and from the other great nations. Hiruzen clenched his fists as his mind went through all the information he just learned. "I''ve known Nono since she was a child. She would never have betrayed this village. But now we have one of our own ninja allied with a known traitor and working against us¡­ All this mess because of Danzo''s paranoia¡­ And not only that, but he also had the gall to lie to me." "Sir, there''s more¡­" "What is it?" "I heard that you ordered Lord Danzo to disband the root, after the whole Uchiha debacle¡­" Hiruzen slightly narrowed his eyes. "I did." "It was during this time I was able to infiltrate the root base and get the information I needed. But I learned something else. Lord Danzo has been moving funds and making a new base of operations. I believe he still has a sizable portion of his operatives working for him. Not only that, I learned that he made contact with Orochimaru." "What?! Bear, are you sure about this information? You need to be 100% accurate before you make accusations like that." "I didn''t want to believe it myself but it''s the truth sir. It was shortly after the Uchiha massacre." The aging kage clenched his fists as he heard his ninja. Bear was one of his most trusted and loyal Anbu. So Hiruzen didn''t doubt his words. ''Danzo! It seems I''ve been far too lenient with you¡­ Not only did you go behind my back and force Itachi to kill his clan but now you''re disobeying my direct orders¡­ If he''s lied to me about Nono''s death then what else has he lied about?'' Hiruzen gritted his teeth and killing intent slowly started to roll off him¡­ The kage had dismissed his 3 personal Jonin guards but there were still another 2 Anbu hidden in the room. They along with Bear felt the murderous intent rising from heir leader. Bear looked at the Hokage and slightly trembled. ''He''s pissed¡­ I do not want to be Danzo right now.'' After a short while Hiruzen took several deep breaths and calmed down. ''So you plan on colluding with a traitor behind my back huh. I can no longer tolerate you Danzo¡­ It was my inaction that led to Orochimaru''s escape. And now he''s one of the biggest threats to the village. If I let my emotions rule me again and do nothing then Danzo might become just as much of a problem if not more¡­ I knew he always wanted to be Hokage but¡­ To think he would do something like this¡­ He''s tried to kill me before and I have a feeling he''ll try again¡­ I won''t give you a second chance for that.'' Hiruzen made a resolute decision. "Deer, Snow." He called out. 2 Anbu appeared out of the shadows. "Yes sir." "You two along with Bear are my most loyal, capable and some of the best ninjas at infiltration, surveillance and interrogation. Only you three can complete the missions I''m about to give now." The three stood in attention and in silence. "Bear. I need you to infiltrate the root forces. But make sure not to get branded by Danzo''s curse seal. I need the identities of his operatives, his resources and the origin of his funds. Every organization needs money to function and the root is no different¡­ I don''t need to say this to you but make sure to have a backup plan in case you are compromised. The village can''t afford to lose someone with your talents. Not in the state it currently is." "I understand Lord Hokage." Hiruzen nodded and turned to the Anbu referred to as Deer. "I need you to keep an eye on Kabuto Yakushi. You''ve heard what he''s capable of. Make sure he doesn''t notice you. I need to know everything about him. From his friends to contacts to his favorite foods and right down to his breathing habits. Is that clear?" "Yes sir.!" Hiruzen then turned to the last one. "Snow. If Danzo has disobeyed my orders and Root is still active then he most likely would have operatives hidden amongst the Anbu, Jonin and Chunin forces. I need you to investigate all of them and find out the identities of Danzo''s men. Such a task will take time. Take as much as you need, but be careful and be thorough." "Understood sir." Hiruzen then addressed the three of them. "Now all of you listen carefully. If one of you gets caught by the enemy then the chances of the other two getting caught increases dramatically. Orochimaru, Kabuto and Danzo are like the three ends of a triangle. All connected. If one of you gets compromised then they will know I''m the one behind it. And while Orochimaru and Kabuto won''t make any direct or rash moves against me, I''m not sure that would be the case for Danzo. If he attacks me or in the event I somehow die, make sure that the next Hokage would have all the relevant information needed. Assuming the next one isn''t Danzo." The eyes of the three ninjas widened as they listened to the scenario described by their leader. Anbu agent Snow spoke up. "Sir, if you''re that worried about him then why don''t we take him into custody right now. I''m sure Ibiki and Inoichi can find out everything in his head." Hiruzen shook his head. "It''s not that simple. Danzo has acquaintances in several high places in and out of the village. Including the Daimyo court. If we rashly move against him, then¡­" "Sir, are you saying there would be a civil war within the village if we arrest him?" Bear exclaimed in shock. Hiruzen sighed and didn''t say anything but that silence was enough of an answer for the three Anbu ninjas. "Now you three know the gravity of the situation. Make sure you''re all careful. Go!" The three masked ninjas bowed and disappeared from Hiruzen''s view. He stood from his chair and walked to take in the view of the village as he always does when he has troubling thoughts. ''With those three I can take control of my internal forces and when the time comes strip Danzo''s resources completely. But it''s not enough. I need to deal with the allies he has outside¡­ And I know just the person to do it¡­ It seems you might have your revenge on Danzo after all¡­ Kensei.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 94 – Academy 4th year Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was jogging along the woods early in the morning and he had a companion who was just as obsessed with training as he was. "Yosh! That''s over... 30 kilometers. This... was a wonderful idea... Daichi." Lee exclaimed with a wide smile and haggard breath. At the moment he was not the person that could fight and train with great intensity and Daichi knew that. Both Lee and Daichi slowed down and slowly came to a stop. Daichi woke up early and went to the forest where Lee trained and found the boy at his spot as usual. Daichi decided to have Lee as his workout partner. They both completed several sets of exercises which took over a couple hours. [Reward: Status Recovery.] The blue system reward message appeared in Daichi''s view. They were both resting at the moment and Daichi discreetly opened his quest ''Path to the strongest.'' [Ongoing quest - ''Path to the strongest'' updated.] It was the first day of Daichi''s 4th year at the academy. And as Daichi expected, he got the quest update notification when he woke up. [Tasks to complete this year have been updated. Training clothes in your inventory have been modified. Wear them when completing the daily quests.] [Conditions:] Complete 400 Push ups (Daily) Complete 400 Squats (Daily) Complete 400 Punches(Daily) Run 30 Kilometers (Daily) Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of this academic year. Take the top spot in your class. Learn advanced chakra control techniques. Improve at least 6 Skills to LV. MAX. . Daichi looked over the details of the quest the moment he got them. ''It seems other than increasing the workout there doesn''t seem to be any other major change¡­ Improve at least 6 skills to Max huh¡­ That''s going to be tricky but doable.'' He then looked at the rewards. [Rewards:] Status Recovery (Daily) Random Reward(Weekly) +3 Stat Points (Weekly) Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Additional rewards for each extra dungeon cleared. New Skill for successfully Improving at least 6 Skills to LV. MAX. . ''There is no skill reward for learning advanced chakra control this time¡­ Oh well!'' [Failure:] -5 Stat points. Penalty Dungeon. Death. Accept (Y/N) The system also increased the weight of Daichi''s training clothes. Daichi''s eyes focused on the weight of the clothes. [Weighted Training Clothes] [Rare Item: Rank C] [...Consists of 2 leg warmers to be worn below the knee and 2 arm sleeves to be worn below the elbow. Each weighing exactly 4 KG. Consists of 1 undershirt and 1 trouser to be worn under the clothes. Each weighing exactly 12 KG.] ''40 Kilos total huh. I can handle much more than that but I''m not complaining. I must be the strongest 9 year old currently alive.'' Daichi closed the quest box and got up. "I''m heading home. Need to get cleaned up. Don''t want to be late for the first class of the year." Lee nodded and they went their separate ways. Daichi, after disappearing from Lee''s view, used the status recovery reward. His body was instantly refreshed as he made his way home. ¡ª- Many children join the academy in the hopes of becoming a powerful, famous ninja but only a portion of them even graduate and even less become Genin with a Jonin teacher. In the Academy there are divisions among the first, second and third year classes due to the number of children. But these numbers reduce during the first 3 years. Some children will find that becoming a ninja would be much harder than they thought and quit. While some would have no talent or ambition to improve themselves. At the end of the third year the teachers assess the students based on the total marks of their first three years, their skills, talent and willingness to improve in the shinobi arts and separate them into two groups at the beginning of the 4th year. Students who have absolutely no skill, talent, interest or drive in becoming a ninja are separated from the ones that show potential. This was to maximize resources and priorities. The students who show no potential in becoming a shinobi are transferred to a class that is designed for civilians. These classes would teach them the basics of subjects like math, science, business, marketing, economics and other essential aspects needed for the village. Now for the students who show talent or the willingness to improve themselves and could potentially become a ninja are all placed together in a single class. Daichi was in class listening to Iruka''s lectures. He looked like he was paying attention but his mind was on something else entirely. ''I need to complete the second step of the fire nature chakra in 2 or at most 3 months. Then I need to start learning medical ninjutsu. I''m sure the old man would help me with that. Need to complete a dungeon as usual. That''s no biggie¡­ Last but not least I need to improve 6 skills to Max level. I need to choose the skills which are close to being maxed out¡­ So that takes care of this year''s quest¡­'' Daichi looked around and saw several new faces. He used ''observe'' on them one by one and saw nothing noteworthy until he reached the last one. Daichi used his ''observe'' skill and found something unexpected. [LV.22] [Touma Asai] Age: 8 HP: 2764 CP: 2350 [Touma Asai is an orphan who was handpicked by Danzo Shimura for the Root program over 2 years ago. He has received basic training from his handler. His talents lay in taijutsu and swordsmanship. He is here to keep an eye on Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Daichi Hekima.] Daichi was calm on the outside but he was nervous in his heart. ''What the fuck? This guy is Root? That means Danzo knows about me. It even says this guy is here to keep an eye on me. Well there is Naruto and Sasuke on his list but that''s understandable. One is a Jinchuriki and the other is the last Uchiha¡­ Still¡­ Kensei was right. The moment I got the top spot, Danzo must have had his eye on me. But will he come for me?... No. With everything that''s happened last year he won''t make any big moves¡­ I hope.'' Daichi also used ''observe'' on Naruto and Sasuke. He went over Naruto''s information. [LV.17] [Naruto Uzumaki] Age: 8 HP: 4130. CP: 10755 [Naruto Uzumaki is the son of the late fourth hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. He is the current host of the nine tails. His status as a jinchuriki caused him to be shunned by most of the leaf-citizens. He is an orphan who longs for a family. He has a positive and friendly attitude despite his harsh circumstances. His dream is to become Hokage of the village. He has a powerful chakra that is currently dormant.] ''Wow. His chakra is more than twice his health points. And it''s almost near mine. I had to train my body every day and add points to my chakra stat just to increase it over 11000 points, but this kid¡­ Without doing anything his chakra level is almost near mine. And once he hits puberty his reserves will increase massively¡­ Is this what they call protagonist halo?... Some information has changed. Powerful dormant chakra. It didn''t show that the last time. I remember seeing this only in Sasuke''s ''observe'' info¡­ Must be talking about Ashura''s chakra¡­'' Daichi then looked at Sasuke. [LV.23] [Sasuke Uchiha] Age: 8 HP: 3122 CP: 2769 [Sasuke Uchiha is the son of the Uchiha clan head Fugaku and his wife Mikoto. He is the youngest of two children. His goal now is to become strong enough to kill his brother Itachi Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha has a vast amount of hidden potential and talent. He trains hard everyday to become strong enough to defeat the ''player''. He has a powerful chakra that is currently dormant.] ''Sasuke''s level is much higher than Naruto but he has nowhere near Naruto''s chakra reserves. His level indicates that he''s the strongest in the class. And just like Naruto some information about him has changed¡­ It seems that Root kid is almost as strong as Sasuke. I''ll have to keep an eye on him without getting myself caught¡­ I wonder how this year will go? Only time will tell I suppose.'' As the classes for the first day came to an end, Daichi went to meet Iruka sensei. He thought about what skill he could completely level up within the year and one came to mind. Daichi met Iruka in his office. "Daichi! Thought you would be out with your friends. What brings you here?" Iruka asked while going over some student reports. "I was wondering if I could get some scrolls on advance Leaf academy taijutsu. I feel like I''ve hit a barrier with my current understanding of the taijutsu style." "Daichi that scroll is only for the final year students. And even then it''s only given to those that show talent in taijutsu." "Are you saying I lack talent in taijutsu?" Daichi raised an eyebrow at that. "No. No! It''s not that." Iruka quickly corrected himself. He had seen Daichi fight and he would be a fool to say that Daichi didn''t have any talent in that field. He then let out a small sigh. "Look Daichi, I know you''re strong but that scroll is only given to 6th year students or Genins." "I get that but I could improve my skills in Taijutsu if I could get the scroll." Iruka shook his head. "Sorry Daichi. Rules are rules. And if I break the rule for one student then I''ll have to break them for all." Daichi let out a sigh. "I understand." He bowed and left the office. ''That was a bust. But I''m sure the old man would have the scrolls I need. I just didn''t want the hassle of answering questions on where I learned advanced taijutsu style only taught to 6th years.'' That night Daichi asked for the scrolls and Kensei gave them to him. "Some rules in the academy need to change. I''ve seen your skills. You''re more than ready to learn the advanced forms of this style." ¡ª- Daichi spent the months of April and May trying to complete the second stage of his advanced chakra control training. Even though he got the scroll for the taijutsu style he focused on his chakra control training. He didn''t like the fact that he hadn''t completed the fire nature control training before the end of March. So he decided to finish the second step before starting anything else. Daichi and his clones were standing on a small rocky bridge trying to separate the waterfall. With each passing day the skill leveled up and by the end of May he leveled it up to maximum. [Fire - Waterfall separation technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX):An advanced fire chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing the chakra to heat and separate the flow of water. An advanced technique to help the user increase the control and strength of their fire nature chakra.] [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Fire Affinity.''] [Effects:] 200% Increase in Fire Chakra control. 300% Increase in power of Fire Chakra nature. [CP cost : 18/sec.] "Finally!" Daichi released his shadow clones and jumped down from the stone bridge. He took several breaths and steadied himself. He quickly weaved several hand seals and shot a fast and powerful fireball at the bridge he was previously standing on. The fireball struck the bridge and destroyed it and still didn''t stop. It traveled a bit further and struck the waterfall. There was a small explosion and the water parted ways around the exploded area due to the force of the attack. Daichi could see the scorched rocks behind the waterfall for a couple seconds before it was once again covered by the rushing water. "Not bad. The speed and strength of that fireball was on a completely different level from when I first used it. And there is still a third step remaining¡­" Daichi smiled at the results of his work. In a happy mood Daichi left for his home. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 95 – The Hokage’s Visit Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage Office. The moonlight was shining through the glass window of the Hokage''s office. Hiruzen was looking over the top secret report sent by his Anbu agent Bear. His eyes narrowed as he read information regarding a certain root spy. ''Touma Asai. 8 years old. Orphan. Recruited by Danzo into the root program two years ago due to his high aptitude for taijutsu and weaponry. Has above average memory retention and intelligence. Currently in the 4th year of the academy with the mission to spy on Sasuke Uchiha, Daichi Hekima and Naruto Uzumaki.'' Hiruzen smoked his pipe as he carefully read the details of the report. ''Bear is doing excellent work¡­. Danzo knows that Sasuke is untouchable as long as Itachi is alive and that I have my eyes on Naruto. He won''t risk going after either of them as long as they are within the village. But Daichi on the other hand¡­ Even the threat Kensei poses won''t hold him back for long¡­ It''s been almost 2 months since I assigned those three with their tasks. It''s time I had my chat with Kensei. Time to see if he''s as motivated as before. In the event he won''t help me¡­ I''ll have to persuade him or find someone else. Jiraiya has his own tasks and I can''t ask him to take on more work¡­'' Hiruzen sat in his chair and then looked at the Hokage hat on the table. ''I need to think about a successor¡­ There is no one capable in the village that can become the 5th at the moment. And Jiraiya has no intention of wearing the hat¡­ If I can hold on for another 5 or 6 years then maybe Kakashi might be ready by then¡­'' Hiruzen let out a smoke filled breath and stood up and paced around the room. ''There is one who is capable. But that''s impossible. She might never set foot here let alone lead the village¡­'' He returned to the table and secured all the documents and left the Hokage tower shortly after. He was headed home. Due to the Hokage residency being near the tower it didn''t take him more than a couple minutes to reach the place. He opened the doors to his home and was met with silence and darkness. A reminder that he had lost his wife and of a strained relationship with his son. After having some food Hiruzen went to his bed. ''I''ll speak to Kensei tomorrow. I might also be able to see how far Daichi has come along in his nature training.'' ¡ª- Root Base - Underground. Danzo was reading the report written by Touma Asai. It contained information not only on Naruto, Sasuke and Daichi but also on the clan heirs. ''What is Hiruzen thinking? Why hasn''t he let Daichi get ahead? Did he not think the child was capable or did the boy reject the offer? His character says otherwise. He is obsessed with getting stronger. Training everyday and expanding his knowledge. I doubt he would turn down an offer to skip a grade¡­ Or am I missing something? And then there is Sasuke Uchiha. Being in second place has certainly had an effect on him. He''s constantly training to keep up with the boy. If I can get him on my side things will get a lot easier. But as long as Itachi is alive I can''t do that without him doing damage to the village¡­ Damn you Itachi.'' Danzo clenched his fist as he thought about the Uchiha. He then looked at the blonde whiskered boy and his face had an expression of contempt. ''How could the child of one of the greatest geniuses of an era be a complete idiot? He has no talent and his skills are worse than even the normal students. Looks like his only worth is the nine tails inside him¡­ I need the Sharingan and the power of the first Hokage before I go after him.'' ¡ª- It was Sunday morning. The streets of the village were less busy than usual. A plain unassuming man was walking through the road. He traveled for a while before he reached his intended destination. He met a barrier at the front of the house. Nostalgia filled the man as he remembered the day the barrier around the house was set up. He injected chakra into the barrier and it wasn''t long before the occupant of the home came out to greet him. Kensei was reading a book when he sensed a fluctuation in the barrier. It only took him a moment to recognize the chakra and his eyes slightly widened. ''Why would he be here?'' He stepped out of the house and went to meet the unexpected guest. He looked at the man and realized it was a transformation jutsu. "Hiruzen is that you? What''s with the getup?" Hiruzen released his transformation jutsu. "Hello old friend. Certain circumstances have forced me to use cautious methods. We need to talk." The tone in Hiruzen''s voice sent alarm bells ringing in Kensei''s head. He opened the barrier and let the Hokage in. Hiruzen smiled as he entered the place. "I still remember the day Lady Mito helped you set this up. Truly something else." "Mm¡­" Kensei hummed in response. He looked at his once close friend. "What''s going on Hiruzen?" "Why do you ask that?" "You''re here in disguise and without your guards. Do I need to say more?" Hiruzen sighed. Kensei was always sharp. ''Not that I did much to hide my suspicious behavior anyway.'' "Let''s go inside. There are some matters of importance we need to discuss." Kensei looked at him for a few seconds and then led him inside. He prepared some tea and poured two cups. "Where is Daichi?" The Hokage asked. "He''s out training." "He is quite dedicated." Hiruzen replied, sipping his tea. "Mmhmm!" Both of them sat and said nothing for several seconds before Hiruzen broke the silence. "I''m investigating Danzo and the Root." Kensei''s eyes widened as he heard the news. "What? Are you serious?" "Yes. But there is more." Kensei looked at Hiruzen with slight confusion. Hiruzen spoke, seeing Kensei''s questioning look. "I''m also investigating someone with ties to Orochimaru. I believe Danzo and Orochimaru are still in contact." "I thought you took care of Root?" "I ordered Danzo to disband the foundation but he has disobeyed my orders. I can no longer tolerate his actions. I need to cripple his power inside the village. For that I need to know exactly what he''s capable of. I''ve tasked some of my Anbu with the job but something like this will take time." Hiruzen took another sip from his cup as he finished explaining. Kensei knew that Hiruzen considered Danzo as a close friend. So he couldn''t believe he was actually going through with something like this. "You''re actually doing it. I can''t believe it. Does this have anything to do with our last conversation?" "The conversation where you said Danzo would betray me and one day would be the death of me?... It might have played a small part." "So what do you need me for? It sounds like you have everything under control." "You and I both know it''s not that simple. Danzo has associates he can use outside the village. Especially¡­ in the capital." Hiruzen finished and looked Kensei in the eye. Kensei''s eyes narrowed in realization. "So that''s what this is about! You want to use my contacts in the Daimyo court to help you¡­ Tough luck there Hiruzen. They''re not gonna help you." "I know¡­ I know they won''t help me. They''re your friends and not mine. They don''t owe me anything¡­" Kensei frowned as he heard the Hokage speak. He knew Hiruzen would always have a plan when trying to negotiate. Hiruzen looked at Kensei and smiled. "They won''t help me. I''m well aware of that fact¡­ But they will help you." "So you want to drag me into this huh. And why would I get into the middle of this mess?" "Revenge. For Hotaru." "Don''t say his name. You have no right." Kensei was angered that Hiruzen would bring up his son''s name at a time like this. Hiruzen sighed and spoke. "I''m sorry about what happened. I know that deep down if you had the chance you wouldn''t hesitate to kill Danzo. I''m giving you that chance." Kensei gripped his knees as he thought about it. ''He''s partially right. If I have the chance to kill Danzo I would¡­ But I won''t.'' Kensei let out a breath and looked at the kage. "You''re right. The need for revenge is still there in my heart¡­ But I''m not going to take your offer. Because if anything happens, if anything goes wrong then I''m not the only one who gets affected." Hiruzen only needed a second to realize the implications. "Daichi. You''re worried about his safety¡­" "Yes." Kensei answered after a few seconds of silence. Hiruzen smiled as he looked at his former Anbu commander. "You would turn down the chance to get even with the person responsible for the death of your son for someone else¡­ You really have changed. I''m glad young Daichi has had such a positive impact on you." Kensei grunted but had a small smile on his face. "He''s a good kid. I never thought I would feel like this again¡­" "Yes. He has a good character." Hiruzen looked at the last bit of tea in the cup as he remembered the moment when Daichi comforted Naruto at the playground. From all the reports he read he knew that Daichi was someone who would stand up for his friends. "Hiruzen!" The Hokage looked up at Kensei. "Daichi currently has a carefree life. The only thing he''s concerned about is his training and academics¡­ But if I get involved in this Danzo business then sooner or later Daichi will be dragged into it as well. And you and I both know Danzo has no qualms about fighting dirty. Daichi will get caught in the crossfire and I don''t want that." Hiruzen sighed hearing Kensei''s reasoning. "I''m afraid it might be a bit late for that." "What are you talking about?" "Danzo already is aware of Daichi and has his eyes on him." "I figured. I know he''ll keep an eye on all the talented kids in the academy. I figured Danzo already knows about Daichi and he''s aware of the kid''s talents." Hiruzen shook his head. "No you don''t understand. I mean Danzo has already sent one of his agents to spy on Daichi." "What?" Kensei''s eyes widened as he heard this. "He has sent a child in the root program to infiltrate the academy with the sole purpose of spying on Daichi and getting close to him. Danzo is efficient when allocating his root forces. He wouldn''t send one of his ninjas for nothing. I believe Danzo will make a move on young Daichi before he graduates." Kensei was silent as he processed this information. After several seconds of silence he asked. "How accurate is this information?" Hiruzen took out a scroll from his sleeve and opened it. The scroll had several folders. Hiruzen took one folder and gave it to Kensei. It was the folder containing documents on Touma Asai. Before Hiruzen came to speak with Kensei he had dug up more information about the child and with Bear''s report, it presented accurate and thorough information about the child. "You may not want to engage in a fight with Danzo but soon you''ll have to. He''ll be coming for young Daichi. Just like he did with¡­ Your son." Kensei clenched his fists in anger. ''That bastard.'' He then looked at Hiruzen. "What about you? Are you just going to sit and do nothing? Root shouldn''t even be active right now. So are you going to let him go after the kid?" "Danzo knows I won''t let him operate his forces again. But if he manages to get backing from the Royal court then he can make things difficult for me. Or he can wait until I die and go after young Daichi¡­ Regardless, no matter what, Danzo will go after your grandson. It''s not a matter of if, only when." Kensei knew Hiruzen was right. Danzo was not someone who would back down once he had his sights set on something. He let out a breath and looked at Hiruzen. "So what''s the plan?" Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 96 – Hiruzen’s Plan Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei''s Home. Kensei let out a long sigh and after thinking about what Hiruzen said, made a decision. "So what''s the plan?" "I''ve already tasked some of my best agents to investigate Root and Danzo''s allies within the village. I need you to investigate his ties to the Royal court. During these last few decades Danzo has cultivated a few assets near the Daimyo. I need you to find their identities, their strengths and weaknesses. See if they are truly loyal to Danzo or if they can be turned." "What about Jiraiya? He has an extensive spy network. Why don''t you ask him for help with this?" "He has a lot on his plate at the moment. The nine tails attack and now the Uchiha massacre has significantly reduced our strength. Jiraiya is currently working on minimizing information leaks and spreading false intelligence. With everything that''s happened, we need to show strength¡­ I can''t ask him to take on anymore at the moment. That''s why I need your help." Kensei pondered on what the Hokage just said. There were a lot of things that could go wrong with an operation like this. "Hiruzen, we''re about to conduct an investigation on the members associated with the Fire Daimyo. If he gets wind of it before we complete the investigation, if anything goes wrong, then it will impact the village as a whole. You realize that don''t you?" Hiruzen nodded. "I''m well aware of the risks, Kensei. Don''t forget, I led this village for decades. I know just how much our relationship with the Fire Daimyo means to the village. But I''ve decided to go forward with this investigation nonetheless. I''m here asking for your help to minimize the risks¡­ You have some businesses in the capital. So there wouldn''t be much suspicion if you moved to the capital under the guise of running your business in a more hands on capacity." Kensei crossed his arms as he thought about the proposal. "I don''t want to leave Daichi alone here." "I''ll make sure Daichi is safe." Kensei looked at Hiruzen and he had a downcast expression. "I trusted you once. And I paid the price. I can''t take that chance again." Hiruzen looked down as he heard those words. "I''m truly sorry about your son¡­ I can''t change the past Kensei¡­ No matter how much I want to." Both of them sat in silence and contemplated what to say next. "I''m going to get us something to drink." Kensei stood up and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of sake and two cups. He returned shortly after and poured two cups. Both of them took a cup and drank the alcohol in it in silence. After a minute it was the Hokage that broke the ice. "How is young Daichi?" "Energetic and training as usual. He''s been going at it for months without stopping. But unlike most he actually enjoys pushing himself beyond his limits like this." "He''s the best in his class and the teachers in the academy even know that he''s stronger than most of the senior students. They just don''t know how much." Kensei smiled and nodded with that assessment. "How far has he progressed with the change in chakra nature training?" Hiruzen drank another cup and asked. "He completed the first two steps of both Earth and Fire chakra". Kensei smirked as he answered that question. "What?" The Hokage was shocked. The first step alone would usually take 3 to 7 months to learn. For talented geniuses, that time would be reduced to 1 to 3 months. And it was merely the first step. To learn the second step would take much more time. And the fact that Daichi managed to learn the two steps of 2 chakra natures in a single year astounded him. "Are you sure Kensei?" "Of course I''m sure. He showed me after he completed his training. He was able to master the first step of his Earth nature in just 3 weeks." Hiruzen''s eyes widened as heard that. Kensei looked at the dumbfounded face of the Hokage and chuckled. "Such speed¡­" "Yes. It''s incredible. He makes you look like an ordinary chump Hiruzen." Kensei chucked at that. Hiruzen turned serious and looked at Kensei. "Danzo must not learn the true extent of Daichi''s talents. And we absolutely can''t let Daichi be dragged into the Foundation. If Daichi becomes part of the Root then it won''t be long before Danzo makes a move on the position of Hokage. If someone as talented as Daichi comes under his command then he will become bold enough to challenge me or whoever comes after me." Kensei nodded. "Yes. On that we can agree." "For the moment we can rest easy. Danzo won''t make any moves on the surface and recruiting someone like Daichi will draw attention to him. So for the moment he''ll only be observing. And he''s also in the middle of creating a new base and moving his assets. So he''ll be focused on that for now." The Hokage said after thinking about the current situation of root. "Danzo is not one to be sloppy with his movements or information. Who exactly did you send to infiltrate Root? He or she must be good if you''re getting such precise details." "One of my Anbu. Code named Bear. You know him. You even trained him for a brief period of time." Kensei''s eyes slightly widened as realized who Hiruzen was talking about. "Ahh¡­ So it''s him¡­ If it''s that brat then you won''t have much to worry." "If I''m going to help you with this, then I need two things in return." Kensei knew Hiruzen would only come to him for help if he didn''t have many options left. The kage sighed hearing that. "I had a feeling you didn''t agree just because of the goodness of your heart¡­ What is it?" "I want Isen out of H¨­zuki Castle." The Hokage was shocked at what Kensei was asking. "That''s impossible." "No it''s not. The prisoners in that containment facility can be released if the village sends an official request." Kensei then took another mouthful from his sake cup. "You forget. Danzo has spies in that facility as well. He was the one who put Isen there and if I get Isen out, Danzo will know and he will send a kill squad to finish him off¡­ And besides, what good will it do to have Isen out? He doesn''t have his memories. He won''t be of any help." Kensei sighed as he remembered what happened to his friend and once fellow Anbu member. "One of the few times Danzo showed mercy. Isen was loyal to the village just as much as you. He knew that. But he also knew Isen uncovered several of his corrupt deeds. Isen had knowledge on Danzo''s illegal assets." "What?" "Yes. But he was too angry at that time to bring that information to you because of what happened during his mission. And then he fell into Danzo''s trap¡­ For his lifelong loyalty to the village, instead of killing him, Danzo sealed his memories and with the charges against Isen he was able to imprison him in that castle. While you just sat there unable to help him." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at that accusation. "Do you think it was easy for me to just let that happen and do nothing about it? Isen attacked Danzo and the Daimyo''s minister in public. It was a trap for Isen but like a blind fool he walked right into it. The Daimyo got involved. If Isen wasn''t punished it could have caused friction between the village and the capital." Kensei sighed as he heard the justification. The Hokage continued. "Besides, who do you think it was that convinced Danzo to spare his life instead of outright killing him. Who do you think convinced him that Isen would be far less of a threat if he didn''t have his memories and was imprisoned in a prison away from the village." Kensei was shocked as he looked at his kage. "You¡­?" "Yes. Don''t think I didn''t help. I made sure Isen would live to see another day." "Fat load of good that did. He''s alive but everything that made him¡­ him, is gone." Kensei looked down and poured another cup for him. "I wouldn''t be so sure of that." Kensei looked up at Hiruzen and saw the kage with a small smirk. "I''m the one who gave Danzo the memory seal formula. I told him it was permanent. Once used on the target, it would erase all the memories forever. And he checked it to make sure before using it on Isen. The thing is¡­ I lied when I said it would permanently erase the memories." Kensei leaned forward and looked at Hiruzen. "You mean¡­" "The memories are still there inside his head. Just locked away from everyone. A subtle but complex sealing jutsu courtesy of Lady Mito. The seal is essentially a lock. Anyone with the key would be able to undo that seal at any time. I figured it would be best to keep that information to myself." Kensei shot up from his seat as he heard those words. "You bastard. You mean I could have saved him and got his memories back all this time¡­ Why didn''t you tell me?" "Because I knew you would react like this and if you had tried to save him, Danzo would have interfered and killed Isen. And with the eyes of the Daimyo on the whole situation I couldn''t do anything to jeopardize the stability of the village at the time." Kensei let out a breath and sat down. After several seconds spoke. "We have to save him." "I agree. But we need to do it without raising any suspicions. If we want to save Isen and get him out of there, then first he has to die." Kensei narrowed his eyes. He figured out the meaning of those words in seconds. "Fake his death." Hiruzen nodded. "I have an idea but I need some time to create a concrete plan." "Ok¡­ Ok¡­ Whatever you need. I''ll help you with this. For Isen." Kensei spoke with a smile. He was excited at the prospect of rescuing his old friend. "For Isen." Hiruzen raised his sake cup and Kensei joined in toasting for their friend''s freedom. "You mentioned two things. What''s the second?" Hiruzen asked as he took another swig of the alcohol. "I''m thinking about having someone at the hospital teach Daichi some medical ninjutsu." Kensei replied. "I managed to peak the kid''s interest in the field. I told him I would start him on that this year." Hiruzen had a frown on his face when he heard this. ''Kabuto is working at the hospital. If he learns about Daichi then Orochimaru will also learn about the child. And that''s just as bad.'' Noticing Hiruzen''s frown Kensei had an uneasy feeling. "What''s wrong?" "You can''t take Daichi to the hospital for training." "Why not?" The Hokage sighed. "The spy I mentioned that has ties to Orochimaru¡­ He works at the hospital. If Orochimaru gets information on Daichi, that would bring trouble for the boy." Kensei grunted at that. "Daichi has a lot of potential. Learning medical ninjutsu would benefit him greatly. And he would only need a fraction of the time to learn the techniques needed." "Yes. I''m sure he''s capable. But do you really want to take that risk?" Kensei''s silence was his reply to the question. Hiruzen spoke after a short while. "I''ll come up with something. Give me a couple weeks." Kensei nodded. "I was hoping to meet young Daichi but it seems he''s busy with his training. Maybe another time¡­" Hiruzen had his eyes glancing at the door. "He might not be back for a while." Hiruzen nodded. "Then it''s time for me to leave. I''ll come back once everything is planned out." Kensei nodded and both of them stood from their chair. Hiruzen reapplied his transformation jutsu and walked out of the house. Before long, he left the place. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 97 – The Art of Genjutsu Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hi guys. Fair warning. Bit of an info dump chapter. This is my take on Genjutsu. It may be right, it may be wrong or maybe it''s something in the middle¡­ Daichi was fighting his clones in the forest while being blindfolded. He relied on his other senses and wanted to improve them. He wanted to evolve his sense skills as quickly as he could. But Daichi''s clones were just as capable as he was. So the battle lasted for some time before he was able to successfully defeat and dispel his clones. After meditating and recovering his strength he opened his skill list. Daichi''s eyes went to the skills related to the 6 senses. ''They''re almost at level 50. Maybe another two or three battle sessions like this and they''ll be ready to evolve.'' Daichi closed the skill list and headed home. During the battle he received a notification that indicated that reputation had increased with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Daichi was confused and not sure why that notification would show up at this time. ''Well, as long as it''s not a ''reputation decreases'' notification I don''t mind.'' There was also something else he wanted to ask his grandfather. Before long he reached his home. He noticed Kensei on the porch and he seems to be immersed in deep thoughts. "Hey old man. You seem like you have something important on your mind." Daichi''s voice snapped Kensei out of his thoughts. He smiled and replied. "It''s nothing you need to worry about." Daichi looked at Kensei for a second and then nodded. Daichi at that time smelled the faint scents of tobacco lingering in the air. He also smelled the heavy scent of sake. He knew Kensei didn''t smoke. "Was someone here?" Daichi asked. Kensei looked at the kid and sighed. ''His senses are getting sharper and sharper. I was planning on keeping Hiruzen''s visit to myself for now but¡­'' "Yes Daichi. I had an unexpected visitor this morning. But it''s nothing you need to concern yourself with. I''ll tell you when the time comes." Daichi was slightly confused but then nodded and let it go. He had something more important on his mind. "Hey gramps. I''m thinking about working on my taijutsu and genjutsu and then some medical ninjutsu this year. What do you think?" Kensei thought about the question. The warning Hiruzen had given him about Orochimaru''s spy was prevalent in his mind. "Focus on your taijutsu and genjutsu and sharpen the skills you already possess. Learning too many things without mastery of anything won''t help you." Daichi nodded and agreed with that assessment. "Can you tell me about Genjutsu? I want to focus and improve my awareness on it as well." Kensei smiled. He motioned for Daichi to come and sit near him. "So you''re finally interested huh. The art of Genjutsu. This will take a while to fully explain." Daichi focused and paid attention to every word Kensei was going to say. "Genjutsu or the Art of Illusions is the third and least common of the basic combat specialties for a shinobi. Now Taijutsu and Ninjutsu both apply damage or alterations to the physical world while Genjutsu mainly targets the mind." Daichi was confused. "But during our fight you changed the terrain¡­ How is that¡­" Kensei chucked. "What I did falls under Genjutsu but let me remind you, I did not alter the terrain with genjutsu. I merely placed an illusion on the hole on the ground I created with Ninjutsu¡­ I''ll explain¡­ As I said, Genjutsu can not affect non living or environmental things and physically alter them. Now, genjutsu is the most versatile of the three, but it is also the most difficult to use effectively. Our mind, our imagination, it''s limitless. So are the possibilities of genjutsu. It depends on the user. Whether it''s a simple distraction, or traumatizing someone or an outright powerful attack on the psyche of a person, a capable genjutsu user can accomplish it all." Daichi was attentive to every word. ''In the show, most characters that genjutsu were used on had a bloodline limit or something else that helped them negate it. Mainly the Uchiha and their Sharingan, the Hyuga and the Byakugan, the Rinnegan and Jinchurikis who are partners with their tailed beasts. Compared to the number of shinobi in the world who are not immune to genjutsu this number is very small. While illusions won''t be useful against powerful A or S rank enemies, they will definitely be useful against most people below those ranks. I can''t ignore this field.'' Kensei continued. "Now just like ninjutsu, genjutsu requires usage of hand-seals and precise control of chakra. There are three ways to utilize genjutsu. All the techniques of the illusion arts fall under these three categories. The first is Sensory-based illusions. The most common type of genjutsu. They can target a single or multiple opponents and they have great potential. Many techniques used by the shinobi fall under this category. A manipulation of the target''s perception of reality. Chakra enters a person''s body and manipulates their senses." "The five major senses of the body?!." "Yes! The most common is manipulation of our vision. The sense of sight. The genjutsu that affects what you see. Make something invisible or change the appearance or make you see something that doesn''t exist. Then there is Somatic sensation. It''s the sense of touch. We can induce pain, numb the body, change the perception of temperature and much more. Auditory sensation. The Sense of hearing. Manipulating what the enemy hears. It can be used to feed false intelligence to create outright throbbing headaches. It can be used to annoy your enemy or take away their sense of hearing entirely. Gustatory. Your sense of taste. Now this is one of the rarer types of genjutsu. But with a creative mind it could be very effective. Then manipulating the olfactory senses. It''s the sense of smell. It could be something as simple as creating the smell of smoke to go along with fire or something similar. Then there is the vestibular sense. It dictates our balance and movements. Our hand-eye coordination will be disrupted if this sense is affected. Now these types of genjutsu are usually B rank and above. Now the remaining two main senses are the Temporal and Kinesthetic sense. The former deals with controlling the victim''s perception of time and the latter can manipulate the spatial awareness of the body. With this you can make your victim lose the feeling of a limb or more¡­ Depends on a creative and slightly sadistic mind." Kensei smirked as he said the last part. Daichi slightly grimaced as he looked at the creepy smile on the old man''s face. ''Yikes!'' "Now these jutsus can affect more senses but they can be easy or difficult to notice. Although these techniques are strong they are limited to the minds of those affected after activation. Now remember! All the above fall under the first category of genjutsu. Sensory based illusions. The important thing to remember is that these jutsus need a trigger to work. Trigger is an action or an object which catches the attention of the target''s senses. The exception is the wide area effect genjutsu. They use space as the medium." "Wow. What they teach us at the academy are peanuts compared to what I just learned." Kensei replied hearing the kid. "Yes. They only teach the basics. And information on not just genjutsu but all the ninja arts is restricted. Once a student graduates, only then will they have access to more information and techniques." Daichi nodded. ''Makes sense I guess. Wouldn''t want powerful techniques to fall into the hands of an irresponsible kid.'' "So what''s the next to two categories?" "The second category is Memory based genjutsu. Like the name suggests, it affects our mind. Specifically our memories. Now these types of genjutsu require time to activate and need great focus to utilize it on the battlefield properly. These types of techniques are mainly used in interrogation, planting false memories and thus false intelligence. This type is only used by the Yamanaka clan due to their strong affinity towards Yin chakra and mental manipulation." Kensei stopped and looked at Daichi. "Now I believe you can defend yourself against genjutsu of these two categories. Because these two types of genjutsu are direct type genjutsu that attack the brain and you have immunity against them¡­ Now comes the third category. The type of genjutsu you are susceptible to." Daichi paid close attention to every word his grandfather spoke. He needed to be aware of these types of illusions. Seeing he had Daichi''s undivided attention, Kensei continued. "Optical based Genjutsu. Chakra is used to bend or refract light to modify or create images. These illusions are based on natural illusions in nature like Rainbows or Mirages. Jutsus such as False placement or Haze clones fall under this category. The jutsu I used on you also falls under this category. These types of jutsus create images out of chakra but do not send them directly to the enemy''s mind. It essentially creates a physical Illusion that everyone can see." "But if we''re creating physical images out of chakra and layering them over objects then doesn''t that fall into the category of Ninjutsu? I thought genjutsu cannot be casted on objects with no chakra network¡­" Daichi questioned the old man. "You would think so but no. First this isn''t classified as ninjutsu. These are still illusions. For these types of techniques we use a small amount of Yang chakra in conjunction with Yin chakra. This also answers your second question." Daichi nodded. Kensei continued with his explanation. "These types of genjutsu are used to alter the appearance of wide area terrains and such. They are easy to dispel but difficult to notice. But they can''t be used to hide or mask a person. Now I want you to know that optical illusions do not interfere with your other senses." Daichi''s eyes widened as heard the last part. "Wait a minute. When you used that blackout genjutsu on me, you said you took away my sight, sound and smell¡­ But now you''re telling me¡­" "I lied. I took away your sight. That''s true. But what I did was make sure to reduce the amount of any sound or smell. The sounds and smell present were muted but they were still there. In the heat of the battle when you heard that I took away three of your senses you didn''t think to double check. That''s a lesson I want you to keep in your mind. Never trust your enemy. And be vigilant of your allies." Daichi thought back to that battle. ''He''s right. He only took my sight away but I believed him when he said he took my sense of sound and smell¡­ The root cause of that mistake is trust¡­ In a world full of killers and backstabbers I''ll have to be careful not to let my guard down around anyone.'' "Don''t worry. With enough training and experience you''ll be able to identify optical Genjutsu¡­" Daichi looked at Kensei and nodded. He then asked his grandfather something that was on his mind. "What about emotions? Can genjutsu be used to control a person''s emotions?" "Genjutsu can affect the senses but it can''t control or change one''s emotions. They are only capable of indirectly inspiring one''s emotions. You can create a giant fearsome snake with the intent to scare the target but whether he/she gets scared or not, how that person reacts¡­ it all depends on them." Kensei took a moment for Daichi to digest all the information. After a while he began explaining the last and crucial part of the Genjutsu arts. How to dispel them. "Figuring out you''re in a genjutsu is only half the battle. Now there are a few methods for negating genjutsu and they aren''t very difficult. Pain or physical trauma. Either self inflicted or afflicted by the enemy. Now what you need to keep in mind is that the pain must be strong enough to overcome the mental attack. The second method is the Genjutsu release Kai. The person stops all flow of chakra in their body and restarts their flow. The amount of chakra required depends on the jutsu used. The third method is if you are freed by another party. If you have a teammate then he must realize that you''re caught in a genjutsu and help you out. This person must make physical contact with the person trapped in the jutsu¡­ These are the three major ways someone can escape genjutsu¡­ Now some people have natural resistance to illusions. Like those with Sharingan and Byakugan. And ordinary shinobi too, over time can develop resistance to certain genjutsu techniques." "Now you have a thorough understanding of the Genjutsu arts. Since you''re immune to most you won''t have to worry that much but it''s still prudent that you learn and master the field." Kensei completed his explanation and workings on the field of genjutsu. Daichi was grateful. He now had much better understanding and knowledge on the subject. "I understand. Thank you." ''This seems really interesting. The only limit to Genjutsu is one''s imagination¡­ I wonder how far I can take this field?'' Author¡¯s Note: So now that you guys have an understanding of my take on genjutsu, I Would love to hear yours If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 98 – Sense Evolution and Skill Progress Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Days went by as Daichi trained and honed his skills. His main focus was leveling up his sense skills. They would evolve once they reached level 50. Daichi concluded that evolving those skills would help with completing part of this year''s quest. He was training in the forest near his home. He was in the middle of a battle with his clones and after sometime he got a few system notifications. [Skill Superior Hearing''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Superior Hearing has reached level 50. Evolving skill.] [Skill evolved into Acute Hearing.] [Acute Hearing - Active/Passive(LV. MAX): A skill obtained through evolving the skill Superior Hearing. This skill is a LV. MAX skill with various effects. The hearing of the user is sharpened and becomes more acute. The user can increase the range of his hearing as he needs. But this has limitations.] [Note: Negative side effects associated with having a more sensitive hearing does not apply to the user. Gamer''s Mind will neutralize negative side effects of sensory overload. With training more and more effects can be added onto this skill.] [Effects:] Gives the user the ability to focus hearing to a certain area or filter out everything but the wanted sounds. The user is able to determine the location of the target with more accuracy. Range of hearing depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] [500 Exp.] [75 Exp.] "Wow!" Daichi couldn''t help but exclaim out loud. He read the details of the evolved skill and was impressed. ''It says I can add more effects to this skill with training. And unless I''m mistaken there doesn''t seem to be a limitation to the number of effects that can be added. I''m guessing the only limitation is it must have something to do with hearing¡­ Interesting.'' Reading the gamer''s mind''s negation of any negative side effects also brought a smile to Daichi''s face. ''If the Gamer''s Mind negates sensory overload for this skill then it''s possible it will do the same for other evolved skills.'' Daichi concluded. He then thought about the memories of Naruto winning against Kiba during the chunin exams. ''I don''t care what anyone says. That was a pathetic way to win. Thank God I don''t have to worry about anything like that.'' Daichi then used the new skill. He only slightly focused and he could hear far better than before. Daichi tried out his new skill and he quickly learned how to discard unwanted sounds and focus on what he wanted to hear. His range was much better than before and when he focused his chakra it, the range of his hearing expanded. Daichi felt that the chakra used to increase his hearing was negligible. "Wow. This is truly incredible. Is this what those with super hearing feels like¡­ I can hear almost everything in this forest." Daichi spent a while getting used to the skill. A short while later he stopped and decided to evolve the rest of his senses. After learning what an evolved skill can do, he was even more eager. The next sense he was going to evolve was superior smell. Daichi took several small stones that he coated with unique scents. He jumped high up in the air and threw them deep into the forest. He landed a second later and then closed his eyes and concentrated chakra to his nose. There were many scents in the forest, of plants and other small animals. The stones were only coated with a very weak scent so Daichi would need absolute focus and concentration. His goal was to track and find the stones through the weak scents they emitted. He was blind folded but his other senses were heightened. After some time he was able to successfully find all the stones and was able to level up the skill. [Skill Superior Smell''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Superior Smell has reached level 50. Evolving skill.] [Skill evolved into Absolute Smell.] [Absolute Smell - Active/Passive(LV. MAX): A skill obtained through evolving the skill Superior Smell. This skill is a LV. MAX skill with various effects. The sense of smell of the user has increased beyond normal. The user can increase the range of this sense as he needs. But this has limitations.] [Note: Negative side effects associated with having a more sensitive nose does not apply to the user. Gamer''s Mind will neutralize negative side effects of sensory overload. With training more and more effects can be added onto this skill.] [Effects] The user will never forget the scents of the targets it has detected once. The user is able to determine the location of the target with more accuracy. The range of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] 500 Exp. 75 Exp. ''Yes! Just as I thought. Even though this is a Max level skill, I can train and add different effects to this. Just like the other one. Since all these are passive skills, even if my chakra somehow gets cut off, I''ll be able to effectively track an enemy or defend myself if the need arises.'' Daichi used the new Absolute smell skill and he was impressed. He was able to block out unwanted or repulsive smells in an instant and focus on what was needed. Daichi picked up new scents that were previously hidden from him. "Incredible. Truly incredible." ''Now I understand why the Inuzuka clan were called one of the best trackers¡­ Hmm¡­ Now that I think about it, Kakashi must also have such an excellent nose. To be able to improve his sense of smell to such a degree¡­ That''s impressive.'' Daichi thought about the different new effects that can be trained and added to the skill. He was a fan of all comics. He had seen plenty of heroes and villains use their different powers. Daichi had several ideas he wanted to work on. He was extremely excited at the prospects of improving his abilities just like them. The next on Daichi''s list was the sense of sight. Daichi created several shadow clones. He then stopped chakra flow to his ears and nose and concentrated on his eyes. He sharpened his vision and began fighting his clones. They were using skills that drastically increased their speed and Daichi''s goal was to track their movements without the help of his other senses. He dodged shurikens, blocked lightning fast attacks and was able to keep track of his opponents at all times. It wasn''t just his vision but Daichi also needed to be aware of his surroundings. An hour passed by and as he defeated the last clone he got several blue system message boxes. [Skill Leaf Academy Taijutsu''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Shadow clone jutsu''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Strong Hit''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Sprint''s level has risen by one.] Along with an increase in his sight skill, Daichi''s combat related skills also increased. [Skill Superior Sight''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Superior Sight has reached level 50. Evolving skill.] [Skill evolved into Dynamic Vision.] [Dynamic Vision - Active/Passive(LV. MAX): A skill obtained through evolving the skill Superior Sight. This skill is a LV. MAX skill with various effects. The user possesses a sense of sight far beyond normal, allowing them to see far with great clarity and details. The user can increase the range of this sense as he needs. But this has limitations.] [Note: Negative side effects associated with having more sensitive eyes do not apply to the user. Gamer''s Mind will neutralize negative side effects of sensory overload. With training more and more effects can be added onto this skill.] [Effects:] The user will be able to see even underwater and even during night with little lights. The user is able to see the faintest distinctions and easily track things too fast for the normal eyes. The range of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] 500 Exp. 75 Exp. Daichi felt the changes in his body in real-time. He felt that his body has physically improved his eyes. He looked around as if he was seeing everything for the first time. The feeling of seeing all the details and the clarity with which he could see everything around him couldn''t be expressed in words. ''Not a bad skill. Would definitely come in handy if I ever have to go for a deep sea dive¡­ Night vision huh. Neat!'' Daichi then sat down and began to focus on the last sense he was going to evolve today. He took out several small dishes he bought from Shi''s restaurant from his inventory. These were dishes he asked Shi Fang to prepare with specific ingredients. All the dishes were made with some special ingredients and as such had hidden flavors that Daichi needed to identify if he wanted to improve the skill to the next level. Daichi slowly tasted the dishes and took his time identifying each flavor. ''These taste delicious. My health, chakra and stamina are quickly recovering¡­ Focus Daichi!'' Daichi focused his chakra and extracted the flavors. He spent a while just sitting there tasting all the dishes and he was successfully able to identify all the ingredients used. [Skill Superior Tasting''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Superior Tasting has reached level 50. Evolving skill.] [Skill evolved into Hyper Taste.] [Hyper Taste - Active/Passive(LV. MAX): A skill obtained through evolving the skill Superior Tasting. This skill is a LV. MAX skill with various effects. The user possesses an extremely keen sense of taste, allowing them to sense both harmful and beneficial things. Sweetness helps to identify energy rich food while bitterness serves as warning signs of poisons. The user can increase or decrease the effects of this sense.] [Note: Negative side effects associated with having a more sensitive tongue do not apply to the user. Gamer''s Mind will neutralize negative side effects of sensory overload. With training more and more effects can be added onto this skill.] [Effects:] The user is able to discern all tastes. The power of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] 500 Exp. 75 Exp. "Yes! I''m immune to poisons. And this skill won''t be of much use in combat but it''s still nice to evolve it." ''All that''s left is the sense of touch. But it''s nowhere near level 50. And I wonder if my chakra sense skill will evolve? It is one of my senses. And what about Mana scout?... Questions for later. I suppose I''ll find out sooner or later.'' Daichi then opened his skill page and started going through them one by one. 1. Gamer''s Mind - Passive (LV. MAX) 2. Gamer''s Body - Passive (LV. MAX) 3. Gaia''s Blessing - Passive (LV. MAX) 4. Observe - Active (LV. 49) . 5. Dishwashing - Passive (LV. MAX) Effects: 150% increase in speed when dishwashing. . 6. Meditate - Active (LV. 77) Effects : 154% Increase to base HP regeneration per minute. 154% Increase to base CP regeneration per minute. 154% Increase to base SP regeneration per minute. . 7. Basic Body Conditioning - Passive (LV. 80) Effects: 76% Increase in Damage inflicted. 74% Increase in Movement speed. 26.5% Increase in Physical stat growth. 50% Decrease in Damage taken. . 8. Mini-map 9. Inventory 10. Chakra Manipulation - Active/Passive (LV. 70) . 11. Chakra Affinity - (Passive/Active) (LV.80) Effects: 28% growth rate of Chakra stat. 71% Strength increases to all chakra-based skills. 68% Defense increase against chakra-based attacks. 50% Increase to maximum CP. -30% CP cost to all chakra based skills. . 12. Chakra regeneration - Passive (LV. 80) Effects: Regeneration Increased by 95% of base CP. 22% Increase in Regeneration speed. 28% Growth rate of Chakra stat. Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 100%. . 13. Minor Jutsu Creation - Active (LV.12) Effects: 24% Success rate to create new Ninjutsu. 24% Success rate to create new Genjutsu. -15.5% CP requirements for new Jutsu created. . 14. Leaf concentration technique - Active/Passive (LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1/sec. -50% CP cost to chakra techniques. . 15. Hyper Taste - Active/Passive(LV. MAX) Effects: The user is able to discern all tastes. The power of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . 16. Acute Hearing - Active/Passive(LV. MAX) Effects: Gives the user the ability to focus hearing to a certain area or filter out everything but the wanted sounds. Range of hearing depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . 17. Absolute Smell. - Active/Passive(LV. MAX) Effects: The user will never forget the scents of the targets it has detected once. The user is able to determine the location of the target with more accuracy. The range of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . 18. Dynamic Vision - Active/Passive(LV. MAX) Effects: The user will be able to see even underwater and even during night with little lights. The user is able to see the faintest distinctions and easily track things too fast for the normal eyes. The range of this sense depends on the user. CP Cost depends on the user. . 19. Leaf Academy Taijutsu - Active (LV.79) Effects: 138.7% Increase in attack power. 138.7% Increase in defense. 138.7% Increase in speed. 80% Decrease in damage taken. . 20. Shurikenjutsu - Active(LV. MAX) Effects: 100% Increase in accuracy. 100% Increase in damage dealt. . 21. Physical Endurance - Passive (LV.75) Effects: 56.3% Decrease in damage taken. Note: Damage decrease depends on enemy level and strength. . 22. Strong Hit - Active (LV. 65) Effects: 65% Increase in critical rate. 92% Increase in damage inflicted to the enemy. 70% Increase in attack speed. SP Cost: 5 per hit. . 23. Cooking - Active(LV.32) Effects: 64% Increase in taste and aroma of dish. 64% Increase in plating technique. . 24. Painting - Passive (LV.20) Effects: 44% Increase in visual appeal. 48% Increase of accuracy in painting. . 25. Chakra Threads - Active(LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in thread control. 200% Increase in thread speed CP cost: 1/sec for single thread. . 26. Sprint - Active (LV.61) Effects: 92% Increase in running speed. SP cost: 22 SP per minute. . 27. Rope Escape Jutsu - Active (LV. MAX) Effects: 99.9% Increase in success when escaping bindings. . 28. Clone Jutsu - Active (LV. MAX) Effects: 100% Accuracy Increase when creating identical clones. CP cost: 7 CP per clone. . 29. Transformation Jutsu - Active (LV. MAX) Effects: 100% Increase in accuracy and details when transforming. CP cost: 5 CP per transformation. . 30. Mana Manipulation - (Active/Passive) (LV.06) 31. Sword Mastery - Passive (LV.29) Note: This skill requires a sword to activate. Effects: 58% Additional damage when striking the target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. 47.6% Increase in attack speed. . 32. Vital Strike - Active (LV.52) Effects: 68% Additional damage when hitting target. Marks target with damage and negative debuffs. 26% Increase in attack speed. . 33. Tree walking technique - (Active/Passive) (LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 1/sec. -65% CP cost to chakra techniques. . 34. Danger Sense - Passive (LV.40) Effects: Current range - 83 meters. . 35. Death blow - Active (LV.29) Effects: 187% Additional attack Damage to the enemy. 33% Increase in attack speed. 33% Increase in critical rate. . 36. Water walking technique - (Active/Passive) (LV.100) Effects: 200% Increase in chakra control. CP cost : 3/sec. 30% Decrease CP cost to chakra techniques. . 37. Chakra Sense - Active (LV.33) Effects: Current Range - 77 meters. CP Cost : 8.7/meter. . 38. Ozark''s Resilience - Active (LV.10) Effects: 20% Increase in Strength, Vitality and Agility stats for 60 seconds when HP falls below 20%. Cooldown time: 8 hours. . 39. Killing intent - Active (LV.25) Effects: Enemies with a (+ or -)3 level gap between the user are paralysed for 60 seconds. Enemies less than 4 levels and below the user are struck with terror and paralysed for 80 seconds as well as 13% reduction of their physical stats. . 40. Dual Wielding Mastery - Passive (LV.19) Effects: Passively increases the player''s minimum and maximum melee Damage, Critical rate and Balance. 19% increase to Damage inflicted. 19% Increase in attack speed. . 41. Water affinity - (Active/Passive) (LV.19) Effects: 38% Increase in water attack jutsu. 38% Increase in water defense jutsu. 12.5% Increase in success when creating water style jutsu. 8.1% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using water style jutsu. . 42. Wind affinity - (Active/Passive) (LV.17) Effects: 34% Increase in wind attack jutsu. 34% Increase in wind defense jutsu. 10.8% Increase in success when creating wind style jutsu. 6.5% Decrease in Chakra Cost when using wind style jutsu. . 43. Mana Affinity - (Passive/Active) (LV.09): Effects: 18% Strength increase to all Mana-based skills. -6% MP cost to all Mana based skills. . 44. Telekinesis - Active (LV.07) Effects: 14% Increase in Mana attacks. 14% Increase in Mana defenses. 3.5% Decrease in Mana cost. . 45. Fire affinity - (Active/Passive) (LV.77) Effects: 154% Increase in fire attack jutsu. 154% Increase in fire defense jutsu. 80% Increase in success when creating fire style jutsu. 45% Decrease in Chakra cost when using fire style jutsu. . 46. Earth affinity - (Active/Passive) (LV.79) Effects: 182% Increase in earth attack jutsu. 182% Increase in earth defense jutsu. 83.6% Increase in success when creating earth style jutsu. 62.6% Decrease in Chakra cost when using earth style jutsu. . 47. Lightning affinity - (Active/Passive) (LV.18) Effects: 36% Increase in Lightning attack jutsu. 36% Increase in Lightning defense jutsu. 15.8% Increase in success when creating Lightning style jutsu. 8.7% Decrease in Chakra cost when using Lightning style jutsu. . 48. Superior Touch - Active(LV. 19) Effects: +38% Increase in Skin sensitivity. CP cost : 16/sec. . 49. Chakra Enhancement - Active (LV.29) [Note: The chakra cost of the skill and increase in abilities, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: Increase the attack and defense power. Increase Strength, Stamina, Agility and Vitality. Decrease the damage taken. . 50. Chakra Flow - Active (LV.20) [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: 48% Strength increase to the object. 48% Increase in chakra flow. 10% Decrease in chakra cost. . 51. Creation - Active (LV.03) [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] Effects: 16.5% Chance when creating Common grade items. 1% Chance when creating Rare grade items. 0% Chance when creating Unique grade items. 0% Chance when creating Legendary grade items. 0% Chance when creating Mythical grade items. . 52. Unyielding Spirit - Passive (LV. MAX) . 53. Shadow Clone Jutsu - Active (LV. 24) Effects: Number of clones depends on the chakra reserves of the user. CP cost: 490 CP/Clone(Minimum) . 54. Body Flicker Technique - Active (LV.32) Effects: 72% Increase in Mobility. CP cost: 41 CP . 55. Absolute Recall - Passive (LV. MAX) 56. Combat Arts - Passive (LV.17) Effects: 34% Increase in Damage inflicted. 34% Increase in Movement speed. . 57. Linked Kill Strikes - Active (LV.5) Effects: 5% Increase in Agility. 10% Increase in damage when using swords, daggers or other sharp weapons. (n+1)% Increase in damage dealt for each additional strike. ''n'' represents the last consecutive attack landed on the enemy. . 58. Absolute Chakra Mastery - Passive (LV. MAX) . 59. Light Steps - Passive/Active (LV.02) Effects: Increases balance of the user when in unstable and dangerous terrain. 6% Increase in movement speed. . 60. Mana puppetry - Active (LV. 08) Effects: Can implant suggestions into a target''s mind. MP cost: 742/ Target . 61. Giant''s Strength - Passive (LV. MAX) 62. Life Recovery - Passive (LV. MAX) 63. Lithe Body - Passive (LV. MAX) 64. Swiftness - Passive (LV. MAX) 65. Hermit''s Wisdom - Passive (LV. MAX) . 66. Chakra Suppression - Active (LV.35) Effects: 35% Chakra suppression. . 67. Plunderer - Passive (LV. MAX) Effects: The chances of obtaining skill or jutsu from the killed enemy is 10%. The chances of obtaining special abilities or bloodline limits is 1%. . 68. Mana Scout - (Passive/Active) (LV.10) Effects: 20 meters: Current maximum range. +10% Location accuracy. MP Cost: 13.5 MP/2 Meters. A small smile formed on Daichi''s face as his eyes landed on the next skill. ''I hope the day won''t come when you''re activated.'' 70. Chakra Rotation - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: +200% Increase in Chakra Movement and Form. +100% Increase in Chakra Control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. . 71. Chakra Potency - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: +200% Increase in Chakra size and range. +10% Increase in Chakra Potency and CP. CP Cost: Depends on the user. . 72. Chakra Confinement - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in Chakra Form. 200% Increase in Chakra control. CP Cost: Depends on the user. . 73. Rasengan - Active(LV. MAX) [Note: The User can create variations of this jutsu with training.] Effects: Deals 1500 Damage points when it strikes the target. CP Cost: 250 CP(Minimum Needed) . 74. Earth - Leaf crumbling technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 100% increase in Earth Chakra control. CP cost : 3/sec. . 75. Earth - Waterfall Cutting technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in Earth Chakra control. 300% Increase power of Earth Chakra nature. CP cost : 18/sec. . 76. Fire - Leaf burning technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 100% increase in Fire Chakra control. CP cost : 5/sec. . 77. Fire - Waterfall separation technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) Effects: 200% Increase in Fire Chakra control. 300% Increase in power of Fire Chakra nature. CP cost : 18/sec. . 78. ''I''m Ready to Die'' stance - Active(LV. MAX) Effects: HP, CP, SP, MP of the user are restored to 50% for 20 seconds. 300% Increase in effects of all techniques used during the 20 seconds activation period. All stats will gain a 20% boost for 20 seconds. Satisfied with the improvements, Daichi closed the panel and left for home. Author''s Note: Since the last chapter was just on genjutsu stuff and this chapter is just about evolving senses and stat update, I thought It was best I post these two chapters without any breaks. To be honest this whole chapter feels like a giant stat update to me too. But since this will be the last skill update chapter for a while I guess there is nothing wrong. We''ll pickup the story in the next chapter. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 99 – I Am Not Alone Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hiruzen was in his office going over the various mission reports. There was a pile of documents on his desk and he went through them as quickly as he could while still memorizing all the relevant information. He quickly finished his work for the day and his mind went to the conversation he had with Kensei. It has been a couple weeks since his chat with Kensei. His mind then drifted to young Daichi. ''Having him learn medical ninjutsu will be beneficial for the village. But who exactly do I assign to teach him without attracting any more attention to him?... He could wait till he''s genin but¡­ That''s just wasting his potential¡­ What should I do?'' He let out a sigh and as he was pondering on how to proceed regarding everything, his secretary came in. "Sir, Inoichi Yamanaka is here to see you." "Send him in." The secretary left and a blonde long haired man who was the head of the Yamanaka clan came. "Sir, I have what you asked for. Based on your specifications, I believe this should do." The Yamanaka then handed a scroll which the Hokage took. "Thank you Inoichi. And keep this to yourself." "Yes sir." The clan head left the office leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts. ''One part of the problem is solved. But there are still several other factors that need to be in play. The bodies of the criminals who die at H¨­zuki Castle are burned in a chamber in the lower floors. Faking his death would be for nothing if he gets burned to ash. So I need another body. One with identical build to Isen. And I need the best medic nin to make the necessary changes so it''s indistinguishable from Isen¡­ Tsunade could do it¡­ But she''s roaming the country gambling and drinking. She won''t set foot in this village. I don''t think I can count on her¡­ Even if she is the best damn medic alive.'' At that moment Hiruzen''s eyes widened. ''Medic! She could be a perfect teacher for Daichi. With Daichi''s learning curve he could learn most techniques from her within two or three years. And since she''s not in the village Daichi will have to go along with her¡­ And out of Danzo''s sight. And with the protection of a Sanin, Kensei will be more assured of Daichi''s safety. Daichi is in his 4th year. There are three more years before his class graduates¡­'' Gears turned in Hiruzen''s mind and he formed a plan. But he needed help convincing Tsunade to take on a student. ''If I hadn''t known of Daichi''s talents I wouldn''t have even considered this. I have no doubt Daichi will reach Tsunade''s level before long. Having someone like that in the village is a boon to us.'' Hiruzen bit his thumb and went through several hand seals and slammed his palm on the table. "Summoning Jutsu." A seal spread across the table and then a small monkey around 60 centimeters tall appeared. Its chest and torso had black fur but the rest of his body had silver fur. It was wearing a small coat with beautiful patterns that would attract most people. "Hiruzen. You haven''t called me in such a long time." The small monkey spoke. It had a deep voice that made it seem a lot older. "Goji! Forgive me. It''s just that I''ve had a lot on my plate." "Yes. I understand. You have a village to run. It''s good to see you." "You too." "What''s this about Hiruzen? I know you wouldn''t call me without a reason? Go on. What is it?" "I need you to track down Jiraiya and I need you to deliver a message for me. Tell him to return to the village immediately but not alert anyone of his presence. This is of utmost importance." "What''s going on? Is there any trouble?" "Let''s hope not. I''ve put some things in motion and I need the help of Jiraiya and my other wayward student." Goji nodded and didn''t say anything else. The next second he disappeared in a puff of smoke. ''Goji should be able to track down Jiraiya in a day or two and depending on where he is, Jiraiya should be here within the week.'' ¡ª- Daichi and Kensei were sitting on their porch discussing several topics. "I''m thinking about starting on the lightning change in chakra nature now." Daichi said when the topic of his training came up. Kensei sighed, hearing the answer he expected. ''This kid doesn''t know how to take it easy. And once he starts training he''ll go at it like a maniac. Exhausting himself to the brink everyday. And for the life of me I can''t understand why.'' "Daichi, we need to talk!" Daichi looked up in confusion at that. "Why are you training so hard?" Kensei asked the boy. "I told you, I like training. I enjoy it." Daichi replied and his confusion at the question was evident on his face. "No, I get that. I know you like training but lately you''ve been training like you have to, not because you want to. Using shadow clones and training to the point of total exhaustion." "I want to utilize the time I have and make the most of my healing abilities." Daichi replied. "You talk as if you''re running out of time¡­ Daichi, you have all the time in the world to get stronger. It''s not a bad thing to slow down and get stronger at a slower rate." Daichi looked down at that. "But what if I don''t get strong enough and I meet someone stronger who has less than good intentions towards me." "You''ll have a capable Jonin with you when you become a Genin. You won''t have to worry about something like that." Daichi thought about the enemies he would have to face in the future. His palms tightened on his knees. Kensei saw the signs of someone who was stressed and didn''t even know it. He spoke in a gentle tone. "What exactly are you afraid of, kid?" Daichi was surprised at the question. He then slowly answered. "The future." Hearing that answer, Kensei looked at Daichi in understanding. "The future is a scary thing. For almost everyone, thinking about the future can be frightening. It''ll be for different reasons, sure, but thinking about it is scary for everyone. For most civilians it''ll be how to put food on their family''s plate tomorrow. For us ninjas we worry if our next mission could be our last. For the Kage''s, they worry about the future of the village, for a father and mother, it''s the worry of their child''s future." Daichi looked up at his grandfather. Kensei looked at Daichi and he had a gentle smile that he had never shown the kid before. "I want you to keep this in your heart. Daichi, you are not alone in feeling that fear. It''s a shitty feeling, but that''s what it means to be human¡­ What you can do, the only thing you can do, is accept it." Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard the words. Kensei continued. "I want you to stop all training and meditate for a while. I don''t think even you''re aware of your true fears yet, but I have a feeling that you''ll find your answers if you meditate¡­ Etch this in your heart. You will never be alone. Just as you look out for that baby Reo, someone else will have your back." Daichi had a tear fall from the corner of his eyes. He quickly wiped it off and smiled. "Thanks old man." Kensei smiled and nodded. Daichi took Kensei''s advice. He spent the next several days doing nothing but meditation. Slowly, over the weeks a change began to occur. In the academy Daichi''s friends noticed that Daichi was spending more time with them. Playing around and having fun with them. During one of Daichi''s deep meditation he found the reason for his need to get stronger as quickly as he could. A lack of trust. ''Since the day I awoke, I felt that I could only rely on myself to survive. And with each passing day this lack of trust only grew. I know Naruto and Sasuke would one day save the world from Kaguya but I couldn''t bring myself to trust that knowledge. I feared that I might do or say something that would create a different darker future. All this time I never truly trusted that they would become as strong as their future selves because of my interactions. And not just Naruto and Sasuke, but Shikamaru and the rest as well¡­ I always worried that my influence, my very presence could have a negative impact on the future¡­ So the faith I had in my future knowledge diminished day by day. And because of this lack of trust in my knowledge and in Naruto and the others, I trained to become as powerful as I possibly could. Because deep down I arrogantly believed that only I could save them. That only I could become strong enough to face the coming threats¡­'' "Daichi, you will never be alone¡­" Daichi remembered the words of his grandfather and inwardly smiled. ''I need to have faith in them. I don''t need to bear the burden of the world on my shoulders. When the time comes, I need to have faith that they will be ready¡­ I won''t slack off and give up on my goals but¡­ It''s not a bad thing to slow down a bit once in a while.'' Daichi meditated for a few more hours and then let out a breath and slowly opened his eyes as he came to accept that realization. [You have confronted and won against the insecurities that have been growing in you since the day you were awakened.] [Your mental fortitude has become stronger.] [You have achieved a brief enlightenment.] [+10 WISDOM.] ''Wow¡­ I feel so much better now¡­ It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.'' Daichi got up and went to see Kensei. He saw the old man tending to the garden. Kensei heard the footsteps of his grandson and looked up. He noticed the change in Daichi''s face. "I take it the meditation helped!?" "More than you know. I feel a lot better now." Kensei nodded at that. He then spoke. "Daichi, I want you to spend more time with your friends. Enjoy the simpler things in life. Work on those hobbies of yours. Or pick up another one¡­ And since we don''t want to completely waste time, you can train one change in chakra this year." Daichi tilted his head. "Which one?" "Water. Train only the water nature. And take your time." "Why water?" "Some say that water nature has a calming effect on the mind." Kensei replied. "Alright. I''ll train just the water nature this year." Daichi agreed. He decided to spend more time on his hobbies and friends. ¡ª- Hiruzen was gazing at the stars through the window of his office. It was night time and there weren''t many people on the streets of the village. He had sent his guards away for the night as he waited for someone. As his eyes roamed the night sky he heard someone speak. "Did you find something interesting up there, sensei?" The Hokage smirked. "Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered¡­ if there was something more up there?" Hiruzen then turned to his once student and asked. "When I was young, Yes! But not anymore¡­ We have plenty going on right here after all." Hiruzen smiled at that. "How have you been Jiraiya?" "I was in the middle of some delicate research when master Goji showed up." One of the Legendary Sanin - Jiraiya had a smirk as he answered the question. Hiruzen smiled at that. He was also a fan of Jiraiya''s literature. "When is the next book coming out?" "Soon. I need some inspiration to finish the final touches." "I''m sure you''ll manage." "How is everything with Asuma?" Jiraiya asked his former sensei. Hiruzen''s smile vanished and he looked down in sadness. "We haven''t spoken in a while¡­" "I''m sorry old man." Jiraiya took out a pack and threw it to Hiruzen. "You''re favorite tobacco." Hiruzen nodded his head, appreciating the gift. After a minute of silence Jiraiya spoke. "What''s this about sensei? Why did you drag me halfway around the world?" "I''m going up against Danzo and Orochimaru and I might need your assistance and Tsunade''s as well." The toad sage''s eyes widened as he heard that. Hiruzen had a serious demeanor. "There is a lot I need to catch you up on." Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 100 – Kensei’s Hate Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage Tower - Hiruzen''s Office. Jiraiya sat with his arms crossed across from his old sensei. He was still digesting the information he just learned. "So Danzo and Orochimaru are working together huh! Orochimaru isn''t the kind of person who would do something for someone without gaining anything in return. Danzo is the same." Jiraiya wondered what their goals were. "I''m sure neither of them trust each other¡­ So what would they gain from this partnership?" Hiruzen let out a puff of smoke. "It doesn''t matter what! The fact is they are working together. And my tolerance for Danzo has reached its limit." Jiraiya looked at his sensei. He saw anger on that face but he also saw the feeling of betrayal that his former sensei tried to hide. He let out a sigh and asked. "So what now sensei? I''ll dig into Danzo''s contacts and see if I can find something to use as leverage." Hiruzen shook his head. "No. I need you to handle the missions you currently have. We''re in a very delicate situation. I need you to stay the course¡­ I already have a few agents looking into Root and Danzo. And I''ll have someone else handle Danzo''s contacts at the Daimyo court." Jiraiya was puzzled. "So if you don''t want my help with Danzo then what do you need? I know you wouldn''t have summoned me here for nothing." "Yes. I do need your help. Not with Danzo. But with¡­ Tsunade." Jiraiya''s eyes widened. "Are you recalling her to the village? Sensei, she won''t agree to that. In fact I''m pretty sure she''ll demolish the whole place if you force her." "I''m well aware of her temperament, Jiraiya. And you have it backwards. I don''t need her to return to the village. I want to send someone to her." "Who?" "A very talented child who I believe would make an excellent student. He''s currently in his fourth year at the academy." The toad sage was astonished. He couldn''t believe his sensei wanted Tsunade to take on another student. He was skeptical that his old teammate would take the Hokage up on that. "Tsunade already looks after Shizune. Do you think she''ll take on another brat?" "She will if I insist. I''m Hokage of the village. If I make it an order then she''ll have no choice. And besides I have a feeling she''ll want him as a student after she sees his talent for herself." "You sure do have a high opinion of him. This kid must be quite special." Jiraiya said in a nonchalant tone. Hiruzen knew Jiraiya had no idea of the magnitude of Daichi''s talents. He looked at this student and spoke. "Jiraiya¡­ This child completely mastered the Rasengan in 8 days." The smirk on the toad sage''s face vanished. He was silent for a couple seconds and then suddenly started laughing. "That''s a good one old man. I see you haven''t lost your sense of humor." He laughed for a few seconds but his laughter died down as he saw his sensei''s serious expression. "You''re serious?" "Deadly. And it''s not just the Rasengan. He mastered the first two steps of change in chakra nature of earth and fire as well." Hiruzen elaborated. Jiraiya''s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Oi oi! Seriously? You better not be pulling my leg." Hiruzen knew he piqued Jiraiya''s interest. "I''m serious Jiraiya. He showed me the Rasengan and his grandfather told me he completed the nature training for earth and fire." Jiraiya got serious. "Sensei. Please tell me everything about this kid." "His name is Daichi Hekima¡­." The Hokage then explained how he met the child on top of the Hokage monument, the kid''s talents displayed at the academy. His fight with the enemy spies and the display of Rasengan. And finally about Kensei. Jiraiya leaned back in his chair and was immersed in his thoughts. ''This kid''s talents¡­ There is a possibility he is even more of a genius than Minato.'' Jiraiya then looked at the Hokage. "If he''s this talented then why haven''t you let him graduate? Having him stay at the academy seems like a waste to me." Hiruzen sighed. "I know the academy won''t benefit him much in terms of getting stronger, but he is still a child. It''s best for him to grow up amongst his friends and let him enjoy the time he has¡­ Least be become like-" "Itachi?!" Jiraiya cut him off. Hiruzen only let out another small sigh but didn''t say anything. "You know I''ve been thinking a lot about the massacre." Jiraiya had his eyes firmly fixed on his sensei as he spoke. "How exactly did Itachi get away? As a matter of fact, how did he kill a whole clan without someone raising a ruckus?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes and gazed at his teacher. "I''m not sure how Itachi did what he did, but something like that won''t happen again." Hiruzen''s tone had a steely edge to it. Jiraiya looked at the old man and decided to drop the matter. He then focused on the information he learnt. "So the child this Daichi kid helped, turned out to be one of Orochimaru''s experiments. That''s how you got the identity of the spy and you then sent your Anbu after him. And during Anbu''s investigation into the spy he discovered Orochimaru''s involvement with Danzo¡­ Wow. One could almost call that incident a lucky break." "Yes¡­" Hiruzen knew what his student meant. If it wasn''t for Daichi perhaps he would never have known about the existence of the spy until it was too late. "What do you need me to do sensei?" "I need you to track down Tsunade. Convince her to take the child as a student or at the very least meet the boy. If she still refuses then tell her it''s an order from me¡­" Jiraiya looked at the aging kage for a few seconds and then nodded. Hiruzen continued. "There is something else¡­ I also need her help with another matter." Jiraiya tilted his head and waited for his sensei to speak. "I need her to create a corpse identical to a certain man." "Who?" "Isen!" Jiraiya was puzzled for several seconds before he recalled the name and face. And he was shocked. "What? Sensei, he''s in H¨­zuki Castle. And moreover his memories are wiped¡­ What exactly do you need him for?" "I have my plans and Isen is necessary for that. For the moment that''s all you need to know." Jiraiya didn''t ask anymore about that as he knew his sensei would be tight-lipped about sensitive plans. Both of them became silent for several seconds. Jiraiya then broke the silence with a question. "You mentioned Danzo having ties with people near the Daimyo. Who exactly are you planning on sending to investigate people of the Royal court." Hiruzen was silent for a few seconds. He took another puff from his lit pipe and let out a smoky breath a second later and then answered. "Kensei Yasaji." Jiraiya nodded in understanding. ''In hindsight that''s not a bad plan. He''s an excellent strategist and investigator and he''s capable of reading people far better than most. He''ll be able to uncover Danzo''s connections if he puts his mind to it¡­. But would he do it if sensei asks?'' "If I remember right, you and Kensei were not on the best of terms¡­ I know you two got into a heated argument. Regarding his son¡­" Jiraiya asked his teacher. Hiruzen nodded. "His son Hotaru was talented. When he was a Jonin one of his missions went wrong and he took the blame. Danzo wanted him in the root and I¡­ allowed it." "What exactly happened?" "He was leading a 4 man team. Aside from Hotaru there was another Jonin and 2 chunin. It was supposed to be an easy mission but they were ambushed due to Hotaru taking a different route on his way back. He''s the only one who survived." Jiraiya knew of dozens of such incidents throughout his life. Easy missions gone wrong due to one bad choice. "The village lost 3 capable ninja and some wanted Hotaru to be held accountable. Danzo used this opportunity to recruit him into the root. Kensei was against that. He figured something was wrong with the whole picture and investigated." Now Jiraiya got curious. Kensei was an excellent investigator. "Did he find anything?" Hiruzen answered "A week after the incident with Hotaru, Kensei came to me and told me the whole ambush was a set up from Danzo but he couldn''t find proof." "What?" "Yes. Kensei followed the trail of the attackers and came to this conclusion. But he didn''t have solid proof of Danzo''s involvement. But he did discover something else during his investigation. The three ninjas Hotaru had on his team were selling secrets to enemy spies. They were turned." When Jiraiya heard that, he came to a realization. "What a minute! So due to that ambush, three traitors of the village were taken care of and Danzo got a talented Jonin as a subordinate? That''s one hell of a coincidence." Hiruzen nodded. "Yes." "So in one move the threats to the village were gone and Danzo had another talented root ninja. And there was no evidence connecting him to the whole thing?... Yeah. If you ask me, that sounds like Danzo''s work." Jiraiya gave his thoughts. "I didn''t believe it at the time. Or I didn''t want to believe it... And Kensei went to Danzo and confronted him. I don''t know what happened between them but Hotaru sided with Danzo for whatever reason¡­ After that Kensei''s dislike of Danzo turned into hate and he also blames me for not helping him. Kensei and his son drifted apart after that and years went by and before Kensei could reconcile with his child, Hotaru, along with his wife died in the nine tails attack. During the attack Danzo ordered some of his root forces to attack the beast. Hotaru was one of them. Kensei blames Danzo for everything that happened to his son. And to a lesser degree he blames me as well." "What a mess¡­! What about now? Will he really help you if he still blames you?" Jiraiya asked. "I''m well aware that Kensei doesn''t like me. But his hatred for Danzo is far greater. He''s kept it buried but it''s still there. And you and I both know, hate can be a very potent stimulus¡­ He''ll help me¡­ But I need to convince him that Daichi will be safe." Jiraiya nodded as he understood the situation. "So I take it that''s another reason you''re sending that kid to Tsunade? Keeping him out of the village and away from Danzo''s grasp¡­" Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "Does the situation with Isen also have anything to do with this?" Jiraiya asked unsure if his sensei will answer him or not. "Yes¡­ Kensei was¡­ Adamant about rescuing him." Hiruzen answered after a few seconds of silence. Jiraiya sighed. He thought about the whole thing and came to a conclusion. "A prisoner can be released if the leader of their village sends an official request. But since you can''t bring him back through official channels you''re planning on breaking him out¡­ I see¡­ So that''s why you need a corpse. You need a double to fake his death." "Indeed. I suppose there was no point in hiding it from you." "How are you going to do it?" "I''ve come up with a plan. I''ll speak to Kensei about it in the coming week and finalize it. In the meantime I need you to track down Tsunade and tell her everything. Have her come to the Silverstone safe house at the Capital in exactly a month from today. I''ll have Kensei meet her there. Jiraiya, make sure she understands how important this is." The toad sage nodded. "I''ll handle it." Both of them sat in silence for a while after that. "How is Naruto doing?" Jiraiya asked. "It''s been difficult for him¡­ But he''s made some good friends recently. He''s a lot happier these days." Jiraiya had a sad smile when he heard that. "Minato and Kushina trusted me with their son¡­ They made me the godfather. And¡­ I''ve let them down." "No. I know how much you care for the boy. I know it pains you deeply to not be here for him¡­ I''m the one who let them down. I''m to blame for his situation. I don''t know how the information about him holding the nine tails got out to the public but¡­ It is my responsibility." Jiraiya said nothing. He knew it wasn''t his sensei''s fault but he couldn''t bring himself to say the words out loud. They spend a few hours catching up and Jiraiya apprized the hokage of the current situations throughout the great nations. And sometime later Jiraiya left the village as quietly as he came. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 101 – Decisions Made Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Kensei''s Home. A week had passed since Jiraiya''s visit. Hiruzen and Kensei were sipping tea as they discussed how to move forward. The Hokage also expressed his desire to have Daichi leave the village and train under Tsunade Senju. "So you want Daichi to travel with her for the next three years?" The Hokage nodded. "Yes. To the public, Daichi will be going with you to the capital so he could learn about your business and its operations. But privately he''ll be training in Medical ninjutsu under Tsunade." Kensei thought about it for a minute and found a problem. "Your plan has a flaw. You know full well that Danzo has spies all over the country. It won''t be long before he gets wind that Daichi isn''t with me. And if he suspects something then things will become much more difficult and dangerous." "I''ve taken that into account." Hiruzen''s face remained unchanged. "I''ve already thought of that and I''ve figured a way around it. Daichi will stay with you at the capital for a couple months and at that time Tsunade will visit the capital and meet Daichi. A pure coincidence. Daichi will impress her with his talents and due to his eagerness to learn medical ninjutsu and her unwillingness to let go of such a talented child she will take him with her and teach him till he becomes ready to graduate¡­ And you being the good grandfather lets Daichi go with her for training¡­" Hiruzen took a sip of the herbal tea and continued with a small smirk. "Or at least that''s the story I''ll tell Koharu and Homura. And it won''t be long before this information reaches Danzo. He must be aware of Daichi''s talents. So he will believe the story." Hiruzen stopped and took another sip of his tea. Kensei went through the plan in his mind. ''This could work. Even if Danzo suspects something, he wouldn''t be able to tell what it is¡­ Unless he learns of the investigation¡­'' Kensei sighed and stared at the Hokage. Seeing the still unconvinced face of Kensei, the Hokage spoke. "Daichi will learn much more under Tsunade''s tutelage. It will be beneficial for him." Hiruzen said as he looked at his former Anbu captain. Kensei was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. But he knew that Daichi would be relatively safe under the Slug Sanin''s protection. "Do you really think she''ll agree to teach him?" "She will. Once she sees the boy''s talents I''m sure she''ll take him in." Kensei leaned back, crossed his arms and looked at his kage. "And what about the academy?" Hiruzen already had an answer for that. "I''ll have an instructor at the academy conduct a private test for Daichi at the end of each year. I''ll also have them prepare a special curriculum for Daichi at the beginning of each year." Kensei narrowed his eyes as he listened. "You''re going through a lot for a single student in the academy! Why?" Hiruzen was silent as he heard the question. ''Daichi''s inborn talent is far beyond normal. And his strength is growing at an exponential rate. I need to make sure he forms some strong ties to the village¡­ And¡­ There is also that¡­'' He then looked at his friend and replied. "I don''t want Daichi to waste his time and potential. If I hadn''t implemented the age restriction, then Daichi would have graduated from the academy in his first or second year¡­ For someone with his talents I believe this much is appropriate." Kensei looked at Hiruzen for a few seconds and then nodded his head. "And what about Isen?" Kensei asked. "I have a plan. But it will require Tsunade''s help." Hiruzen freshened his cup and spoke. Kensei patiently waited for the Hokage to elaborate. Hiruzen instead of explaining took a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Kensei. The man took it and examined it. "You''ll understand once you open it." Kensei was about to open and send chakra through the scroll but Hiruzen stopped him. "Not now. The contents of that scroll are delicate. You need to meet with Tsunade and hand her the scroll. She''ll know what to do." Kensei looked at the scroll and nodded. "When?" "Around three weeks from now! She''ll meet you at the Silverstone safe house in the capital." Kensei''s eyes slightly widened. "Isn''t that¡­?" Hiruzen nodded in affirmation. "Yes. It was Lord Second''s safe house. Only myself and Tsunade have access to it¡­ Until now." Hiruzen then handed a small square paper seal to Kensei. "That seal will get you inside." Kensei nodded and both of them sat down in a comfortable silence for a minute. Hiruzen then finished his tea and got up. "I better head back¡­" Hiruzen was about to leave but suddenly stopped. He looked at Kensei and had a serious expression. "Kensei, when Daichi gets back, I know you''ll tell him about the trip to the capital, but under no circumstances can you tell him about your investigations¡­ The less people know the better." There was a sharp edge to the Hokage''s tone. Kensei narrowed his eyes. He stared silently for a while and then slowly nodded. Hiruzen looked at the man for a few more seconds and seemed satisfied. He left the place and headed to his office. Kensei slowly paced around the house thinking about the meeting that just took place. It would be a few more hours before Daichi returned home from the academy. He sat down on the porch and thought about what he would say to his adopted grandson. ''Hiruzen is right. I''ll keep everything about Danzo to myself for now. But Daichi will need information to make informed decisions. If I feel the need arises then I''ll tell him¡­'' Kensei then thought about how Daichi would react when told that he will be training under a Sanin. A smirk formed on his face. ''He''ll be absolutely floored¡­ No! I''ll tell him that he''ll have someone teach him medic techniques but I''ll keep Tsunade''s name a secret. It''ll be a surprise.'' Kensei spent his time mediating and exercising. When it was evening, at the usual time he sensed Daichi''s presence. Daichi greeted his grandfather and went to his room to freshen up. He returned a while later and Kensei beckoned him over. "Daichi¡­ I need to tell you something¡­" Kensei began his explanation. He told Daichi that he would be leaving with him to the capital for three years and would learn medical ninjutsu under a special trainer and that he was to keep the whole thing a secret. Daichi was surprised at the information. "This is a lot to take in." ''That''s what she said!'' Kensei chucked to himself at that. He then got serious and agreed with Daichi. "Yes. Take your time to digest the information¡­ I''m sure you''ll be ready." Daichi nodded and got up for a walk. He had a lot to process. The Next Day. The academy classes had ended and Daichi took his bag and was about to leave but was stopped by Naruto and Kiba. "Hey, we''re gonna play find the spy? Come on! You wanna be the spy or the ninja?" Naruto asked with a wide smile. Daichi had been spending time with his friends and they were happy with the change. But today Daichi had other plans. "Not today guys. Got something to do. Another time." Naruto and Kiba let out a sigh. "Fine. But next time you better join us." Daichi left them with an apologetic smile. He walked through the streets of the village with several thoughts running through his mind. His journey took him to the forest where he first met Ren Uchiha. Before long he reached the spot in the forest with the round wooden targets. Daichi was thinking about what his grandfather had said yesterday. He had some concerns. Mainly regarding his quests. ''If I leave the village and the academy before I become a Genin, then will my quest become invalid? Will it be considered a failure?... Then again the old man did say someone would conduct special tests at the end of each year. So technically I''ll still be training and be part of the academy roster¡­'' Daichi sat down under a tree and thought about the most likely outcome. ''It''s not me quitting. This decision was made by Kensei and the Hokage. I could reject it but¡­ The chance to travel outside the village and learn Medical ninjutsu¡­ It''s too good to pass up¡­ The most likely outcome would be that my quest would be modified to suit the situation. At least that''s my assumption¡­ But if somehow this quest is marked as a failure because of this decision then the penalty is death¡­'' Daichi frowned as he thought about the consequences of failing the quest ''Path to the Strongest.'' Daichi opened the quest and looked at the description. [The System will help the Player on his journey to become the world''s strongest. Complete a set of tasks to receive System rewards. Failure to complete any task will result in activation of the Penalty Dungeon.] ''Hmm¡­ It doesn''t specifically say that I have to stay in the academy. As long as I complete the tasks, it looks like I''ll be fine. I think.'' Daichi made his choice. He was going to the capital and train for the next few years. Daichi became excited. ''I''ll finally see what this world has to offer. I wonder what kind of people I''ll meet.'' At that moment another thought struck his mind. ''I''m sure I''ll meet a lot of people but at the same time I''ll miss Naruto and the others. Not to mention¡­ Reo¡­ I''ll miss her the most. I won''t even be able to make it to her birthdays¡­ Can I really trust Aiko with her safety?'' Daichi went through all the memories he had of the woman. ''Yes. I can trust her... And right now to everyone Reo is just another ordinary kid. The only proof of her Uchiha bloodline is her Sharingan. And that will only awaken in stressful situations. Something that won''t happen anytime soon with how careful Aiko is with the children. And by the time she joins the academy, I''ll be a chunin at the least¡­ I''m sure I''ll be strong enough to handle any problems that arise.'' Daichi let out a breath and relaxed. With his concerns about the quest and Reo faded, Daichi''s mind went to his training. ''I''ve mastered two elements. 3 more remain. I''ll train the water chakra nature and increase my genjutsu and ninjutsu arsenal this year. I''ll also need to refine and Max out as many skills as I can. I''ll train the lightning and wind chakra natures in the coming years. I suspect that completing them will take time since I''m going to be training in medical jutsu as well.'' With a somewhat more solid training plan in mind Daichi sat there and started meditating. He found that meditation always greatly improves his mood. Even passively his senses were now much more enhanced. Daichi could hear the various life forms scurrying about through the forest. He felt the wind blowing through the forest and the scents of various animals, plants and flowers. Half an hour went by as he sat there in his meditative trance. At that moment Daichi''s senses picked up something. The first thing Daichi noticed was the unique scent. Then he heard footsteps. Daichi was not alone in that forest. The footsteps were getting closer to Daichi''s location. Daichi was well accustomed to the person with this scent. ''I wonder what he''s doing here?'' ¡ª- A few meters away from the mediating Daichi, Sasuke Uchiha stood behind the cover of the trees. He didn''t know why he came to the place where he once used to train with his brother. And it was even more of a surprise to find his classmate here. It has been over a year since the massacre and Sasuke had been training even harder than before. But he felt like he hadn''t made any progress. In fact, fighting Daichi made him feel like he was getting weaker. Sasuke cursed his weakness in his heart. He walked through the forest near his compound to clear his head and he accidentally found his rival meditating under a tree. Sasuke stood behind the tree without making a sound. He clenched his fist as he looked at Daichi''s peaceful face. Suddenly he heard Daichi speak. "Are you gonna just stand there or you gonna say something?" Daichi opened his eyes and looked at the number two in his class. Author''s note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 102 – Sasuke’s Ordeal Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Sasuke stared at Daichi with an almost unreadable expression. Almost¡­ Daichi was watching every minute expression that crossed the young Uchiha''s face. Daichi saw the efforts Sasuke put into concealing his emotions. As he observed, he saw the tell tale signs of someone who was furious but trying hard to keep that emotion under wraps. "What are you doing here Daichi?" There was an aggression to Sasuke''s tone that he couldn''t hide. Daichi let out a short breath. "To meditate. I had something on my mind¡­ And¡­ This was also where I met a friend." Sasuke was surprised by the slight downcast expression Daichi had as he said that. He knew most people didn''t come here and those who did would most probably be from the Uchiha clan. "Who?" He couldn''t help but ask. Daichi looked at Sasuke and was contemplating whether or not to tell him. After a few seconds he made a choice. "Ren¡­ Ren Uchiha." Sasuke''s eyes widened. He didn''t know that Daichi had befriended someone from his clan. As he stood there not knowing what to say, Daichi got up. "I''ll take my leave. Good day Sasuke." Daichi said, turned around and walked a few feet. "Stop." Sasuke''s voice stopped Daichi in his tracks and he turned around to face the Uchiha. He said nothing and waited for the other to speak. Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Fight me." He all but shouted. It was something Daichi half expected. ''So damn predictable. He''s the same. The only difference is I took Naruto''s place¡­ Something I have no interest in.'' "Sasuke, you should know the outcome of that fight already! So why?" "I know you''re stronger than me right now. But I want to know¡­ just how much stronger you are¡­ Fight me and don''t hold back." Daichi looked at Sasuke for a few seconds and replied. "No!" The Uchiha gritted his teeth and quickly tossed several shuriken at Daichi. The action was much quicker than what most from the academy, even in their last year, could achieve. But Daichi saw every move the boy made. He saw Sasuke''s hands move to the pouch on his thighs and the launch of shurikens, all with clarity in slow motion. Daichi sighed and took a single kunai and parried all the projectiles with ease. Daichi kept the same nonchalant expression on his face as he looked directly at Sasuke and parried his first attack wave. Daichi looked at the boy. "You really want to get beat up that bad?" "Let''s see you try." Sasuke entered a stance and launched himself at his opponent. Daichi stood with his left hand folded behind his back. He parried the fast and precise strikes with just his right arm. Sasuke launched his strikes targeting different parts of Daichi''s body. When Daichi blocked his fists, Sasuke sent a fast kick. Which got blocked by Daichi''s leg. No matter what tactic was used, no matter how he attacked, he couldn''t land a single successful hit nor could he budge Daichi an inch from where he stood. The one thing Sasuke noticed was that Daichi was only defending himself. Just like the last time they fought and it only made him more furious. "Fight back!" "I don''t have to do anything you say." Daichi said as he tilted his head and dodged another fist. Sasuke''s blood boiled as he heard the cool dismissive tone in Daichi''s voice. The young Uchiha was furious. He jumped back a few feet and looked at his enemy. Daichi was in perfect condition. Unlike Sasuke he wasn''t panting or sweating. He looked just as calm as he did when he meditated. Sasuke gritted his teeth. ''No. This is not over.'' He took several kunai and tied ninja wire to them and tossed them at Daichi. Instead of a straight out attack, the shuriken went around Daichi''s body. At that moment Sasuke pulled the wires and the weapons changed paths. They quickly surrounded Daichi and circled him, and the wires tightened. Daichi was trapped or so it seemed. Daichi knew what was going to happen the moment Sasuke took out the ninja wire. After all, it was the same tactic he used against several enemies in the dungeon. Yet he did nothing and let the wires trap him. Sasuke, seeing Daichi''s still calm face, went through several hand-seals. ''Fire style - Fireball Jutsu.'' The flaming ball shot out of Sasuke''s mouth and got bigger and headed for Daichi. Sasuke knew there was a great chance Daichi could escape. He used the fireball jutsu so that Daichi would escape and think he(Sasuke) would let his guard down thinking the attack hit. Sasuke was counting on Daichi to attack him at that moment so he could launch a surprise counter. At least that was his plan. Daichi saw through Sasuke''s childish tactic. ''He believes that I would make it look like I got hit and then attack him from behind. And his plan is to counter attack at that time. What an amateur move. Then again this is normal for someone with no real battle experience. Real ninjas won''t fall for such simple tactics.'' All these thoughts quickly flew through his mind. Daichi decided to do things a bit differently. He secretly took a shuriken from his inventory and coated it with wind chakra. ''Need to train the wind chakra nature next year. Right now I''m changing my chakra to wind nature based on the different wind jutsus I used. But the result is too crude.'' Daichi cut apart the wires and got free but the fireball was right in front of him. Daichi didn''t plan on dodging. Instead he was going to face the attack head on. He quickly gathered some chakra to his right palm and vertically slashed down at the fireball. The chakra gathered in Daichi''s palm was changed to fire nature before he made the move. And due to his change in chakra form and nature training, Daichi''s chakra was far stronger than even some of the Jonin. Daichi''s fire chakra was more powerful and it clashed with the fireball. The struggle only lasted a second before Sasuke''s fireball was split in half and in a few seconds the flames flew to Daichi''s sides and fizzled out Daichi had a slight smirk as his experiment proved successful. ''The old man told me that some in the Hyuga clan who are more attuned to chakra than others can read the chakra flow of a jutsu and are capable of dispersing the chakra in the Ninjutsu. But he also told me that this can be accomplished by someone who doesn''t have the Byakugan. It will be extremely difficult without the special eyes but if someone has high sensitivity towards chakra, absolute chakra control and can understand the flow, this feat can be achieved¡­ Looks like I''m in that rare category.'' Sasuke was shocked to see his attack be reduced to nothing like that. He unknowingly let go of the kunai in his hand and it fell to the ground. His hand had a slight tremble. ''If it was a Chunin or Jonin who did this then I would understand. But¡­ How did Daichi¡­ He''s the same age as me¡­ How is he so much stronger than me..?'' Sasuke''s confidence and will was shaken for just a second with that display. When Daichi destroyed those flames it was as if he reduced the roaring flames of Sasuke''s anger, hate and the will in his heart into a feeble smoldering fire, but at that moment the image of his parent''s dead bodies came to his mind along with Itachi''s words. ''My foolish brother¡­'' The tremble in Sasuke''s hands stopped. ''If you wish to kill me¡­ curse me! Hate me!'' The hands became steady and slowly clenched into a fist. ''Run away and cling to your pitiful life¡­ And then when you have the same eyes as mine¡­'' The flames that were about to go out in his heart came roaring back stronger than before. ''Come find me.'' The steel and vigor in Sasuke''s eyes returned with a vengeance. Daichi noticed the change. It wasn''t just Sasuke''s expression. ''For one moment I saw him lose his confidence but¡­ It''s back. And it''s not just that. His chakra¡­ It''s gotten slightly stronger.'' Daichi, who was much more sensitive to the changes of a person''s chakra, noticed this even though Sasuke didn''t. Sasuke bent down and picked up the kunai. He then looked at Daichi and spoke. "Daichi, no matter how strong you are¡­ I will beat you¡­ You wanna know one of the earliest lessons my father had taught me¡­?" Daichi was silent. He didn''t have the same nonchalant expression as before. He was serious as he looked at the Uchiha. Sasuke looked at Daichi with a steely gaze and spoke. "He taught me that no matter how tall a wall stands, there is always a way¡­ TO KNOCK IT DOWN TO SIZE!" Sasuke threw the kunai much faster than before. Daichi, side stepped and dodged the weapon but the next second the Uchiha was in front of him. Daichi sent a punch aimed for Sasuke solar plexus but he missed. Sasuke disappeared and reappeared behind him and attacked. But Daichi could easily track him and he blocked the kick aimed for the side of his head with one hand and stopped the fist headed for his face with the other. Daichi was shocked at the speed and the force of the punch. ''He''s much faster than before and not only that he''s applying chakra to enhance his speed and strength. I don''t think he''s even aware of it. Somehow he''s subconsciously channeling his chara to his arms and legs to make himself stronger. It''s not perfect but¡­ This guy¡­ Someone needs at least ''tree walking'' level chakra control before even attempting this but this guy¡­ He''s doing it without even realizing it¡­ He''s truly incredible.'' Both of them began exchanging blows at a rate much faster than before. This time Daichi not only defended himself but also fought back. He parried and deflected Sasuke''s punches and landed several dozens of his own. Even with Daichi fighting back like this, Sasuke was able to last much longer this time. Daichi sensed Sasuke''s chakra fluctuations. ''What''s going on with his chakra¡­ It''s rapidly decreasing but¡­ There is something else¡­ It''s getting stronger¡­ Is he¡­ Is he about to awaken the Sharingan?'' As Sasuke fought, he felt himself get stronger. ''I may not be able to beat you today Daichi, but I will one day. Just you wait.'' Sasuke fought as hard as he could but he couldn''t injure Daichi and what''s even more, the force of Daichi''s blows and the speed and force of his attacks was rapidly draining his stamina. It wasn''t long before a punch Daichi sent to his midsection took his breath away and sent him flying several feet back. Sasuke landed on the ground and he laid there looking at the clouds. He didn''t look like he was about to get up. A few seconds later he started to chuckle and then it turned to full blown laughter. "Hahahaha¡­" Daichi was looking at Sasuke as if he was seeing a different person. ''What the hell? Did I knock his screw loose?'' At that moment a notification popped up in front of Daichi and he was taken off guard reading it. [Reputation increases with Sasuke Uchiha.] ''What the¡­?'' Daichi was confused as to why the system showed the message of a reputation increase rather than a decrease. Daichi walked near Sasuke and sat down on the ground. Neither of them spoke but it wasn''t an awkward silence. "Thank you Daichi!" Daichi almost missed those words due to the low voice with which they were said but when he registered them his eyes almost popped out of his skull. "Are you feeling alright Sasuke? Oh god! Did my punch do any brain damage?" Daichi dramatically yelled and displayed a shocked expression. "Shut up!" The scowl on Sasuke''s face returned. But after a few seconds it lessened. A few seconds later he spoke. "All this time, I trained hard but whenever I fought you, it felt like I didn''t make any progress at all¡­ I was afraid that if I couldn''t even defeat you then¡­" Sasuke didn''t elaborate and fell into silence. Daichi looked at Sasuke with a new perspective. A few moments later Sasuke continued. "But now I realize¡­ That''s not true at all¡­ I have gotten stronger¡­ It''s just that you''ve also been getting stronger at a much faster rate than me, haven''t you?" Daichi didn''t bother to answer and Sasuke wasn''t looking for one. "I will defeat you one day Daichi! And then I''ll be one step closer to achieving my ambition." Daichi sat there for a few more seconds but the Uchiha didn''t say anything else. He got up and was ready to leave but then looked down at the young Uchiha. "Good luck with your goal Sasuke¡­ And¡­ If you want a spar with me, I''ll be back here at the end of every month." Daichi said the words as he looked into Sasuke''s eyes. Sasuke slightly nodded but didn''t say anything else. Daichi left the forest and a plan was slowly forming in his mind regarding his Uchiha classmate. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. Chapter 103 – Water Affinity Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was walking home thinking about what had just happened. ''His chakra had gotten stronger. Uchiha always get stronger the more emotion they feel and the more dangerous the battle. But it still wasn''t able to reawaken his Sharingan. I know that he awakened his eyes that night at the massacre. Or at least I think so. Not so sure because of my presence and since I didn''t see it happen I can''t be too certain. But if he did, his brain must have buried that memory deep as some sort of protection for his fragile psyche¡­'' Daichi thought about what he should do next. ''I need to be careful. If I fight and help him awaken the Sharingan too early it could help in the long run or screw things up¡­ Things could go either way.'' Daichi ran his hand through his hair. ''Ghaa! This is so frustrating... The future I know is bad¡­ But it''s better than the one I don''t. The safety of my life comes first and before everything else. Things have already derailed somewhat¡­ I''m not gonna cause any more ripples in this pond.'' With a sigh Daichi made his choice. He then thought about Sasuke''s reaction as he lost the fight. ''This is strange¡­ I never would have expected him to show me respect, of all things¡­ I wonder what changed?'' He thought about the Sasuke he knew in this life and the one he had seen through a screen in his old one. And after several minutes of comparison Daichi came to a conclusion. ''In the show Sasuke had no one to match him in the academy. He was the best. And Naruto was the last in the class. So when Naruto the dead last started to rapidly catch up to him he felt that his improvements must have stalled. He was angry and jealous that someone he could easily defeat got to the same level of strength as him¡­ '' Daichi walked through the streets and was a few minutes away from his home. ''But here that didn''t happen. I took first place and he was always second. He now has someone he could measure himself against. This fight was the most intense one we had till now. And he must have felt his growth in power. And he even started to open up¡­ This Sasuke¡­ He is still a child who''s in pain and looking for help and not the giant angry ball of mess that is the genin Sasuke in the show¡­ I think what he needed the most was to vent his frustrations on someone¡­ At least that''s my theory. Or I could be wrong and it could be something else¡­'' Daichi thought about his actions and thought about the changes his involvement would bring to Sasuke''s mental state. ''If I could help him, would he turn away from the path of vengeance when he learns the truth?... Most likely not¡­ But that doesn''t mean I shouldn''t try¡­ Right¡­? Can I truly influence him¡­? Well¡­. Whatever the case¡­ If I can help him and make him form meaningful relationships with the other future Rookie''s then this endeavor would be worth it.'' Daichi reached his home and soon made his way to the backyard. ''I need to start the next nature chakra. I can''t let Sasuke get ahead.'' Daichi looked at the pond and saw the water rippling about due to the movements of the wind and fishes. ''I have earth and fire. Water seems like the best choice to master next.'' He went to the nearby tree and sat down. He picked up a fallen leaf and stared at it as he remembered his conversation with Kensei regarding the water nature chakra. Flashback. Kensei drank a cup of tea and spoke. "Water is a very versatile element. It depends on the person to bring out the full power of this nature. The second Hokage''s prowess with the water abilities was unlike any before and after him. Even now¡­ There''s not one that can use water style jutsus the way the second did¡­ I''ve seen you take a few books from my study. What have you learned and understood about the water element? Tell me." Daichi thought about everything he learned and he understood several aspects of this nature. "Water is the element of change. It''s formless and shapeless. But it can also take the shape of anything depending on its surroundings. It can flow gently or it can become as destructive as a Tsunami." Daichi replied. Kensei nodded. "Yes, it''s true. But that''s the most basic thing. I want you to tell me what someone who has absolute control over this element would be capable of¡­ I know you came to a few conclusions and have some theories. Let''s hear it." Daichi knew what his old man was asking. He had taken books on water nature and even on Kekkei Genkai and read through them. More specifically about the Ice users from the Yuki clan. Daichi wanted to learn as much as he could about an element so he could come up with various techniques in the future. Daichi looked at his grandfather. "Someone trained in the 2 steps of water chakra nature would be able to manipulate 2 main properties of water. Viscosity and density. Changing the liquid into thick and adhesive or as thin as oil." Kensei nodded in agreement. "Yes. The jutsus like Starch Syrup binding rope and Starch Syrup capturing field perfectly match that." Daichi nodded. "But there''s more. A true master can condense vapor particles and liquids enough to be tangible to the point where they are solid and hardened. And the water molecules have high heat capacity and coolant capabilities." Kensei thought about that point. He was a smart man and quickly realized Daichi''s point. "You''re talking about using water molecules as a medium for heat exchange aren''t you?" Daichi nodded and continued. "A true master can decrease the surrounding temperature and can even change water to ice or steam by manipulating it at a molecular level." Kensei raised an eyebrow at that. He didn''t think such a thing was possible without the help of a Kekkei Genkai ability. "And you believe this can be done with just training and no Kekkei Genkai." Daichi smiled and nodded. "I believe so, yes." Kensei was impressed with the goals Daichi set for himself. "If you can do something like that, then you would have gone one step beyond the second. And that¡­ would be truly incredible." Flashback End. Daichi placed the leaf in his hand and concentrated. ''The trick is to let the chakra flow like water.'' Daichi knew what his chakra was like due to using several water style jutsus. He focused on that and tried to make the leaf damp with hai chakra. Several minutes passed by and he opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the system notification. He opened his palms and looked at the leaf. A small portion of the leaf was slightly wet. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] Water - Leaf dampening technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1): A water chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to a leaf and making it wet. A basic technique to help the user increase the strength of their water nature chakra. [Note: increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Water Affinity.''] [Effects:] 1% increase in Water Chakra control. [CP cost : 52/sec.] ''Yeah¡­ Seems about right¡­'' At that moment Kensei came out of the house. "So you''ve begun training your third element huh¡­" "Yeah¡­" There was something that Daichi wanted to ask Kensei. "Hey. Do you know the training techniques the other villages use to train the chakra natures¡­?" Kensei looked at Daichi questioningly. "I doubt the Sand village has trees or waterfalls to help their ninjas train. And the same goes for the rest of them. So they must have different types of training unique to their villages. Do you know what they are?" Kensei nodded. "I do. And you are right. Each village has their own unique type of training methods to master the chakra natures¡­ But I''ll tell you about them another time." Daichi slightly pouted but didn''t say anything else. He created two shadow clones and all three of them got to work. ¡ª- Days passed with Daichi training the first step of the water chakra nature. He would spend his mornings with Lee working out and would spend the evenings with Naruto and the others. He would then train once he reached home till midnight and the routine continued. Daichi was able to build a balance between training and spending some time on his hobbies and just playing around. He knew that next year he would have to leave the village so he was enjoying as much as he could with his friends while he had the chance. A couple weeks had passed and one evening as Daichi was training in the backyard Kensei came to meet him. "I''m headed to the capital. I won''t be back for a week or two." Kensei said. Daichi was slightly confused at that. "I thought you usually go only once a year. Didn''t you just get back from the capital a few months ago?" "Yes. But something has come up that needs my attention. Don''t worry about it." Daichi nodded and watched his grandfather leave. ''Strange... Does this have anything to do with my trip to the capital next year?'' Daichi was suspicious as to why he had to leave the village to learn medical ninjutsu from someone and even more that the Hokage was allowing him to stay an academy student even while he''s outside the village. One of the reasons he accepted was because he knew the Hokage had a hand in this decision and he was curious as to what that man had planned. ''I know that Kensei wouldn''t let any harm come to me and if I oppose this decision then it might ruin my goodwill with the Hokage¡­ Not that I care about that but I rather have someone as influential and powerful as him as an ally than an enemy.'' Daichi let the matter go for now and got back to his training. Now with the whole place to himself he was free to train without restraints. Daichi started to increase the intensity of the training and got to work. ¡ª- Hokage Office. It was night time. Hiruzen was looking over the various mission reports and filing them. As he got down with the last document he let out a breath of slight relief. ''I need to find a successor. I''m getting too old for this.'' He took his pipe and filled it with some tobacco and lit. He stood and walked to the window of the room and stared at the night sky. ''Kensei left for the capital today. And Jiraiya has informed me that Tsunade has agreed to a meeting. Good. At least that''s something.'' The Hokage then thought about Daichi and one of the main reasons why he decided to go through with having him learn under his student. ''Tsunade and Jiraiya are the only ones strong enough to take this position. But Jiraiya has his various duties and he won''t take the hat. So that leaves Tsunade. But I know no matter what I say she won''t take the position and I can''t exactly force her¡­ But if she comes of her own will¡­'' Hiruzen let out a puff of smoke and thought about the reasoning. ''Right now her only attachment is the girl Shizune and she travels with her. But if Tsunade forms a similar attachment to Daichi, then she might be more willing to come back. With Daichi''s talents he''ll be able to pick up everything needed from Tsunade before he becomes a genin. I know Daichi wants to become a ninja. And if he comes back then she might also be willing to return. Or at the very least I''d have a better chance at convincing her to take my place. I was surprised just how much Kensei changed because of Daichi¡­ I just hope he''ll be able to accomplish the same thing with Tsunade.'' Hiruzen hated the fact that he had to resort to manipulating his students but he justified his actions with the reasoning that desperate time calls for desperate measures. He also wanted to make sure that Daichi had solid attachments in the village. ''It''s not just Tsunade but Daichi would also form an attachment with them. Kensei must have warned Daichi about Danzo and told the boy about our relationship... I''m sure of it. But if Tsunade becomes the Hokage then Daichi would feel more comfortable and trusting towards the village or at the very least the Hokage''s seat of power¡­ And Kensei would also trust Tsunade a lot more than he does me¡­ I hate that I have to manipulate them like this but this is necessary. I see no other way.'' Hiruzen then thought about the plan he set in motion regarding Isen and he let out a sigh. ''I just hope everything goes according to plan.'' Hiruzen stood there staring at the stars as he thought about several things. A while later he left the tower and headed home. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 104 – Follow the Root Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi and Lee could be seen doing push ups next to each other. "So you''ll be leaving at the end of this year?" Lee asked as he stretched his arms and pushed himself up from the ground. "Yeah. Gramps wanted me to learn about his business in the capital. So I''ll be gone for about 3 years. I''ll come back by the time my class is ready to graduate." Daichi replied as he exercised alongside the boy. "I see¡­" Daichi could hear the hidden sadness in that reply. He didn''t know what to say so for the moment he decided to keep quiet. Suddenly Daichi saw Lee smile a big grin. "Yosh! When you come back, I''ll definitely be a genin and we should spar. I can''t wait to see how strong you will become after 3 years." Daichi laughed hearing his excited tone. "Yeah. That sounds fun." "499¡­ 500! Yosh!" Lee and Daichi got up from the ground and then walked through the forest. "How''s your classes?" Daichi asked the boy. "I''m concentrating on the taijutsu and theoretical classes as you said. My grades have slightly improved but it''s still not enough. And those classes are sometimes confusing." Lee replied. Daichi thought about that for a moment and had an idea in mind. "Everyone learns differently¡­ How about this? When you''re trying to learn a difficult subject at home, I want you to put the book down and do a hundred hand stands or push ups as you read. I have a feeling that kind of method might work for a training nut like you. I''m not 100% sure it''ll help you memorize everything but it''s worth a shot." Lee''s eyes widened in excitement as he heard that. "Yes! That''s a most brilliant idea. Thank you my friend Daichi." He ran and gave Daichi a tight hug¡­ "Ghaa¡­ Easy there." Daichi pried Lee''s hands off him. "We need to get ready soon or we''ll be late." "Yosh! Let''s race and see who makes it out of the forest first." Lee shouted. Both of them ran as they counted to three. It was a usual thing and unsurprisingly it was Daichi who came first. Both of them went their separate ways afterwards. Daichi headed home and freshened himself and got ready. He created three shadow clones to train the first step of the water chakra nature and left his home. He arrived in his class a few minutes before the bell and the classes started as usual. He listened diligently and answered whatever questions were asked of him. As he listened to a lecture about a subject he already knew his mind drifted to his grandfather. ''I wonder what that old man is doing right now?'' ¡ª- Near the Fire Capital. Kensei was inside a two story house he had only heard about and never been to before that day. He looked around and found several rooms with different types of equipment in each room. ''So this is the safe house created by Second Lord Hokage. Locations wise¡­ The building isn''t in a bad spot. It is not easily found or accessible and it is hidden and protected by seals that take energy from the surroundings¡­ What kind of a seal does that?'' Kensei waited for the arrival of certain people. ''I wonder¡­ Will she come? Hiruzen sent word that she agreed to a meeting¡­ It seems the only thing I can do is wait¡­'' Kensei looked around the place. ''Might as well look around. Hiruzen told me he disabled the traps inside the place¡­'' Kensei opened the door to a room and saw several shelves of scrolls and documents. ''All that information¡­ I''m half tempted to take it all with me.'' Kensei suppressed his desires and looked inside another room. This one was like a small laboratory. It didn''t have any advanced machine but there were several glass beakers and jars with various substances inside, all labeled and neatly preserved. As he looked around and waited, Kensei suddenly sensed the presence of three other people. They entered the barrier and opened the door to the safe house. Kensei saw a fair skinned woman with brown eyes and straight blond hair enter first. She wore a green haori and underneath had a grey kimono and matching dark bluish pants. Her most notable features were her sizable cleavage and violet diamond-shaped seal on her forehead. One of the three Legendary ninjas. Tsunade Senju. ''Tsunade Senju¡­ She''s certainly aged since the last time I saw her¡­ But that transformation technique is impressive. And behind her are¡­'' Behind Tsunade was another woman with average height, slender build and jet black hair wearing a black kimono. She was holding a small pinkish colored pig and the last one stepping inside was a tall well built man with spiky long white hair. The second of the Legendary three. Jiraiya the Toad Sage. ''Shizune and Jiraiya¡­ It seems all of them are here.'' Tsunade and Jiraiya immediately recognized the man inside the safehouse. The blond sannin had a smirk as she looked at Kensei. "And here I thought you retired a long time ago. Not to mention your dislike of Sarutobi sensei¡­ So why exactly are you here doing this?" "I''m not here to help Hiruzen. I want to save Isen. And I''m going to create problems for Danzo¡­ So there is a difference¡­" Tsunade smirked and said nothing else. "How is the young sapling you''ve adopted.?" Jiraiya asked as he stepped forward. "He''s fine. He started on his third nature training before I left." ''There is no point in hiding it from him. They will eventually know what Daichi is capable of.'' Jiraiya was surprised when he heard that. ''Looks like sensei was right. Only 9 years old and already training in a third chakra nature¡­? His talent and potential might be immeasurable.'' They looked around the place. Tsunade looked at the rooms with slight nostalgia. She had only come here a couple times and it was in the presence of her grand uncle and grandmother. Kensei looked at Tsunade''s apprentice. "You must be Shizune." "Yes¡­ And you''re Kensei Yasaji right¡­ I''ve heard a lot about you." The girl politely replied. The old man nodded and then turned towards the approaching Sanin. "I have something Hiruzen gave me. He said you would know what to do¡­" Kensei took out the scroll and gave it to Tsunade. She took the scroll and opened it. A glass jar twice the size of a human head appeared. Inside it were several of the same flowers. Each flower was 3.5 to 5cm long in diameter. They were violet-purple and had greenish yellow spots. Kensei looked at the flowers and was confused. He didn''t know why Hiruzen gave those to him. But he knew it had some significance to the plan. "What is that?" Kensei asked. Tsunade examined the glass jar for a few seconds and replied. "It''s a beautiful looking flower isn''t it¡­ But it''s quite dangerous. Rhododendron ponticum. It has the ability to create toxic chemicals making it a poisonous plant. The nectar produced from the pollen of this flower can be poisonous. It can cause hypotension as well as bradycardia if consumed in certain quantities." Kensei slightly tilted his head. "Meaning¡­." Tsunade sighed and answered. "Meaning it can cause low blood pressure and slows down the heart rate." Kensei''s eyes slightly widened at the implications. "How long will the effects last¡­?" Tsunade thought about it for a few seconds and replied. "If I make a few adjustments and add a couple other ingredients, then about 4 hours. The heartbeat will be slowed down to about 1 or 2 beats per minute. The person will be in a near death state." Kensei thought about the plan proposed by the Hokage. "4 hours huh. That''s more than enough time for the whole thing to work¡­ What do you need to make the poison?" "I need a medical lab. And a week." Kensei looked around the place. "So that''s why he told us to meet here." "Yes. Uncle Tobirama conducted several experiments here. He was a ninja but he was also a scientist at heart." Kensei nodded and completely agreed with that. ¡ª-¡ª- Academy. The classes for the day were almost over. As Daichi was sitting there completing his works a new quest box appeared in front of him. [Quest Created: Follow The Root.] Follow the root ninja Touma Asai. Find the location of the Root Base. Time Limit: 1.5 hour. . [Conditions:] Must not be caught. Locate the entrance to the Root base. Identify Touma Asai''s contact. . [Rewards:] 2500 Exp. . [Failure:] Reputation decreases with Danzo Shimura. Accept. (Y/N) Daichi went over the details of the quest and immediately accepted. ''This quest doesn''t have death or being forced to join the root or anything like that as failure¡­ That means even if Danzo finds out that I followed his spy he wouldn''t be able to do much about it¡­ Must be because of Kensei and the Hokage. Not that I''m going to let something like that happen.'' Daichi also noticed something strange. ''Why is there a time limit on this quest? Does that mean he''ll meet his contact in that time limit or will he personally go to the base? I guess I''ll find out.'' Once the classes were over Daichi went to the bathroom and quickly created a shadow clone. Once the clone left he took out his Invisibility cloak and put it on. Daichi found his classmate leaving the grounds and followed him to his home. It was some ways from the academy and once Touma reached his home Daichi moved to the opposite side of the building. He cautiously entered the building through an open window. He went to a corner of the room and sat while under the protection of the cloak. Daichi saw Touma preparing a report. ''Hmm¡­ Must be about me, Naruto and Sasuke. It seems someone will come here and pick up the report.'' Daichi glanced at what was being written. It was an evaluation of his attitude, class performance, strength, behavior and friends. He waited and after some time he saw Touma finish writing his report and sealed them in a small scroll. Touma left the scroll near the window and went to another room. Daichi waited patiently and after about fifteen more minutes he saw a small black cat jump into the room and grab the scroll. It swallowed the scroll and jumped out the window. ''What the?'' Daichi didn''t waste anymore time gawking at what had just happened. He jumped out the window and followed the cat. The black cat took a path through the forest and kept to the shadows. Its movements were silent and if one wasn''t paying attention they would miss it. Daichi followed behind it and took a closer look. He found that it was not a real cat but something else. ''Is that¡­ Is that thing made of ink?'' Daichi''s eyes widened in surprise as he realized the implications¡­ ''If that thing is made of ink then that means the one behind this is¡­.'' Daichi didn''t have to wait long for an answer. The cat suddenly jumped up a tree and reached its creator. Daichi saw two people and he immediately recognized one of them while he had a vague recollection of the other. The first was a child with short black hair and pale skin. He had a small backpack and was painting something in his notebook while the cat jumped and landed near him. ''That''s definitely Sai. And unless I''m mistaken the other one must be Shin.'' Daichi got close and listened to their conversation. "Well look at that. It looks like your ink Ninjutsu is a success. Now you know you can make creatures that can move on their own instead of inanimate objects. Well done." The boy Daichi knew as Sai smiled. "Come on. Let''s head back." Shin said and both of them left. Daichi followed. ''So Sai is only beginning to learn how to use his ink Ninjutsu style.'' Daichi followed them to the base of a cliff near the forest. Daichi saw Shin making a seal and saw the rock part ways and both of them went inside. [Quest Completed.] Daichi was debating on whether or not to follow them but he decided against it when the question completion notification appeared. [Rewards:] 2500 Exp. 375 Exp. [You have found a hidden location. Added to the Mini-Map.] Daichi looked at his holographic map and it expanded and it indicated the new location by highlighting it for a few seconds. ''It looks like this venture wasn''t all that bad. I found the location of a root base and got some exp. Not a bad way to spend an evening at all.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 105 – Conquer the Castle Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi spent his time training and improving his skills. He refined his techniques and concentrated on increasing his chakra volume. Daichi gained several points in several stats over the course of the last few months. Kensei had returned home after 3 weeks. Daichi noticed that his grandfather was in a better mood when he returned from the trip. He didn''t pay much attention to it and chalked it up to the old man''s business doing well. Daichi kept his promise and sparred with Sasuke at the end of every month. Both of them noticed the Uchiha''s improvement. Daichi''s goal was to subtly influence Sasuke and have him not become a threat to the village or him. It was slow but over the course of a few months there were some small changes. Several months passed and Daichi mastered the first step of the water nature skill and was half way through the second step. He and his clones used their chakra and pushed it forward from their palms. The water in front of him stopped off for several seconds before it resumed its fall. [Skill Water - Waterfall control technique''s level has risen by one.] [Skill Water affinity''s level has risen by one.] Daichi dispelled the clones. He felt the immediate fatigue enveloping his body. ''Level 50. Slow, but it''s not a problem. By the time I become a Genin I''d have all 5 chakra natures mastered.'' Daichi sat down and meditated. He felt the cool water splashing on his body and he felt refreshed. After an hour of deep meditation Daichi got up and went back home. He was in a bit of a dilemma. ''Now that the October exams are over I have 2 weeks before class starts for the second term¡­ Should I do an instant dungeon or should I try the academy dungeon?'' In the Instant dungeon or Key dungeons the player can stay inside the dungeon for as long as he wants and only a few seconds would pass in the real world. The strength of the enemies would depend on the color of the keys, so one can estimate the strength of the strongest opponent they might face in the dungeon. In a Location Dungeon, once the dungeon is activated it will be open for a year and will close after 365 days. There are several restrictions to the dungeon as well. Moreover, the enemy could be weak or unbelievably strong. After weighing the pros and cons and the fact that he would be leaving at the end of March, Daichi decided that starting a Location Dungeon would be just a waste. He took out the key to the Kikyo Castle Dungeon key. ''This thing used to be black but now it''s red. So my opponents will be 15 to 30 levels higher than me¡­ My strength has grown considerably. I can do this!'' That night Daichi waited for the clock to reach midnight and he took out the key. He clutched it in his hand and activated it. He felt the familiar sensation and in seconds landed on the stone floor. He looked at the hallway and he was surprised at what he saw. The hallway was much larger than the ones he encountered in the other dungeons and this had artworks and gold colored lining throughout the walls. Daichi slowly walked and brushed his fingertips against the exquisite patterns on the wall. ''Wow¡­ It feels like I''m in some sort of a castle. But then I suppose that''s stating the obvious.'' [You have reached the entrance to the dungeon - Kiky¨­ Castle.] [Would you like to enter?] [Y/N] "Yes!" The key rotated and the door opened. He stopped through the door and was surprised. Several meters in front of him stood a large castle and there was nothing else in the surroundings. [The title ''Dungeon Warrior'' is now active. All your stats are increased by 15% while inside the dungeon.] ''Observe'' [Kiky¨­ Castle] [This castle was created based on the one built in the Leaf village. There are several ninjas inside that guard the castle from intruders and there is a king that resides at the top floor. There are 10 floors and each floor has a certain number of guards.] [Quest Created - Conquer the Castle.] [Condition:] There are 10 floors inside the castle. Defeat your opponents and climb each floor till you reach the top. Defeat the king residing on the top floor and conquer the castle. Time limit : None. . [Rewards:] 55000 Exp. Red Potion. . [Failure:] Death. [Accept] (Y/N) Daichi accepted the quest and walked towards the entrance of the castle. But before he entered he had to do something. Daichi opened the options tab and looked at the Gamer''s Mind On/Off button. Without wasting a second he turned it off. Daichi was perfectly calm and was his usual self. Due to facing his fears he was now much more in control of himself. Both mind and body. ''With ''Unyielding spirit'' skill I won''t have to worry about external mental attacks. And it''s not like I''m going to have a mental breakdown here. So I''m good on that front. With this I''ll be able to increase my indomitable stat¡­ But should I deliberately let myself get wounded on the chance that it would increase my ''persistence'' stat?'' After thinking about it for a few seconds Daichi decided against such an idea. ''If I get myself hurt and then suddenly a new enemy comes then I''ll be in trouble. It''s not worth the risk.'' He looked at the giant door and pushed them open. He slowly walked inside prepared for an ambush but he didn''t find anyone. Daichi looked around and found no living creatures inside. ''What the? There isn''t anyone here¡­ Then again this is the ground floor.'' Daichi then took the stairs and walked up to the first floor. The first floor was vastly different from the ground floor. It was a giant room with a wide space. There were several pillars and decorations on the wall but nothing else. ''Wow. This place is big. I wouldn''t have thought that looking at this castle from the outside. But I don''t see any steps that would lead to the next floor.'' It was at this moment Daichi''s senses alerted him to an attack from behind. Daichi pumped chakra through his legs and jumped. As he easily avoided the slash from a sword, Daichi took out a kunai with a ninja wire attached and sent it towards his attacker. The kunai struck the enemy ninja and as Daichi was about to unleash a fire jutsu he sensed movements and attacks coming from 4 different directions. He yanked on the kunai stuck to the first ninja and got himself out of the way just in time. ''I really need to learn to fly or at least maneuver in mid air. I''m pretty sure if I get my telekinesis strong enough I can accomplish that.'' The first ninja took the kunai buried in his shoulder and tore it out. He disappeared from his spot and joined the other 4. Daichi stood and looked at the 5 enemies in front of him and a second later he sensed more opponents appearing in his back. The enemy ninjas wore a black outfit and it covered most of their face as well. The only thing notable was the silver light shining from their eyes. ''Damn! 5 in front and 5 more in the back. It looks like this floor has 10 enemies. Assuming there isn''t anymore hiding and waiting to ambush me¡­'' Daichi was in the middle of two teams of dungeon ninjas and he was extremely cautious. He immediately used ''Observe'' on them. ''All of them are Level 58. They each have an HP of a little over 6000. And their chakra is in the 4500 range. And it says here their strength lies in Taijutsu and swordplay¡­ It doesn''t say anything about ninjutsu or genjutsu¡­ Good. That''s good.'' Daichi used Mana Scout skill to make sure these were the only enemies on this floor. Daichi smiled as he looked at the dungeon ninjas. "I''m going to the second floor and you guys won''t be enough to stop me." His enemies stood still in silence and watched him. After a few seconds of calm, chaos erupted. The moment Daichi made signs for a shadow clone the ninjas attacked. Daichi dodged the swings of their weapons and successfully created three clones. He took a few daggers and kunais from his inventory and threw them to his clones, while he kept the sword for himself. Daichi''s clones were able to deposit items into the inventory but they were unable to take it out. It was something he found out when he was first testing the shadow clone jutsu. "Back to back. Make sure not to get dispelled." Daichi spoke to the three clones. ''Unlike Naruto I can''t use shadow clones to overwhelm the enemy. But my clones are far more skilled than him and they wouldn''t easily get dispelled.'' Daichi and the clones formed two teams. One of them attacked while the other provided support. During the last several months Daichi learned several ninjutsu and genjutsu to his ever expanding arsenal. Daichi''s stats increased due to the dungeon warrior title and he also got a boost due to the executioner title. It was a title that increased his stats by 7% when fighting enemy ninjas. As Daichi was fighting one opponent his clone kept anyone attacking at bay. The clone used disorientation genjutsu, wind style and fire ninjutsu to blow the other enemies from getting close to Daichi. Daichi easily evaded the sword swings and slashed at his enemy. Several skills were triggered and within a dozen seconds he finished off his first enemy. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [Enemies killed: 01/55] "One down nine to go." He turned his attention to the rest and resumed his battle. Daichi and his clone used taijutsu and genjutsu in tandem to take down their opponents. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [Enemies killed: 02/55] At that moment he got the notification that his two man clone team had also finished their first enemy ninja in the dungeon. As Daichi dodged a sword swing and punched the enemy. His clone body flickered and slashed the enemy from behind. Daichi then blocked a sword thrust and sidestepped another from two more enemies. He rushed and easily got through their defenses. He sent a kick that sent one flying while he slashed at the leg of the other enemy and severed it. He went through hand-seals and let out a small but concentrated fireball that reduced the enemy to ashes in seconds. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [Enemies killed: 03/55] Daichi''s senses and battle skills had been refined to the point that even opponents several levels higher than him couldn''t easily wound him. As the battle continued the number of opponents on the first floor was decreasing minute by minute. Daichi''s clones worked perfectly as a team and covered their backs. They would carefully dodge or deflect attacks that would have them reduced to smoke. But there were still moments when the attacks got through and the clones dispelled. Daichi created a new clone the second he got the memories of the vanished one. Due to his large chakra reserves this was not a difficult task. It wasn''t long before the fight on the 1st floor became a one on one battle between 8 people. The clones primarily used genjutsu to distract or disorient the dungeon ninjas. And then they would deliver the finishing strikes. Daichi mainly used taijutsu and swordsmanship to improve and perfect it. Due to learning advanced leaf academy Taijutsu, his hand to hand combat skills have also gotten a boost. Daichi parried a punch and sent several strikes to the joints and weak areas of his enemy''s body. It slowed down the dungeon ninja and Daichi quickly slashed and reduced his health points to zero. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [Enemies killed: 07/55] It wasn''t long before his clones also finished their enemies. [Enemy killed.] +700 Exp. +105 Exp. [Enemies killed: 10/55] You have leveled up. Daichi looked at the several notifications indicating the level increase of several skills, ninjutsu and genjutsu. He went over them all and quickly closed the blue system message boxes. At that moment a new notification appeared. [You have cleared the first floor. You can now move to the second.] A portion of the wall on the far side of the room slid open and revealed white marbled stairs. ''It looks like I''ll have to defeat every enemy on the floor before I can get to the next one.'' Daichi sat down and started meditating. Once he was back to his full strength he stood up and started making his way towards his next challenge. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 106 – Battle on the 5 Floors. Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. As Daichi walked up the stairs he checked his status page and skill list. His thoughts drifted to the speed of his progress. ''Now I''m at level 42. But my level progression has considerably slowed down. Looks like until I become a Genin and take missions I won''t have many ways to increase my EXP other than dungeons. And this is the last Key dungeon I have at the moment. I haven''t found any more.'' Daichi looked ahead and saw that he was almost at the entrance to the next floor. ''Even though the enemies were almost 20 levels higher than me, I defeated them without any lethal injury to myself. The passive skills are doing a great job. But that alone wouldn''t have been it! Their stats must not be that high compared to their level. It''s the only explanation I can think of¡­'' Daichi reached the top of the stairs and opened the door to the next floor. The room was large just like the one in the previous floor. Daichi glanced at the mini-map and saw no red dots. ''My map isn''t registering any enemies. Looks like these guys can hide from the Mini-Map. But it''s a good thing I have other ways of finding my opponents.'' Daichi immediately used Mana scout. Along with that skill and his exceptional senses he was able to deduce that there were 9 enemies in the room. All hidden waiting for their chance to strike him. ''Never give your opponent the chance to dictate the battle. Make the first move Daichi.'' Daichi created 3 clones and the next moment all 4 of them were evading shuriken projectiles. Several shuriken appeared between Daichi''s fingers and he threw them at 4 of the enemies hidden in the shadows of the room. The next second several black shadows moved and the dungeon ninjas appeared before Daichi. ''9 of them in total. And all of them are Level 59. And it seems there are swordsmen.'' Daichi quickly analyzed them and the battle began. Each ninja had two swords strapped to them. Daichi took out his sword and clashed with his opponent. This time there was a change in the battle tactic. Daichi would battle alone while his 3 clones would work as a team. Daichi thought about this as a way to improve his coordination so he can fight better alongside his clones when he goes up against stronger ninjas. Sparks flew and the sounds of swords clashing could be heard everywhere. The dungeon ninjas didn''t use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu but their Taijutsu and sword play was impressive. Daichi was able to narrowly avoid serious lethal injuries to himself but there were some small cuts on his body. He deflected a strike with his sword and evaded another and punched the dungeon ninja closest to him. Daichi''s speed allowed him to get inside their defenses and he unleashed several lethal strikes. In seconds the first guard ninja of the second floor was destroyed. [Enemy killed.] +850 Exp. +127.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 11/55] Unlike Daichi, his clones used everything they had. From Taijutsu to Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. Since one precise blow from the enemy could reduce them to smoke they were careful. This also helped them increase the level of skills such as body flicker jutsu, Telekinesis, chakra enhancement, chakra flow and more. A clone would restrain the enemy with chakra threads while another deliver finishing blows or they would use telekinesis to shift the trajectory of the sword swings helping them evade it easier. [Enemy killed.] +850 Exp. +127.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 12/55] Daichi and his clones slowly but steadily defeated their opponents and reduced them to smoke. It took time and effort but after an hour of battle it was over. Daichi had to create new clones a few times but it was expected. In the end he was the last one who was left standing on the second floor. [Enemy Killed.] +850 Exp. +127.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 19/55] [You have cleared the second floor. You can now move to the third.] As the battle came to an end a wall slid open to reveal the path to the next floor. Daichi closed the notification boxes and sat down on the ground and meditated. As his meditation skill activated, his wounds slowly began to heal. A few hours went by and Daichi had restored his CP, HP and SP. ''All my injuries are gone and I''m back to full health and chakra. Man this gamer ability is awesome. Only 9 and half years old and I''m stronger than most chunins.'' Daichi sat there thinking about the battle he went through. ''In the first floor there were 10 ninjas and here there were 9. So if the pattern holds then the next floor should have 8 enemies and the one above should have 7. But as the number of opponents decrease, their strength would no doubt increase. Maybe I could use my clones like this for another two or three floors but can they hold on for more before they get taken out?'' Daichi let out a sigh and stood up. ''One step at a time Daichi.'' He climbed the stairs and soon reached the entrance to the next floor. Before entering he created 4 clones. "Make sure not to get dispelled too soon." Daichi told his clones. Daichi changed his battle style and fought alone because in addition to his clones learning to coordinate attacks, he wanted to learn to fight and defend against attacks coming from his blind spots as well. He didn''t want to create any negative habits or anything even close to it by even slightly letting his guard down by thinking he would have a clone watching his back. He pushed open the doors and slowly stepped inside the room. His sense of smell, hearing, Mana scout and Chakra sensing alerted him to the presence of his enemies. ''I was right. I can only sense 8 ninjas in this room. And since it''s unlikely that they can evade Mana scout skill, I''m pretty sure I''m not missing anyone.'' The fight on the third floor soon began. Daichi and his clones battled the dungeon ninjas but this battle lasted for much longer than the others. Daichi blocked a punch aimed at his midsection and retaliated with a swift kick. ''These guys are all level 60. And their stats are much higher when compared to the first floor ninjas.'' There were ninjas using swords, daggers, kunai, shurikens and some fought using Taijutsu. Daichi battled 2 ninjas while the clones took on 6. Daichi had to create new shadow clones more than the last time but due to his larger chakra reserves he was able to endure it. [Enemy Killed.] +1100 Exp. +165 Exp. [Enemies killed: 27/55] [You have cleared the third floor. You can now move to the fourth.] It took over three hours for Daichi to defeat them all but he was successful in the end. Daichi breathed hard and sat down. ''This tactic won''t work for much longer¡­ Even though the numbers are reducing, the guards are getting stronger and stronger.'' Daichi meditated and while his body healed and his stamina and chakra replenished, he thought of ways he could fight more effectively. Maximizing the utility of his skills. At that moment, a memory of a certain ninja came to his mind. ''If I can use that skill like he did, then I would undoubtedly be able to win my battles. Or at the very least not die.'' When he was ready Daichi headed to the fourth floor. This time he created only 2 clones. Reaching the entrance he stopped. "You two know what to do! Buy me some time and make sure to keep most of the enemies at bay. We''ll finish this one by one." Daichi spoke. His clones nodded and all three entered the room. The moment they did, several kunai and shuriken were coming their way. Daichi saw the spinning stars and knives coming at him and he slightly smirked. ''You won''t get us like that.'' He flooded his body with chakra and supercharged his muscles. It was using his chakra the same way he would use the body flicker jutsu but this was more controlled and precise. Daichi and his clones vanished in an instant and they appeared at the other side of the room. ''Shisui the Teleporter. His use of the body flicker was so great it allowed him to battle multiple, powerful enemies. I''ll be borrowing your tactics, Shisui. I''m not proficient in this jutsu yet so I have to be careful.'' Daichi immediately sensed his surroundings and found that there were 7 ninjas this time. ''I was right. The number decreases the more you climb but the strength will definitely be increasing.'' Daichi used ''Observe'' on one ninja that appeared out of the shadows and saw that they were level 62. The fight began with Daichi''s clones using genjutsu and short range ninjutsu to distract most of the enemies while Daichi fought the others in hand to hand combat. He used chakra to supercharge his cells and muscles and he easily evaded the multiple strikes of his enemies. Daichi used a dagger and landed several critical strikes in seconds on his opponents. The dungeon guards had a hard time landing a successful strike on Daichi due to his new speed. Daichi landed several strikes on a ninja and decapitated the head while dodging a spear aimed at his heart the next second. Due to his powerful senses Daichi was able to accurately keep track of his surroundings. While the dungeon ninjas fought back they were unable to completely keep up with Daichi''s speed. Before long the outcome of the battle was decided. Daichi and his clones also used the body flicker technique to increase their speed and Daichi and his two clones were able to defeat the enemies much faster than the last time. [Enemy Killed.] +1300 Exp. +195 Exp. [Enemies killed: 34/55] [You have cleared the fourth floor. You can now move to the fifth.] Daichi checked his exp status. [Level : 42] (30265/46300) ''A little over 16000 more and I''ll be able to go up another level. Not to mention the reward exp once I clear this dungeon. That''s another level. Looks like I''ll be level 44 or at most 45 by the time I leave here.'' Daichi had been going without sleep for over 14 hours. His Mana was down to a lil less than 600 points. While Daichi''s HP, CP, SP can be regenerated through meditation his Mana points can only be restored through sleep. After giving it some thought he came to a decision. ''I''ll sleep after I''m done with the battles one the next floor.'' Once Daichi was ready he created 2 clones and headed upstairs. Daichi reached the fifth battle ground and looked around the place. The decorations were more unique and stylish than the other four floors. He quickly sensed the guards hidden in the room. ''6. I''ll have to be careful.'' Daichi went through several hand-seals and fired several small fire bullets at the hidden ninjas near him. The shadows moved and easily evaded the Ninjutsu and sent several strikes at Daichi. Thus the battle on the fifth floor began. [LV.64][5th Floor Guard - 5] HP: 6270 CP: 6044 [LV.63][5th Floor Guard - 6] HP: 6139 CP: 6002 . . . . [LV.64][5th Floor Guard - 1] HP: 6322 CP: 6166 When Daichi used ''Observe'' on them he found that unlike the floors these ninjas vary in level, chakra and health. ''Their outfits are also different. Some wear armor while some are wearing normal kimonos. And two of them don''t even have weapons.'' [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack.] Daichi''s analysis of his enemies was correct. There were ninjas capable of using genjutsu on Daichi. But due to Daichi''s skills the mental attacks didn''t affect him. ''I was right. These guys can use more than just Taijutsu and swordsmanship.'' The battle began and it wasn''t just genjutsu but ninjutsu as well was used by the floor guardians. Daichi used the earth wall to defend against fire and wind bullets and the moment he was out of their sight Daichi used the Body flicker jutsu and swiftly moved to their location. Due to his senses he was able to accurately ascertain their positions and was able to launch attacks from their blind spots. But the dungeon ninjas were capable. They were able to defend against Daichi''s attacks and for a short while it was as if the two sides were in a stalemate. Due to the strength and speed of the ninjas, Daichi''s clones weren''t able to do much damage and they got destroyed by the ninjas quickly. Daichi had to create more to buy himself time. As the battle continued Daichi used his sword and dagger and this activated the dual mastery skill and its effects. . . . It was a difficult battle but he endured and pressed forward. Daichi mainly used guerrilla tactics. He created several stone walls inside the large room obstructing the view. But due to Daichi''s senses he was able to ascertain everyone''s position. He and his clones were able to take out 3 and reduce the health of the other three but the battle was getting more and more difficult for Daichi. His chakra was rapidly decreasing and he was beginning to feel his muscles strain from the constant use of the body flicker technique. The floor guards fought hard and pressed Daichi to his limits. When Daichi''s health lowered to less than 25% the ''Persistence'' stat activated. Due to the 16 points in the persistence stat Daichi got a 16% boost to all his other stats for 3 minutes. And with this increase in strength he was able to defeat all his opponents and he finally cleared the fifth floor after 4 hours. [Enemy Killed.] +1550 Exp. +232.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 40/55] [You have cleared the fifth floor. You can now move to the sixth.] Daichi had a ragged breath as he closed the blue system messages. He looked at his progress. Level : 42 (41565/46300) ''Damn! I thought this level would have helped me in reaching 43¡­ Whatever. I need some sleep right now.'' Daichi let out another tired breath and took out his small mattress from his inventory. He took out some gauze and wrapped them around his wounds. ''Don''t want the bed to get too bloody.'' That was Daichi''s last thought as he went to sleep. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 107 – Reaching the ninth floor [You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored.] Daichi closed the box and let out a small yawn. He stood up and stretched his arms and legs. Daichi clenched his fists and felt the power coursing through his entire body. He put his sleeping bed back in his inventory and looked around the room. Daichi then saw a large open window and went near it. The view outside took him by surprise. The sky was full of dark grey clouds and blocked most of the sunlight. As Daichi looked he saw nothing but an open field surrounding the castle. A barren land with a majestic castle in the center. That was the structure of this dungeon. Daichi felt the window sill on his palms and then looked at his hands. He felt several different emotions at once. Disbelief, amazement, excitement and more. ''I was supposed to die¡­ But instead I got reincarnated into a fictional world with one of the greatest abilities. And now I''m in a dungeon battling enemies that could kill me and yet¡­ I don''t feel scared¡­ Wariness maybe. But not fear. But more than that I feel excited¡­ Excited about the battles, the opportunities, about this world¡­ Still¡­ Sometimes I wonder if this is all just an elaborate dream my mind conjured up to keep me alive¡­ Until I heal from my wounds and wake up to my dull boring life¡­'' Daichi shook his head and sighed. ''Turning off the gamer''s mind always makes me more emotional.'' Daichi sat near the window and started meditating. He needed to be at his best for the battles in the next few floors. After about an hour Daichi was in a much better and peaceful state of mind. He opened his eyes and stood. He was ready for battle. ''The next floor would have 5 enemies. But they would be much stronger. I doubt my clones would be able to distract them for long, much less beat them¡­ Still. I have to try. Speed is my greatest advantage against power. There is also the option of using stat points. But I don''t want to do that unless I absolutely have to.'' He created 4 clones and they made their way to the next floor. As Daichi entered the sixth floor of the castle he felt the presence of 5 powerful ninjas. His ears alerted him to the shurikens coming at his back. Daichi and his clones split up. Due to Daichi training everyday and pushing himself, his stat points increased steadily. It was a slow but steady progress. Thus he was far stronger than someone of the same level. The hidden ninjas appeared and the battle immediately began. Daichi and his clones extensively used the body flicker jutsu and due to the effects of several skills their speed was unmatched. ''Three of them are level 64 and two are 65.'' Daichi analyzed his opponents and quickly attacked the one that showed the highest health and chakra. The clones used ninjutsu and genjutsu and attacked their opponents from a distance while Daichi was in close combat with his foe. The clones used the body flicker jutsu to dodge attacks or keep their enemies in check while Daichi attacked and finished them off one by one. Daichi slashed down vertically and sliced off an arm and jumped back to dodge the wild sword swing from his enemy. His hands blurred through several seals and he fired several small volleys of fast but powerful fire bullets. [Enemy Killed.] +1700 Exp. +255 Exp. [Enemies killed: 43/55] [You have leveled up.] ''Yes! About time.'' Thanks to the level up, Daichi''s stamina was restored to almost 70%. At that moment another notification alerted him to the enemy coming from behind. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack.] Daichi turned around and parried the short blade that was about to stab him. He then used telekinesis to shift the enemy''s attack path and sent several fierce sword slashes. With each battle Daichi was learning to fight different types of opponents and his experience grew faster than anyone could comprehend. Before long the battle on the 6the floor came to an end. [Enemy Killed.] +1700 Exp. +255 Exp. [Enemies killed: 45/55] [You have cleared the sixth floor. You can now move to the seventh.] Daichi meditated and once he fully recovered Daichi went to the seventh floor. The four enemies were of level 65 and 66. Due to their speed and strength it took Daichi considerably longer to defeat his enemies. He was wounded several times and his health even dropped to less than 10%. It was only due to his multiple passive skills that increased his speed and the damage reduction skills that reduced the damage he took that he was able to hold on. [Enemy Killed.] +1850 Exp. +277.5 Exp. [Enemies killed: 49/55] [You have cleared the seventh floor. You can now move to the eight.] Even though he won the fight, his health, chakra, stamina and mana points were in the low double digits. Daichi bandaged his cuts and took out his bed. He fell asleep in seconds. ¡ª- [You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored.] Daichi''s eyes opened and he slowly got up from the bed. "Ohh man. If I didn''t have the gamer''s body I don''t think I could have lasted long fighting like this¡­" Daichi thought about the power of the ninjas he just faced and after giving it some thought he decided to add 10 points each in his strength and agility stats. ''I don''t like using points so early but if I don''t, I might not make it out alive from the next 3 floors.'' With the stat points distributed Daichi made his way to the eight floor. He made 4 clones and walked up to the next floor. When he opened the door he saw three ninjas in heavy armor waiting for him at the opposite end of the room. They weren''t hidden like the ninjas in the previous floors. Daichi used ''observe'' on them. ''It looks like they have a title. The Three Guardian Knights. And their levels are all 68. Their health is 7000 and chakra is 6700. And it looks like each of them specializes in one of the ninja arts.'' The three knights wore distinctive armor. Green, blue and red. The information on Daichi''s observation showed that the Green armored ninja was a Taijutsu specialist, while the blue was a Ninjutsu and Red a Genjutsu master. ''I''ll finish the red one first. Then the green one and save the blue for last. Genjutsu won''t have any effect on me or my clones but I should finish him first. Then the Taijutsu master while my clones wear down the ninjutsu specialist.'' Daichi created the plan in mere moments after going through the information and the battle began. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack.] Direct genjutsu attacks against Daichi were ineffective and Daichi didn''t give the Red ninja a chance to figure him out. With the increase in speed and combined with the body flicker jutsu he was able to get behind his enemy in an instant. Daichi thrust his sword but the Red ninja used substitution and escaped the attack. Daichi immediately sensed his enemy''s new location and used a balance disruption Genjutsu. While the enemy was able to quickly negate the effect and escape, Daichi was already on him. Using sword and dagger Daichi activated the dual mastery skill and with speed boost he sent several strikes in quick succession. At that moment a wall suddenly sprang up behind him protecting him from a fire ball. ''I need to finish this guy quickly.'' The genjutsu ninja blocked a few strikes but several got past his defenses and reduced his health. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack.] Daichi smirked as he saw the system message. ''Genjutsu won''t help you against me.'' While the Red ninja was a master of the Genjutsu arts, his skills in the taijutsu and ninjutsu were only just a little above ordinary. Thus Daichi was able to quickly finish off his first enemy on the eight floor and moved on to the taijutsu master. 3 of Daichi''s clones concentrated on keeping the blue knight busy while the last one helped Daichi in restraining or distracting his green armored enemy. The clone used telekinesis, genjutsu and chakra strings to reduce the enemy''s fighting capabilities. But even then it was a difficult battle. ''Damn! Even with my clone getting in his way he''s still pushing me to my limits. If I hadn''t increased my stats I''d probably be dead right now. I need an opening. Just one chance to turn the tides.'' Daichi evaded the fist to his head and sent one to his enemy''s shoulder. It took some time but it was the opportunity Daichi needed to win. The strike took the opponent off balance and Daichi capitalized on it. His clone restrained the knight with shuriken wire while Daichi went through hand seals and coated his arms with rocks increasing his attack power. Daichi fists were like a blur as he rammed into the restrained and struggling enemy. The fast attacks were precise and aimed at specific parts of the body to keep the green knight from fighting back. Once Daichi reduced the health to a little over 300 he jumped back and at that moment his clone sent a fire dragon jutsu that engulfed the knight. Daichi joined his clone and used the earth dragon bomb jutsu and the combined attacks finished the second knight. At that moment he received memories of his two clones fighting the blue ninja. And it gave him a surprise. ''He can use shadow clones?'' Daichi and his remaining clone turned to face the blue knights. There were three of them. ''Earth style - Mud wall.'' Daichi''s clone created a stone wall defense while Daichi created two new clones. Daichi used mud river jutsu to destabilize the floor near the knights. Daichi and his clones attacked with everything they had but the knights were able to defend themselves. Daichi rushed to one of the enemies and began fighting in hand to hand combat. Realizing that the one he''s fighting was the real one, Daichi''s clones used Genjutsu to distract and chakra strings to slow down his movements. Daichi didn''t let him use any ninjutsu attacks and after several powerful strikes, the battle soon came to an end. The moment Daichi defeated the real one, the clones also disappeared. [Enemy Killed.] +2000 Exp. +300 Exp. [Enemies killed: 52/55] [You have cleared the eight floor. You can now move to the ninth.] While Daichi didn''t receive any life threatening wounds, his chakra and stamina and mana was almost completely drained. Daichi was breathing hard. The mental and physical fatigue he accumulated throughout the fight left him completely exhausted. Daichi laid down on the ground and took several long gulps of air. ''Even with the stat increase, It took everything I had to win¡­ If I fight without adding some more points I''ll definitely lose on the next floor.'' This was the conclusion Daichi came to after thoroughly analyzing the strength of all the fighters he faced till now. Daichi took his bed and quickly fell asleep. When he woke up he added another 10 points to strength and agility stats. Daichi used a total of 40 points to increase his speed and strength but he felt that it was necessary. Daichi created 3 clones and headed to the ninth floor. He was about to push the doors open when they opened on their own. ''What the?... That hasn''t happened before!'' Daichi looked at the two armored ninjas standing in the middle of the vast empty floor. One was wearing a black armor while the other had a snow white one. From head to toe they were covered in protective steel. Their most noticeable feature was the blue flaming ember burning from their eyes. ''Observe'' [69] General - WHITE HP: 7500 CP: 7000 [One of the twin generals that protects the ninth floor. Prefers speed over power.] [69] General - BLACK HP: 7500 CP: 7000 [One of the twin generals that protects the ninth floor. Prefers power over speed.] ''This is going to be tricky.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 108 – 4th Dungeon Completed Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi looked at the two imposing enemies guarding the ninth floor of the castle. ''It doesn''t matter how much power one has if you can''t hit your opponent it''s no use. So I''ll go for the one who''s the speed type first. I need to distract the black one while I deal with the white general.'' All these thoughts passed through Daichi''s mind in a second. After quick careful thinking he decided to fight the white armored general first. Daichi tensed and the moment he made the first seal to create the shadow clone, a sword was coming straight for his head. Daichi''s eyes widened and from his perspective everything slowed down. He saw the sharp gleaming edges of the sword about to bisect him in half. ''If I don''t dodge it, I''ll die!'' Daichi flooded his body with chakra and used the sprint skill in combination with his body flicker. The white general brought his sword down and cut through Daichi. But the next instant the cut Daichi vanished like a mirage. Daichi was on the other side of the room. His heart was pounding in his chest. Sweat was dripping down his forehead as he looked at the white armored ninja. ''Fuck! Holy fuck! If I had been even a moment late I''d be dead¡­ I haven''t felt like this since my battle in the first and second dungeons.'' At that moment Daichi''s senses alerted him to another enemy coming near him. Daichi jumped to the side and evaded the fist. The spot Daichi stood on cracked and slightly caved. Daichi skidded a few feet back and looked at the second enemy. ''If the other one''s speed is anything to go by then this guy''s power must also be insanely high.'' Daichi kept both his enemies in his field of view. ''I need to decrease the white ninja''s mobility... I have an idea but I can''t do it alone. And I can''t fight both of them at the same time. I need to create a few shadow clones.'' Daichi slightly narrowed his eyes and discreetly took several smoke bombs from his inventory. The moment he dropped them on the floor he saw the white speedster ninja coming for him. Daichi was ready for him this time. He evaded the sword strikes and at that moment the the smoke bomb went off around them. Daichi retreated and created 4 shadow clones. "You guys know what to do!" Daichi spoke as he kept his senses on his enemies. "Yup. Leave it to us." The clones replied and disappeared. The smoke was blown away and the white general rushed towards Daichi. The boy took a dagger and a short sword and readied himself. Both of them began their fast paced battle. Even though the enemy had a higher level, due to Daichi''s many passive skills he was able to match the general''s speed. Both Daichi and the armored ninja evaded strikes from the other and tried to cut their opponent. Daichi was completely focused on the ninja in front of him. He trusted his clones to keep the black armored ninja busy and to enact the plan. Daichi looked at the blue embers burning in the enemy''s eye holes. ''It feels like I''m fighting death itself. What a frightening presence¡­'' Daichi evaded the sword swings and parried the next couple that came after. Half dozen strikes were sent each second. Each swing and sword strike the pair unleashed was precise and deadly. It also was a precursor to the next strike and so on. A chain combination attacks. But if a strike is sent that the enemy can get through completely or leaves the person exposed it would be the end. ''Both of us are mostly dodging the attacks but sooner or later one of us will make a mistake and the other will capitalize on it. The one who makes the first wrong move gets destroyed.'' A precise, deadly fierce and fast battle. This was Daichi''s fight with the white general. On the other side of the room several small explosions could be heard. The clones were keeping the other general occupied. Daichi had something else up his sleeve. He was slowly leading the enemy to the middle of the room. As the fight continued, suddenly for a second the white general seemed as if his limbs were petrified and he struggled. Daichi smiled as he saw the general restrained by numerous chakra threads. Daichi used his speed and vanished from the enemy''s view. The general coated his sword with chakra and cut through the strings. At that moment he sensed an attack coming from behind. The general quickly turned around and parried the sword strike. And sent a fierce counter. The white general twisted Daichi''s sword away from his body and rushed at him. Once he got close the general stabbed his sword through Daichi''s chest all the way to the back. Daichi looked shocked and dropped his sword but the next instant he exploded in a sticky substance and completely covered the general. The general struggled to get free but the adhesive properties were too strong. The real Daichi rose out of the ground a few meters away from him. He went through several hand seals and fired several earth dragon bombs at the retrained ninja. The clone joined Daichi and started using fire style jutsu. ''The plan worked. 3 clones distracted the other general while the fourth created a Sticky Syrup Clone and then waited for an opportunity. The moment it restricted the general''s movements I rushed to his blind spot and substituted with the clone. And when the clone was destroyed the syrup completely covered him, immobilizing him.'' Both Daichi and the clone unleashed powerful ninjutsu and before long a notification appeared. [Enemy Killed.] +2300 Exp. +345 Exp. [Enemies killed: 53/55] ''Time to finish the other one.'' Daichi didn''t waste anymore time and joined the other fight that was going on. Due to the enemy''s strength the clones had to fight from a distance. They used genjutsu and ninjutsu but were unable to do serious damage to the black armored ninja. Daichi put the sword and dagger back in his inventory and equipped his knuckle dusters. He rushed at the ninja and attacked the joints and weak spots of the enemy. ''Man, this guy is powerful. Even with my strong blows his health is only getting reduced a bit.'' Daichi increased his speed and attacked from several directions while the clones tried to keep the general tied up. The black armored ninja stomped the floor and sent a shockwave but Daichi successfully evaded. ''You think you can get me with my own trick.'' This was something Daichi tried when he fought several enemies in the previous dungeons. The battle lasted a while but due to his speed Daichi was slowly able to chip away at the general''s health points and at last he reduced the ninja to smoke. [Enemy Killed.] +2300 Exp. +345 Exp. [Enemies killed: 54/55] Daichi''s knuckles were bleeding and he was breathing hard as his stamina and chakra were almost depleted. ''It took everything I had to take him down.'' His legs shook and Daichi dropped to his knees. Daichi took several large gulps of air. His body was sore all over. He took his bed and went to sleep. ¡ª- [You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored.] Daichi opened his eyes and let out a small yawn. He slowly got up from his bed and looked at the several notifications piled up. Daichi went through each blue system message and his smile widened. "Wow! That''s a lot of skill and stat increase¡­" Daichi closed all the boxes. At that moment a thought entered his mind. ''I''ve killed 54 ninjas in this dungeon and yet my Plunderer skill hasn''t been activated once¡­ It seems the skill acquisition rate is even rarer than I thought.'' He then looked at the passage that opened when the fight ended. ''The last one. The boss of this dungeon.'' Daichi took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. He created 2 clones and then started climbing the stairs. They were surprised when they reached the top. There was no door blocking the entrance to the last floor. Daichi stepped inside and looked at the majestic interior. The room was decorated in gems, rubies, gold and diamonds. The floor was made of white marble. At the opposite end of the room was a throne. And an imposing figure wearing a red and black colored armor was residing in the throne. Two red glowing eyes looked directly at Daichi. The king had a black cloak and a red long Mohawk on his head. Daichi didn''t look away from the gaze. ''Observe'' [70] King Egrien HP: 8000 CP: 8000 [The strongest ninja of the dungeon and the ruler of the Kikyo castle. Proficient in combat and capable of using all 3 forms of ninja arts. He wants to kill the intruder that barged into his domain.] [You have sensed killing intent.] At that moment Daichi sensed a pressure descending on his body as if trying to make him submit. Daichi raised his chakra to show his defiance. The king stood from his throne and slowly descended the steps. His black cloak smoothly flowing behind him and his Mohawk gently waving in the air. Daichi narrowed his eyes and looked at the ruler coming down the steps. He could sense that there was someone different about this enemy. ''This guy is different from the others. His presence itself is imposing and formidable. One wrong move and my journey till now would be for nothing.'' Daichi readied himself. The moment the king touched the marbled floor he disappeared. ''Fast!'' But due to his powerful senses Daichi was able to follow the movement. He swiftly leaned back and avoided a lethal slash. [-69 HP] The next instant a thin line of cut appeared in Daichi''s chest. ''I thought I avoided that attack. So how did he get me?'' Daichi looked at the sword and saw a faint blue chakra hue coating it. ''This bastard. He used chakra to increase the range of his attack but kept it minimized so I couldn''t pick up on it.'' Daichi didn''t waste any more time. He took his sword and dagger and rushed towards his final enemy. The clash between the king of the castle and the gamer ninja began. Daichi''s clones used genjutsu, telekinesis and attacks from the blind spots to limit the king''s movements. Daichi coated his dagger with fire chakra and slashed downwards aiming at his enemy''s legs. The king quickly escaped and shot several fire bullets at Daichi. Daichi used body flicker and evaded to the side. Daichi looked at his enemy and came up with a plan. ''I need to limit his movements.'' He looked at the clones and they immediately understood what Daichi wanted. Daichi engaged the king while his clones got to work. The 2 clones went through several hand seals and placed them on the ground as Daichi fought the enemy the entire floor suddenly ruptured. Daichi and the king leaped away as the floor got destroyed. ''Now with this wrecked floor he won''t be able to move as fast as he did.'' Due to the Light steps skill Daichi was able to adapt to the terrain quickly and he used this to his advantage. Daichi''s clone sent a fireball which was overpowered by a water wall jutsu by the enemy. King Egrien sent several quick flying sword slashes from where he stood. One of the clones dodged but the other got dispelled. ''This guy is no joke. He quickly gets out of genjutsu and he''s able to fight me and my clones without much problem. I can see now why this guy is the king of this place.'' Daichi created 2 new clones and ran at the enemy. Both the king and Daichi engaged in a fierce battle. Both were evenly matched in strength and speed but due to Daichi''s clones he had the upper hand. As the battle continued both of them slowly chipped away at the other''s health. During the fight Daichi deliberately left an opening for the king to strike and when just before Egrien struck Daichi, he substituted with a syrup clone. The strong adhesive covered the king from head to toe. ''Now''s my chance.'' As Daichi moved in for the kill, he suddenly felt uneasy. He immediately substituted himself with a shadow clone. The next second a long sword pierced right through him. Daichi looked at the king that emerged from the ground. And the one coated in sticky syrup vanished in a puff of smoke. ''This guy¡­ He used the same strategy as mine. He lured me into a false sense of security to finish me off¡­ That was too close. If it weren''t for my senses I''d be a goner.'' Daichi and his 2 clones surrounded the King. Daichi used the swift skill to increase his speed and the battle resumed. ''I just need another shot.'' Daichi parried and slashed at the enemy''s strikes. He made sure the king''s attention was on him. At that moment several chakra threads and ninja wire immobilized the king. Before he could escape lightning flew through the wires paralyzing him. Daichi jumped back and went through several seals. ''This will drain most of my chakra but I have no other choice. Since he''s not a shadow clone I have to go all out.'' ''Water style - Water Dragon jutsu.'' The water dragons emerged and swallowed the king. With the water pressure and lightning coursing through, King Egrien was petrified. His health slowly depleted. The chakra of Daichi and his clones were also quickly being drained. It was a matter of what would give out first. Daichi''s chakra or the king''s health. Daichi concentrated and compressed the water dragons around his enemy to increase the pressure several folds. ''If he survives this, then I won''t have any choice but to use my stat points.'' ''Come on¡­ Come on¡­!'' At last the battle came to an end. Daichi was the first to have his chakra be depleted. He fell to his knees and took several breaths of air. Daichi looked at the standing king. ''Damn it.'' Just as Daichi was about to increase his chakra points something happened to the king. The king stood still even after the lightning water dragon disappeared. It was only several seconds later that the king slowly took a step forward. But that step was his last. He fell down and was reduced to smoke. The compressed water dragon completely crushed every portion of his armor and drained away the king''s heath. [Enemy Killed.] +3000 Exp. +450 Exp. [Enemies killed: 55/55] [You have defeated King Egrien.] [Reward:] Night Gaze Armor - blueprint (01/01) [Quest ''Conquer the Castle'' Completed.] [Rewards:] 55000 Exp. Red Potion. [You have leveled up.] [You have successfully defeated every enemy in this dungeon. You have been granted access to the return key.] Daichi was on his hands and knees taking large gulps of air as he heard the blue system messages pop up. He didn''t care about any of them at the moment. Due to the level up his stamina was half restored. Daichi took another breath of deep air and took out his comfy small bed. ''Time to get some shut eye.'' He went to sleep completing the Kikyo Castle dungeon. [Author¡¯s Note:] If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 109 – Hypotheticals Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi woke up from his sleep after a few hours. After he opened his eyes he just laid there on his bed and thought about the battles he went through. Daichi raised his fists and clenched them. He accurately felt the powerful force he could exert from just his fist alone. A small smile appeared on his face. ''My time, my pain, my training, they are not in vain. Each day I''m getting a step closer to my goal.'' Daichi then saw the piled up notifications in front of him. He started going through them one by one. His eyes landed on the reward for defeating the last boss of the dungeon. [Night Gaze Armor] - blueprint (01/01) ''An Armor blueprint? Is it for the one he was wearing during our battle?'' Daichi took out the pages of blueprints from his inventory. Each page had details on how to create the Armor and what materials were needed. ''Observe'' [Night Gaze Armor] - blueprint (01/01) [Rare Item: Rank C] [A blueprint for a Rare Rank C armor. This Armor was created for King Egrien. Due to the black design of the Armor it was given the name Night Gaze Armor. This Armor increases defense of the wearer by 25%. It reduces ninjutsu damage by 8% if the jutsu is B - Rank or above. If it''s below, the ninjutsu damage reduction increases to 35%. This Armor increases strength by 5% and agility by 3%. Physical attack damages are reduced by 15% or more depending on the force of the attack. Note: To create this armor a master blacksmith is needed.] ''Wow! It''s not bad armor. And it''s a percentage increase in strength and agility¡­ Still, this is only a rare rank C item?... Then is it possible that there are better armors out there?... Whatever the case, all I have is a blueprint right now. I need a blacksmith to create it. And based on the description, not an ordinary one.'' Daichi then looked at the other new item that was in his inventory. It was a small round bottle the size of an adult''s palm. In it was red liquid. [Red Potion.] ''System please tell me this is what I think it is¡­ Observe'' [Red Potion] [Unique Item: Rank B] [A potion created by the system to help the player. This potion was created using rare medicinal ingredients from around the world. Due to the powerful effects of the potion it is a Unique Rank B item. Once the player consumes the potion it will instantly heal all wounds, restore health, chakra, stamina and mana to 100%. If anyone other than the player consumes the potion it will take up to 24 hours for the wounds to be healed and be restored to 100%. [Note: Negative status other than wounds, CP, HP, SP and MP exhaustion will not be removed.] "Yes!" ''I can''t believe I got my hands on a healing potion. And an instant healing one at that¡­ And if an emergency arises I can give this to someone in need. Not that that''s going to happen.'' Daichi was happy with the items and rewards he got for completing this dungeon. ''I''ve leveled up. Time to check out my stats.'' ''Status.'' [Name : Daichi Hekima] (The Gamer) Class : Student Age : 9 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Dungeon Warrior, Executioner. Level : 43 (37890/50625) . HP : 9555 CP : 13088 SP : 9858 MP: 5065 . [Primary Stats] Strength - 144 Vitality - 135 Dexterity - 118 Agility - 148 Intelligence - 125 Chakra - 192 Wisdom - 128 . [Special Stats] Sense - 94 Stamina - 139 Indomitable - 17 Charisma - 43 Persistence - 19 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . [Stat Points - 580] [Ryo - 710531] Daichi was happy with the stat increase. "Wow. My chakra is now in the Jonin league¡­ By the time I graduate I''ll only need to fear people of S rank or Kage level." Daichi looked at the chakra stat. ''192 huh. So close to 200. Just a few more. Should I add the points now¡­.? No. I''ll train and see if I can''t increase it in the next two months. Can''t use points before absolutely necessary.'' As Daichi went through everything he noticed that several of his skills have also leveled up. Mainly his Sprint, Sword Mastery, Dual Wielding Mastery, and Body flicker Jutsu skills have gone up by several levels. After going through everything, Daichi got up from his bed, put it back in his inventory and slowly descended the castle floors. Daichi looked at the battle scars on each floor. He remembered the enemies he fought and he was filled with gratitude. ''Thank you for helping me get stronger.'' He soon reached the ground floor and left the castle. Daichi used the return key and in moments returned to his bedroom. ¡ª- December. Academy Daichi was in the back with his head resting on his palm as he barely listened. ''God this is so boring. Wish I could do something exciting.'' Iruka was almost finished with his lecture. The class was about the nature of a shinobi. "Some say the true nature of a person is revealed when he is about to die¡­ I personally believe this to be true. And it''s not just the shinobi. I believe our true heart will be revealed the moment we learn about our death." "You really think so sensei?" A student asked. Iruka nodded. "Yes. If we learn that we have only a few moments here in this world then most of us would want to spend our time with our loved ones." "No way. I don''t buy it." Iruka sighed. "How about this? If the world were to come to an end tomorrow, who would you like to spend your time with?" The moment Daichi heard this question a memory came to his mind. He immediately straightened in his seat. ''This question. No way¡­ This scene. It''s from¡­'' At that moment Naruto spoke up. "Oh give me a break. That''s not gonna happen." Iruka let out a small exasperated breath. "It''s a hypothetical Naruto. Just imagine if¡­. if the moon suddenly began to fall and we were going to die tomorrow, who would you like to spend time with?" At this moment an idea sparked in Daichi''s mind. He remembered memories of looking up what would happen if the moon were to fall in his previous life. A devious idea came to Daichi''s mind and an equally devious smile came to his face. ''This class is so boring. Time to spice things up.'' Shikamaru who was sitting near Daichi saw the smug smile on his friend''s face. He instantly recognized that expression. ''That''s the same smile Naruto has when he''s up to no good. What are you planning, Daichi?'' Daichi raised his hand, getting Iruka''s attention. "Yes Daichi. What is it?" "Sensei, your question is actually more interesting than you think." Daichi replied. Iruka raised an eyebrow at that. "What makes you say that Daichi?" The whole class turned to Daichi. Seeing that he had everyone''s attention, Daichi began his explanation. "The earth''s gravity pulls everything to the ground so why isn''t the moon already falling towards us?" Iruka didn''t have an answer for that. "Umm¡­" Daichi continued. "It''s because of its sideways motion. The moons orbit. And to change that orbit would require enormous force and power." "Yes Daichi. And as I''ve said to Naruto, this is a hypothetical question." Daichi nodded. "Right. And your question is what would happen if the moon falls to earth tomorrow. The answer to that is, no. The moon won''t fall on us in a single day. If by some reason the moon starts falling towards earth it will take over a year to reach the earth." Now Iruka was intrigued. "Alright what would happen then, if it takes a year?" Iruka unknowingly took the bait Daichi laid out. ''Time to traumatize them.'' Daichi hid his smirk and answered. "Well for the first few days nobody would notice a thing. But then as the moon gets closer the ocean tide gets higher and lower depending on the position of the moon. After about a month islands and coastal areas would be underwater. Now by the end of month two the world''s coastal areas and nearby places would be completely flooded. The sea water would flood in and contaminate the clean ground water with salt water. This continues for a couple more months and the intensity of the sea waves increases. By the fifth month, the whole world would be underwater. Including this village and the Hokage mountain. But this is only the warmup. In about 5 months the gravitational pull of the moon will cause volcanoes to erupt and also start massive earthquakes. The volcanoes will spit out smoke thick enough to block the sun. This will cause acid rain and snow all over the world. Now after about 8 months the surface of the moon will be near the earth and it''ll start cracking. The whole world will experience meteor showers that destroy everything. And if anyone does survive they''d go hungry soon because of no sustainable ecosystem. And in the last month the moon will get completely destroyed due to the earth''s gravity and it''ll rain all over the world killing us all." Daichi finished his long winded explanation and he was met with complete silence and wide eyes. Some students were looking slightly green. Even the usually stoic Sasuke was looking uncomfortable. Iruka opened and closed his mouth several times before finally saying something. "T-Th¡­ Thank¡­ you Daichi¡­ for that¡­ graphic explanation." "And for giving everyone nightmares." Iruka muttered under his breath. "Please sit." "I wanna see my mom right now." The voice of the girl could be heard by everyone in the quiet room. "Why don''t we move to a different topic." Iruka said tiredly. Daichi sat down in his seat and a wide grin was on his face. "You did that on purpose didn''t you?" Daichi looked towards the voice and saw Shikamaru''s narrowed eyes. Daichi put on the most innocent smile he could and replied. "I have no idea what you mean." Shikamaru was incredulous as he looked at Daichi. ''This guy¡­'' He shook his head and then looked ahead. ¡ª- Sasuke crossed his arms and blocked the punch aimed at his chest. The force pushed made him grunt and pushed him back several feet. Sasuke shook his arms and felt them slightly tremble. He looked at Daichi and narrowed his eyes. "You''ve gotten stronger again haven''t you." It was more of a statement than a question. Daichi smirked. "You''re not the only one training hard." The spar between the two continued for several more minutes before Sasuke fell down completely exhausted signaling the end of the fight. He was breathing hard and covered in bruises. Daichi walked near him and sat down. "Your speed and strength have certainly increased." Daichi gave his assessment. "But it feels like I''m standing still. And I still haven''t awakened my Sharingan." Sasuke said with a clenched fist. "Give it time. Nothing can be accomplished in a single day." The Uchiha merely grunted and became quiet. Both of them sat like that for a few minutes before Daichi spoke. "I''ll be leaving the village for a few years at the end of March." "What?" Sasuke turned to Daichi in surprise. "Gramps wants me to learn about his business operations in the capital. I''ll be leaving after taking the finals this year." "What about the academy?" "Gramps told me an instructor would meet me at the end of every year to assess me and test my curriculum knowledge. I''ll be back here in time for the genin exams." Sasuke was slightly angry that he was going to lose his sparring partner but more than that he was also reminded of the fact that he was now alone in the world with no family other than a traitorous brother. After a short while both of them went their separate ways. Daichi was looking forward to the day he could leave the village. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 110 – 4th Year End Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi and 7 shadow clones stood on the stone bridge. All of them were still and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of the raging waterfall. The next second all of them thrust their palm as one and expelled their chakra. The water falling in front of them was quickly stopped and it stayed that way. [Skill Water - Waterfall Control technique''s level has risen by one.] [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] 500 Exp. 75 Exp. Daichi opened the skill list and checked the results. [Water - Waterfall Control technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX):An advanced water chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing the chakra to control the flow of water. An advanced technique to help the user increase the control and strength of their water nature chakra.] [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Water Affinity.''] [Effects:] 200% Increase in Water Chakra control. 300% Increase in power of Water Chakra nature. [CP cost : 18/sec.] ''Hmm¡­ It''s the same ratio as my fire affinity¡­ Still, not bad. Three natures down, 2 to go.'' January 29. "Happy Birthday Reo¡­" Aiko held Reo in her arms as the small child blew on the two candles on her birthday cake. The Matron and the children were having a small celebration and Daichi was hanging in the back of the crowd. He had a smile on his face as he watched the small child try to blow out the candles. It was Reo''s second birthday and Daichi made sure to not miss it since he''ll be away from the village for the next few years. Daichi made sure to bring candies for everyone and a gift for the child. By the time the celebrations were over, the sun was already setting. Jozu took the child from Aiko and took little Reo to her room while Daichi and Aiko headed to her office. "She seems happy." Daichi spoke. "Yes. Despite being an orphan she''s happy here. But then again she''s only 2 years old." Aiko spoke as she sat down behind her desk. "Why don''t you spend more time with her?" Aiko asked Daichi. Daichi shook his head. "It''s not the right time¡­" Aiko didn''t pressure the boy. She knew this was new territory for him as well. "When the time comes she''ll be happy to learn who you are¡­" Daichi nodded and both of them entered a comfortable silence. Aiko had a smile as she looked at the boy in front of her. She knew Daichi had a good heart. She was happy that Reo had someone like him looking out for her. There was another matter Daichi needed to discuss with the Matron. "I''ll be leaving the village with gramps at the end of March." Aiko was surprised when she heard that. "Why? What about your studies at the academy?" "Gramps wants me to learn about his business operations in the capital and I''ll have an instructor assess me at the end of each year. I''ll be back by graduation time." Daichi replied. "I see¡­ You''re going to miss her aren''t you." Aiko asked, knowing the answer. Daichi merely nodded. He then took out a scroll and handed it to the matron. "This is from Gramps. It''s for Reo''s expenses and for the orphanage." Aiko nodded, took the scroll and placed it inside her desk. Both of them talked about various things and after some time Daichi left the place. He reached his home and saw Kensei on the porch waiting for him. "How is Reo?" "Happy considering her circumstances." Kensei nodded. "I gave Miss Aiko some of the money Ren trusted me with and I''ve added some of mine to the pile as well. Told her it was all from you." Daichi told him as he sat down on the porch. "Now no one would be able to use lack of money as leverage against her." The old man shook his head in agreement. "It would be an extreme situation but¡­" "Always be prepared. I know." Daichi finished Kensei''s sentence. Both of them watched the sun disappear and then went inside the house. March. The final exams at the academy concluded. Daichi and the future Rookies minus Sasuke were hanging out in their usual place. "Oh man, I didn''t do too well on the tests this time. My mom''s not gonna be happy." Kiba spoke while Akamaru, who was on top of his head, whined. "Yeah. The tests Iruka sensei prepared were somewhat more difficult than I expected." Shikamaru gave his thoughts as he laid down looking at the clouds. Ino, who was next to Daichi, was smiling. "No matter how tough it was, I''m sure you got everything right didn''t you Daichi!" Daichi had an awkward smile as he agreed with her. Except for Sasuke and Lee he hadn''t told anyone else in the academy about his long trip. He decided that leaving without saying anything would leave a bad taste in his mouth so he made his decision. ''I told Sasuke yesterday. It''s time I told them too.'' "Hey guys. I need to tell you something." The group focused on Daichi. Daichi took a breath and let it out. "I''ll be leaving the village for a few years." Everyone was shocked when they heard that. "What!? When?" Ino asked him. "Tomorrow at dawn!" "What!?" Ino and Naruto shouted. "Why didn''t you say anything? I thought we were friends." " Yeah what gives man?" Naruto and Kiba got in Daichi''s face and shouted at him. Daichi calmly placed his hands on Kiba and Naruto''s shoulders and made them sit. "We are friends. And I didn''t tell you because I didn''t want you guys to make a big deal out of this." At that moment Akamaru jumped into Daichi''s lap and started licking his hand. "When will you be back?" Ino asked. Daichi could hear the sadness in her voice even though she tried to mask it with curiosity. "I''ll be back by graduation." Daichi replied as he rubbed Akamaru''s belly. "Where exactly are you going?" Choji asked as he put down his chips. "The capital. Gramps has some business there. He figured I should learn about its ins and outs." Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as he looked at Daichi. ''A sudden trip¡­? Not suspicious at all¡­! Still, I''m gonna miss the guy. Not that I''ll ever admit it to anyone.'' "There''s no way you''re learning of this trip just now. I can''t believe you didn''t tell us sooner." Naruto crossed his arms, pouted and looked away from Daichi. Daichi chuckled awkwardly. ''He''s a lot smarter than people give him credit for.'' "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you guys sooner¡­ Look. As an apology I''ll take you all to Yakiniku BBQ. How about that? My treat." Daichi offered as he smiled at everyone. Some of them were looking forward while others were still miffed. Looking at their faces Daichi spoke again. "Look. We can sit here and you guys can be angry at me or we can have a great dinner and enjoy ourselves¡­ Come on, what do you say?" Unable to say no, all of them got and headed to the restaurant. Daichi got them a private fancy booth and gave the waiters several orders. "This booth needs to be reserved a few days in advance. You planned this didn''t you. You knew we would say yes¡­" Shikamaru who sat near him said in a low voice. "I''m gonna miss you too Shikamaru." Daichi replied with a small laugh. Daichi managed to make sure the group was in a good mood. The 9 students spend the time reminiscing about their adventures together. The food arrived before long and everyone was having fun. They also talked about the academy and how Daichi''s departure will affect the class. "Now with you gone that jerk Sasuke will be at the top¡­" Naruto said as he stuffed a slice of beef into his mouth. "Hey. Sasuke isn''t a jerk¡­ And don''t speak with your mouth full." Sakura lightly admonished him. "Sorry Saku¡­" Naruto started coughing and he frantically pounded his chest. After a couple seconds he was able to safely swallow the food. "Umm¡­ H- Here Naruto¡­ " Hinata held a glass and gave it to the blond. Naruto gulped down the glass of water as quickly as he could. "Ohh¡­ Thanks Hinata." Everyone laughed at Naruto''s antics and it was a fun night for them. There was even a small fight between Choji and Kiba for the last piece of the beef. In the end Choji was victorious. Daichi looked at everyone and then spoke. "I am gonna miss you guys¡­" The future Rookie''s looked at Daichi and smiled. Ino, who was sitting nearby, hugged Daichi. "We''re gonna miss you too." The small party winded down and after a short while everyone exited the restaurant. Daichi bid his farewell and soon left. Hinata had a guard from the branch family keeping an eye on her since she left the academy. So she would safely return home. Shikamaru and Choji left with Ino and Shino, Kiba and Naruto escorted Sakura to her home. ¡ª- There was one more person Daichi had to see. ''I''ve been so busy training that I haven''t seen Lee in over two weeks. Right now I''m sure he''ll be at the usual training spot.'' Daichi had bought take out for him and Lee. He figured the guy would be training like crazy and would be hungry. When Daichi reached the place he saw something unusual. Lee was punching into the thick wooden stumps much harder than usual but that was not what Daichi focused on. Tears were falling down Lee''s face as he continued with his punches. Daichi could see the anguish on his friend''s face. He could also see the torn skin and the bleeding knuckles "Lee, stop! That''s enough." Daichi said as he rushed in and held Lee''s hand, stopping him. "Daichi¡­?" Lee looked at his one and only friend. He then shook his head. "Let go. I need to train." "You''re not training. Not like this. And I''m not letting go until you tell me what''s wrong." Daichi firmly held Lee''s hand and spoke. "You wouldn''t understand Daichi." "Try me." Lee gritted his teeth and then let out his frustrations. "You''re a genius Daichi. The best in your class. Everything comes so easy for you. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu¡­ You''re the best at everything. So you wouldn''t understand." "What don''t I understand?" "THAT IT DOESN''T COME AS EASY FOR THE REST OF US!" Lee shouted as his tears kept falling. Daichi was quiet as he looked at his friend. ''He''s usually so upbeat, letting nothing get him down. But now¡­ Something''s happened. And I have a feeling it happened at the academy.'' "What''s wrong? I''m not leaving here until you tell me what''s bothering you!" Daichi''s gentle voice gave Lee a small comfort. Lee gritted his teeth, looked down and was quiet for a few moments. Then he spoke in a low voice. "I couldn''t beat anyone in my class in Taijutsu¡­" He looked up at Daichi. "I tried so hard. I trained everyday but I still couldn''t beat anyone in my class in Taijutsu today. I only barely passed with my written scores but¡­ I''m the dead last in my class¡­" Daichi''s gaze softened. "Lee¡­ You can''t beat yourself over that. You can get stronger if you-" "It''s not just that." The tears stopped but Lee was downtrodden as he recalled his experience at the academy. "Neji said I would never graduate from the academy let alone be a ninja¡­ And after being beaten by everyone in the Taijutsu spar¡­ How can I believe otherwise? All my pain, effort and training¡­ It''s all for nothing." Lee choked up as he remembered the mocking faces of his classmates. Daichi was angry hearing that. ''That Neji¡­ Right¡­ He''s an asshole right now¡­'' Daichi let go of Lee''s hand. He looked at his friend and saw that his self confidence was broken due to what had happened. And it made Daichi furious. "He''s wrong." Daichi said to Lee. Lee looked up and saw the angry expression on Daichi''s face. "Daichi¡­" "Neji is wrong. He''s a fool. And you are too if you believe him." Lee''s eyes widened as he heard those words. Daichi continued. "No one is born without talent. The only question is whether or not a person can identify their talent and bring it out. Lee! If you believe in yourself, give it everything you have, then even if everyone tells you, you can''t do it, even if the whole world is against you, you have to stand your ground. Plant yourself like a tree and tell them they''re wrong." Lee''s eyes widened as he heard those words. Daichi placed his hands on Lee''s shoulders and looked him in the eye with as much seriousness as he could. "You''ll face adversities, challenges that will bring you to your knees. You''ll feel pressure. But you can''t stay on your knees forever. Be strong and stand up. Endeavor and believe in yourself. Because I do." Tears began falling once more from Lee''s eyes. But this time Daichi knew they were not tears of sadness. [Reputation massively increases with Rock Lee.] [Reputation increases with Might Guy.] When Daichi saw the second notification he was surprised. But at the moment he didn''t care about the hidden Jonin. "Oh Daichi." Lee hugged Daichi and cried. "Thank you." He whispered to his friend. Daichi comforted his friend and a short while later both of them were sitting down under a tree. "So you''re leaving tomorrow?" Lee asked in a small voice. Lee was happy that he found such a good friend and sad that he wouldn''t be able to see him for several years. "Yeah¡­. Here. I thought we could have a meal together." Daichi took out the dishes. Both of them ate their meal in a comfortable silence. After a while Daichi got up. "It''s getting really late. And I need to pack a few things." Lee nodded hearing him. He then looked at Daichi and spoke with a confident voice. "I won''t ever give up. I''m going to train as hard as I can. When you come back, I will be a ninja." Lee gave a wide smile. Daichi laughed in delight when he heard that. "I look forward to sparring with the future Taijutsu master when I come back." Daichi left, giving Lee the strength and motivation he needed. Nobody realized it then, but these two would one day become the strongest tag team duo in the world. Taking on an enemy no one else could. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 111 – Leaving The Leaf Village Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was in his bed after packing the necessary items for his journey. He asked for a few books and scrolls in Kensei''s library and the old man provided them without hesitation. The different scrolls contained information on several fields of the ninja arts. ''This is gonna be my last night in the Leaf village for a while. I didn''t expect things to go this route¡­ Whatever the case, I have to be ready to face all obstacles that get in my way¡­ Gramps said he had a medic who will train me. I wonder who it could be.'' Time flew by as Daichi laid on his bed thinking about the future. At midnight the rewards for the long running quest appeared. [Ongoing Quest - ''Path to the strongest.''] [4th Year tasks successfully completed. Distributing the Special reward for clearing a dungeon. Distributing New Skill for successfully Improving at least 6 Skills to LV. MAX.] [Special Reward.] A-Grade Item Blueprint (2/3). [Stealth - Passive/Active(LV.1): This skill increases your ability to move undetected. It also gives you the ability to perform actions unobserved or undetected. This skill helps with pickpocketing, sneaking around and lockpicking. Damage dealt to targets also increases when stealth is active. Holding breath increases the effects by a small margin. Note: This skill is divided into 5 grades. Current grade: Average.] [Effects:] [Removes footstep sounds.] [+2% Chance of successfully lockpicking doors, safes and containers faster.] [+2% Chance of pickpocketing an unsuspecting target. (A skilled pickpocketer is less likely to be caught and more likely to loot valuables from the target.)] [+1% Chance of successfully moving unseen and unheard. (Highly skilled sneak can even hide in plain sight.)] Daichi''s eyes slightly widened as he saw the new skill. ''A stealth skill. Definitely one I needed. I''ve been trying to get this skill for a while now. I can''t always rely on my cloak.'' Daichi read the effects of the skill and came to a conclusion. ''I need to level this up fast. Right now it''s not all that good but once it reaches a high level I''ll be able to get in and out of anywhere¡­ And it looks like lockpicking and pickpocketing are attached to this skill. Nice.'' Daichi then looked at the special reward. ''I still have no idea what it could be¡­ But it seems only one more piece is needed. Since it''s an A grade item it should be on the same level as Atamagai''s cloak.'' "Time to get some shut eye. Tomorrow is a new chapter in my life." Daichi went to sleep with a small smile on his face. The next day he woke up bright and early. He completed his morning rituals and workouts within a couple hours. He was then getting ready to leave. Once he got dressed, he put on his backpack after double checking everything. Daichi felt a slight sadness as he looked at his room. It was his space ever since he came to this world. It was unknown why but Daichi always felt safe here. He let out a short breath and headed down stairs. As he walked down the steps he could hear his grandfather talking to someone. Daichi couldn''t recognize the second voice and was curious as to who it was.. ''I wonder who he''s talking to?'' Based on where the sounds were coming from, Daichi deduced that Kensei and the mystery person were on the front porch. Daichi reached the porch and was completely surprised. His eyes widened as he looked at the second figure. ''Is that a¡­'' It was a large white tiger. It was as tall as Kensei and had snow white fur with black stripes. It was wearing a black body jacket that covered most of its body and had steel armor plates that completely covered its tail. "So this is the boy huh!" A deep gruff voice came from the tiger as it looked at the small boy. Kensei looked at the stunned Daichi and smirked. ''Good to know I can still surprise him.'' "Daichi, this is Raiga. My summoning partner." Daichi quickly gained his composure. "Hello. Nice to meet you." Daichi slightly bowed his head and greeted the summon. "Come closer boy." The tiger Raiga spoke. To Daichi it sounded more like a command. "He looks like he''ll make a delicious snack." Daichi saw the tiger lick its long sharp teeth. It was the first time Daichi saw a tiger in person. Ever! So he was a little nervous when the carnivorous animal was looking at him like he was its dinner. Despite his apprehension, Daichi stepped closer and stood near the giant white feline. The tiger slowly came near Daichi and lowered its head to Daichi''s stomach. Daichi watched the tiger sniff a few times and then it raised its head and took a couple steps back to look at him. "Strong¡­ For a small cub." Raiga spoke. "Umm¡­ Thank you¡­?" Daichi spoke not knowing what else to say. "So what do you say Raiga? Is he qualified?" Kensei asked, looking at his summoning partner and then to Daichi. The tiger was quiet for several seconds as it looked into Daichi''s eyes. Daichi, not one to shy away from a challenge, stared right back into the eyes of the large jungle cat. After a few more seconds it spoke. "He has potential. But he will need to be tested." Kensei let out a sigh. "I understand." "I will speak with the elders. If they agree then he can take the trial. But only after he becomes a ninja." Raiga looked at Kensei and said. Kensei nodded and agreed. "Fair enough. Thank you for your time Raiga." "Of course, old friend." The tiger then looked back at Daichi. "I hope you won''t disappoint when the time comes." With those words the summon animal vanished in a smoke. Daichi blinked a few times and looked at his old man. "I knew you had a summoning contract but I didn''t know it was a tiger contract." "I didn''t advertise it and you didn''t exactly ask me for the details." Kensei shrugged. It was at that moment that Daichi remembered something. ''Come to think of it, his nickname is the Calamity Tiger¡­ Huh! So that''s why.'' Daichi then focused on his grandfather. "So you want me to sign a contract with the Tiger summons." Due to the conversation between Kensei and Raiga, it didn''t take a genius to figure that out. "Yes. If you''re interested." Daichi''s eyes widened. "Yes. I''d like that." ''Oh wow! This opens so many possibilities.'' The old man smiled looking at the boy. "It''s not going to be easy. There will be a trial to see if you are qualified to be their summoner. And it''s not something you need to worry about until you become a Genin." Daichi nodded. "Oh and before I forget. Tiger summons are very territorial. They won''t like it if their summoner signs another contract. So if you come across any other summoning contracts don''t sign them." Kensei told Daichi. Daichi was confused at that. "But I haven''t signed the contract yet. And what makes you think I''ll come across a summoning contract. Those things aren''t exactly easy to come by." "True. Getting a summoning contract is rare. But you''re going on a long trip. Anything could happen. And trust me when I say this. The tiger summon will be more suited to you." Kensei emphasized the last part. Daichi looked at the old man and agreed. "Alright. I''ll wait until I''m Genin and then take the trail." "Good." Kensei smiled. ''After Tsunade takes him as a student I have no doubt she''ll be impressed with his potential. And there is a possibility she''ll offer him a chance to sign with the slug summons¡­ They have excellent healing capabilities but they are not suited for Daichi. The tiger clan is the best for someone like him.'' This was Kensei''s reasoning for introducing Daichi to his summoning partner. "Did you get everything you needed?" Kensei asked his grandson. "Yeah. I''m ready." Both of them left their home. They closed the gate and Kensei reactivated the barrier. At that moment Daichi received new notifications. [Ongoing quest] - ''Take care of the Garden'' Failed. [Reputation decreases with Kensei Yasaji.] (Penalty invalid.) Daichi looked at the notification that popped up. ''Huh. I almost forgot about this quest¡­ This task would only be marked completed after 6 years. There was still 1 more year left. But since I won''t be here for the next few years it looks like the system has considered this quest a failure. But due to outside interference it seems the failure part of this quest won''t affect me. Good to know.'' Both of them headed for the gates of the village. After reporting their departure they left the village. Their journey was to the capital. Both of them enjoyed the view and Daichi asked his grandfather about the locations in the capital. A direct road led to the Fire capital. And it only took half a day to reach the place. There were several guards in Armor at the entrance gates. Kensei and Daichi showed them their documents and soon entered the place. "Wow!" Daichi was amazed as he looked ahead. The capital was more bustling with people than the leaf village. Daichi saw many shops with colorful designs. [New Location: Mini-Map Updated] At that moment Daichi received a new quest. [Quest Created] - ''Explore the Fire Capital.'' Explore and find out more about the Fire capital. Find the different buildings and places in the capital (0/7). Time limit: 7 Days. [Rewards:] 1000 Exp. Complete Quest in 3 days. (Bonus reward.) [Failure:] Rep slightly decreases with Kensei Yasaji. [Accept] (Y/N) ''I knew it. I had a feeling this quest was going to appear.'' Daichi accepted the quest without hesitation. Kensei had a small house in the capital, comfortable for two people. They entered the small home. [You have found Kensei''s residence. Quest progression] (1/7) Daichi looked at the blue box. ''This will be easier than I thought.'' "You can take that room during your stay here." Kensei said, pointing to a room at the other end of the house. ¡ª- Same time - Leaf village. Hiruzen was looking over the reports and stamping several documents. But his mind was elsewhere. ''Kensei and Daichi left early this morning. So they must have reached the capital by now. How will things go from here I wonder¡­ Based on Jiraiya''s reply, Tsunade wasn''t exactly happy that I''m making her take another student. She''ll most likely test him and see if he''s capable. I have no doubt that Daichi will find a way to pass¡­ But will she be a good teacher to him?... I guess time will tell¡­'' Hiruzen took a break from important files and documents and took the report that Iruka had dropped off a few hours ago. Hiruzen quickly went through the scores of every student in Daichi''s class. He noted the ones with potential. His eyes then landed on the reports of Sasuke Uchiha. ''Daichi will retain the top spot for the 4th year as well. But now that he''s gone Sasuke will take that place. And just as Daichi is far ahead of Sasuke, Sasuke is far ahead of everyone in his class¡­ But now he has no one to compete against. Will this stagnate his growth?'' Hiruzen knew he had to wait to see the answer to that question. His mind then drifted to his two former students. ''Based on Jiraiya''s reports he and Tsunade should be at the capital right now. I hope everything goes alright.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 112 – Fire Capital Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi unpacked his bag and freshened up. He took a look around the small house and saw that there were only the most necessary items present. ''The old man sure lives a spartan life.'' After taking a look around Daichi decided it was time to take a trip through the capital. A few minutes later Kensei came to him. "Daichi, I''m heading to meet a colleague of mine. Would you be alright here or would you like to explore the capital?" "I''m gonna go sightseeing. Take in the view." Daichi replied with a smile. Kensei nodded. "If you''re going to be late, make sure to eat something. I''m sure you can find a restaurant." The boy nodded and they both went their separate ways. Daichi and Kensei left the leaf village that morning and now it was already evening. The sun was slowly coming down. Daichi walked through the streets of the fire capital. The road itself was made with clean clear cut stones. The whole street was bustling with people. Merchants from all over the world have some businesses here. All the stores were well maintained and they had colorful designs. ''Observe'' [Hoseki Street] [One of the biggest and busiest streets in the Fire Capital. A part of the Hoseki Street is dedicated to classic teahouses, many of which houses mesmerizing geisha performances. Several small restaurants, clothing stores, other shops and the shrine at the end make up Hoseki Street.] [You have found Hoseki Street. Quest progression] (2/7) ''The business here is booming. Whoever could set up shop here would be able to make a lot of money.'' As Daichi walked he saw a few ninjas wearing the leaf village uniform roaming the capital as well. ''Hmm¡­ Not that surprising. There are many missions that require the leaf ninjas to come here.'' As Daichi walked through the streets he used his ''observe'' skill on several people. He didn''t find anyone that stood out or were interesting. ''I need to see if I can find some dungeons here. I''m sure this place has got to have at least a few.'' Daichi kept walking and didn''t bother to buy anything. Currently he wanted to explore the place and was more interested in completing the exploration quest first. As he kept walking he soon exited the crowded noisy street and came near a calm serene garden. The garden had a large pond with crystal clear water. Daichi could see several beautiful fishes swimming in the large pond. Daichi could also see a couple small houses that naturally blended with the large garden. [You have found Kanazawa Garden. Quest progression] (3/7) ''Observe'' [Kanazawa Garden] [This garden was created on the orders of the wife of the first Fire Daimyo. This garden is also known as the garden of six aspects. These six aspects which were considered vital to create this garden are subtlety of design, coolness, scenic view, respect and wisdom, spaciousness and finally serenity. This garden features ponds, natural landscape features such as hills and streams, and structures such as pavilions and tea houses.] [You have witnessed a work created by several master craftsmen.] [+1 WISDOM] Daichi was surprised at the new notification and stat increase. ''Wow. That''s unexpected. Wait¡­ So that means if I see works that were made by masters of other fields, does that mean I can increase my other stats as well?... Will I be able to increase my strength or agility stat by witnessing great battles?... No way to find out right now I guess. This is definitely an unexpected surprise. But not unwelcome.'' With a smile, Daichi slowly roamed the garden. The craftsmen were able to create a garden that truly fulfilled its purpose. The place made Daichi feel relaxed and comfortable. It was so peaceful that Daichi wanted to enjoy the feeling more. He found a tree and sat down under its shade. He closed his eyes and meditated. When Daichi opened his eyes again he realized the sun was about to disappear over the horizon. ''I didn''t even feel the time flying. I haven''t felt this relaxed in a long time.'' As Daichi got up his stomach grumbled letting him know that it was time to eat. He walked through the streets and soon found a large restaurant. The restaurant had a red fiery bird resembling a phoenix, decorated on its front. The large sign board read ''Red Phoenix Restaurant.'' Daichi looked at the whole thing. The design and aesthetic quality of the place was impressive. But. ''The name¡­ It''s kind of on the nose¡­ Eh! Whatever. Observe.'' [Red Phoenix Restaurant] [A traditional sake-house restaurant created 61 years ago located at the heart of the fire capital. The owner of the restaurant is Fujimoto Kizo. This restaurant boasts excellent flavorful dishes made with the finest ingredients. The dishes made by the chefs of this restaurant are even able to impress the Daimyo. This restaurant has over one hundred unique cuisines. The restaurant is divided into 4 floors. Commoners are only allowed on the ground floor. Ninjas affiliated with the leaf village are allowed on the first floor. Officials, diplomats and important dignitaries are seated on the second floor. The third floor is reserved for only the Daimyos, kages and other equally ranked or important personnel. The higher the floor, the more expensive and tastier the dishes.] ''Wow. That''s impressive.'' After reading the description, Daichi was looking forward to their dishes. [You have found Red Phoenix Restaurant. Quest progression] (4/7) Daichi stepped inside and found the place packed. He patiently waited and after a while he was escorted to a table. Daichi ordered the dish ''Roasted Duck'' and some accompanying dishes to go along with it. As he waited for the food he took a look around the place. Even though only commoners and ordinary people ate on this floor it was quite clean and well kept. There were people standing by in a corner who efficiently cleaned the tables after each diner. Daichi thought about the structure of the restaurant and he figured out the goal of the owner. ''The owner is smart. There''s another meaning in creating different floors and separating the customers. Each floor represents someone''s rank, financial standing or political power. This is the Fire capital and the people here are mostly politicians. They would want to keep their image and prestige so they would definitely opt to go to the higher floor which would no doubt bring more revenue to the restaurant. Eating on the higher floors would also make them feel more important than the rest, giving them a certain satisfaction. And if someone from a good background or high standing who usually eats on the higher floor ever goes to the lower floors then it would present an image of a decrease in wealth or political status. So people who eat on the higher floors would definitely not try to go down. The owner is certainly cunning to come up with this idea.'' Daichi patiently waited for his food and after a short while it arrived. The dish was a small roasted duck that had an excellent fragrance and it looked quite delicious. There were several other complimentary dishes accompanying it as well. Daichi, not wanting to waste time, took his chopsticks and took a bite out of the dish. "Mmmm¡­ Oh wow. This is delicious¡­" Daichi was pleasantly surprised at the flavors of the food. With Daichi''s extremely sharp senses he could clearly pick out the different flavors blended in the dish. ''This dish is almost as good as those expensive ones in Shi''s restaurant. If this is the quality of dishes on the first floor then I wonder how good the ones on the higher floors would be.'' He enjoyed the dishes and after some time left the restaurant with a smile. It was getting late and Daichi soon reached Kensei''s residence. Due to having Absolute Recall skill Daichi was able to memorize the paths without any difficulty. As he entered he saw Kensei on the nearby desk writing something on a scroll. Kensei finished writing and closed the scroll. "How''s your first trip through the capital?" Daichi smiled as he sat down on the nearby chair. "It''s incredible. I especially like the Kanazawa garden and the Red Phoenix Restaurant." "The garden has a mystical and calming effect on a person''s psyche. Or at least that''s what most people say. What do you think?" "It certainly was an incredible sight. And yeah. I think there is some truth to it¡­" Kensei smiled and nodded. That garden was one of the favorite places of his late wife Fumiyo. "So, not that I mind a short break from my training but when do we meet this medic trainer?" Daichi asked and Kensei could sense the hidden curiosity and impatience. "Soon. In a day or two maybe." Kensei replied. "You''re not gonna tell me who it is are you?" The old man had a smug smirk. "Why ask questions you already know the answer to, Daichi?" Daichi sighed at Kensei''s antics. Kensei couldn''t help but laugh seeing Daichi''s face. Daichi slightly pouted and spoke. "Good night Gramps. I''m gonna head to my room. Since I''ll be free tomorrow as well, I''m gonna check out the capital some more." "Sure." Replied the old man and both of them retired to their rooms. ¡ª- [You have found Fujima Castle. Quest progression] (5/7) [Fujima Castle] [Also known as the Emerald castle due to the green colored stones used in constructing the castle. It was created 103 years ago. The Daimyo of that era built this castle as a gift for an unknown great warrior who came and saved them from a calamity. It is regarded as one of the three most elegant and visually spectacular castles in the fire capital. The great warrior has imprinted his presence on the castle long ago. Visiting the castle will grant you a one time stat increase. +2 STR, +2 AGI, +2 STM, +2 INT.] Daichi woke up early in the morning and walked around the capital. The first place he went to was the majestic Green colored castle at the northern part of the city. Daichi was shocked as he read the information. ''A permanent increase in stats just by visiting the place? Wow! Never seen anything like that before. Even the Hokage tower didn''t show anything like that. Who the hell was this great warrior?'' [You have witnessed a work created by several master craftsmen.] [+1 WISDOM] [You have found a Key Dungeon. Retrieving the key to the dungeon¡­ The key to this dungeon has been placed in the inventory.] [Fujima Castle Dungeon Key.] Restricted. [With this key the player can enter the dungeon in the Fujima castle. This key can transport the player to its corresponding dungeon from anywhere. This key is restricted and the player cannot use the key until he is above level 60.] ''A level restriction? I never saw that on any of the other keys¡­ The other keys indicated that they were higher than my level but I could access them whenever I wanted. But this¡­'' Daichi looked at the giant majestic castle. ''That castle is no ordinary one. I''m sure¡­ It holds some great secrets¡­ Should I check it out now?... No! It might have traps. I need to be ready. It''s not going anywhere. Once I level up and become a ninja I''ll be back here. That time, I''ll pay you a visit.'' Daichi also paid a visit to the imperial palace. The home of the current Daimyo. He could not enter due to the guards and could only look from the streets. [You have found the Imperial Palace. Quest progression] (6/7) [You have found a key dungeon¡­.] [+1 WISDOM] Daichi looked at the black key he got from the Imperial Palace. ''This doesn''t show any restrictions. If I use this key the opponents I face will be 30 levels higher than my current level. At least. But it doesn''t show that it can''t be used. So why the difference in key with the Emerald castle?'' Daichi decided that he would find the answer one day. He walked around the city for a while. He had a lot on his mind. ''When I visited the Kikyo castle it didn''t show any increase in wisdom stat¡­ but here I''ve already encountered three¡­ What''s the difference between these places? Or is the Kikyo castle nothing compared to these in terms of craftsmanship? Well compared to the castles here the Kikyo castle is indeed lacking. Anyone can see that¡­ But is that all there is to it?'' Daichi decided not to ponder on these questions and moved on. As he walked he saw a large building in one of the corners of the street. He went near the place. [Huroi''s Smithy] [A renounced smithy belonging to the master blacksmith Huroi. He inherited the smithy from his father seven years ago. There are over two dozen blacksmiths working in the smithy at all times. Armors for the Daimyo''s guards are made from this smithy. Several strong weapons were made from this smithy that is currently all over the world.] ''Wow. A blacksmith shop. Just what I needed.'' Daichi thought about the blueprints he had for the Night Gaze Armor. Daichi became somewhat excited at the thought of going to the smithy and showing him the blueprints. ''No. If I go there and show him the Armor blueprints he might get suspicious. I''m just a child after all. I should go when I have a good reputation or a strong backing to make sure the guy doesn''t swindle me in any way. I''ll show it after I meet the guy and have a better understanding about him.'' [You have found Huroi''s Smithy. Quest progression] (7/7) [Quest ''Explore the Fire Capital'' Completed.] [Rewards:] 1000 Exp. 150 Exp. [Bonus Reward.] 2000 Exp. 300 Exp. ''A bonus of only 2000+ exp. Guess I should have expected that. This was a simple quest after all.'' Daichi opened his status page and looked at the experience points needed to reach the next level. ''Around 10000 points to reach level 44 huh¡­ That''ll be easy with the next dungeon.'' Daichi spent the entire day exploring the capital. By 3 in the afternoon Daichi came to the Kanazawa garden to relax. He could see some people on their own enjoying the calming atmosphere of the garden. Daichi sat down under a tree away from everyone and meditated. He always felt peace and tranquility when meditating. Hours passed by and Daichi only opened his eyes when the sun went down. He stood up and stretched himself. ''Red Phoenix Restaurant, here I come. I wonder what I should order today.'' Daichi was captivated by the dishes and couldn''t wait to taste more. He reached the restaurant and like yesterday a young beautiful waitress greeted him at the door. After waiting a while Daichi was escorted to a table near the back. Daichi didn''t pay attention to the other customers as his mind was occupied with what he was going to have tonight. As he sat down thinking about what dish to order he heard the sound of a woman and a waitress arguing in the booth behind him. "Miss¡­ We won''t serve you anymore alcohol today. Please leave." The sound of the waiter was low so only the people in that booth and Daichi heard it. Then he heard the voice of another woman arguing with the waitress. "I''m not properly drunk yet. So another bottle now." The sound of a sake cup being emptied and roughly slammed on the table was heard. "No. You already drank so much, Miss. And you have a debt here." The waitress argued. Daichi was planning to ignore the commotion behind him but at that moment he heard a name that shocked him. "Lady Tsunade. Please. Enough! You''ve already had too much to drink. And we''re out of money again." That was going to be Daichi''s first meeting with one of the Legendary Three Ninjas. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 113 – Meeting the Sannin Daichi sat there in his booth not sure what to do. He decided to listen to the on-goings behind him and then take action. "Bhaa¡­ You worry too much, Shizune. That pervert will take care of the bill¡­ Where is he anyway?" Tsunade Senju said in a slightly slurred voice. "Lord Jiraiya isn''t here. He said he had to do some extremely important research and left a while ago. I''m sure it''s something important and urgent." Shizune said, oblivious to the true nature of the man known as Jiraiya. Tsunade snorted when she heard that. ''Important research my ass. That idiot is probably at one of the bathhouses.'' At this time Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard the exchange between the two. ''Jiraiya is here too¡­ And based on the context he accompanied these two here. Or maybe it''s the other way around. Regardless¡­ Two of the Sannins are together here¡­ Did this happen in the series¡­? Or is this a butterfly effect from my interference?'' Daichi heard the waitress denying Tsunade service. After thinking for a few more seconds he decided to step in. ''I don''t know why she''s here or what''s going on but I need to make a solid impression. Forming a relationship with her would be beneficial in the long run.'' Daichi turned his head to the waitress behind him. "Excuse me miss¡­" His voice attracted the attention of the three. "How much does the lady owe the restaurant? I''ll pay for her." Daichi said with a smile. Tsunade looked at the boy who barged into their conversation. He had black eyes and shoulder length light brown hair and a broad chin. Tsunade looked him over and she estimated that the child was around 10 or 11 years old. She slightly narrowed her eyes but didn''t say anything. Shizune was surprised and was about to reject the boy''s offer but the waitress of the restaurant beat her to it. She was polite even to someone as young as Daichi. "Please sir. There''s no need. The lady was just leaving." As Daichi heard this he turned to look at Tsunade. Both the academy prodigy and the legendary Sannin looked at each other for a couple seconds. Neither said a word. Daichi turned to the waitress and had a polite smile as he spoke. "I came here for some delicious food and to enjoy it in peace. But if this continues that''s not going to happen." He then looked back at Tsunade and continued. "And she doesn''t look like she has any intention of leaving here anytime soon." He turned back to the restaurant staff. "So I''m doing this for me. Not her¡­ So I''ll ask again. How much does she owe?" At that moment Shizune spoke. "It''s sweet but there''s no need. We''re just leaving. Isn''t that right Lady Tsunade?" Shizune thought the boy was the son of a wealthy official in the capital and if he pays and the news of this incident spreads, her master''s reputation may take a nosedive. She wanted to avoid any potential problems for her master. But said master had other plans. "Nope. He said he''s going to pay. And he doesn''t look like he has any problems. So calm down. Enjoy the food and drinks." Tsunade said in a nonchalant manner. "Lady Tsunade!" Shizune was dismayed. Daichi slightly laughed. He looked at the waitress. "You heard the lady. How much?" Daichi could see the struggle of the staff and used Mana puppetry on her. And he got his answer. "97,439 Ryo." The waitress replied with a smile. Hearing the amount, Daichi put his hand in his pocket and took a thick stack of bills from his inventory. He gave the amount to the waitress with a cool smile on his face. Shizune and the waitress were surprised at the stack of bills. The slug Sannin''s apprentice began to look at the boy with caution. ''Why is a child carrying around that much money?...'' The restaurant staff quickly regained her composure and took the money. Daichi had a charming smile on his face. "That''s 100,000. And keep the change. Oh! And I''d like to place an order." He winked at the cute waitress. Due to the increase in charisma stat his ability to charm people especially women was increasing. The waitress had a small pink shade of hue on her cheeks. Proof that she was falling for the boy''s charms. At that moment Daichi got up from his small booth and invited himself over to where Tsunade and Shizune sat. "Since I''m paying for your booze it''s only fair that I join you." Daichi sat down without any intention of taking no for an answer. He sat near Shizune and across from him was the best medic ninja currently alive. "Listen kid, if you want to pay that''s on you. But I didn''t invite you over." Tsunade said, looking at the boy. Daichi smiled. "No you didn''t." He then turned to the waitress as if there was nothing wrong. "I''d like to place my order if that''s alright." He said. Tsunade and Shizune were surprised at the boldness the child displayed. "O-of course." The waitress took out a small notepad and a pen. "The roasted duck I had yesterday was delicious but I think I''ll have something else today. I''m looking forward to the ''Waf¨± Pan Fried Lamb Chops'' and maybe something to go along with it. Surprise me. And your most expensive sake bottle for the lady." Daichi politely gestured to Tsunade sitting in front of him. He then turned to Shizune sitting beside him. "What would you like to have Miss?" Shizune was surprised. She didn''t expect things to go this way. She was still a little apprehensive about the whole thing. "Um¡­ I''m fine." "Are you sure? It''s on me." Daichi kept his charming smile on his face. But it wasn''t able to change Shizune''s mind. "I''m sure." She replied. Daichi turned back to the waitress. "That will be all. Thank you." The girl slightly bowed and left. Daichi turned his attention back to the female Sannin. His smile never left his face. Tsunade looked at the grinning child in front of her. He was watching her with rapt attention. Unknown to her Daichi was using his skill ''Observe'' on her but it didn''t have any success. Tsunade decided to bring the boy down a peg. "Don''t you know it''s not polite to stare." Daichi replied without any nervousness. "It''s hard when I''m in the company of beautiful women..." "Aww¡­ Have you fallen for my charms? Sorry kid. But I''m not into little boys." Tsunade said, taking a swig that emptied the bottle she had. Daichi kept smiling as he listened. ''Alright. You wanna play like that. Game on. Time to troll.'' Daichi smirked, hearing her. "Oh Thank God for that. You''re beautiful. There''s no question about that. But I''m not into old grannies either." [Reputation slightly decreased with Tsunade Senju.] Tsunade had a twitch above her eye. She looked at the smirking child and knew he was looking for a reaction. Shizune was shocked at what the child said. She looked at her master and saw the signs of anger. ''Oh oh! Lady Tsunade is mad. I better calm things down.'' At that moment she noticed the child turning his attention to her. "Wow you''re gorgeous. Do you know CPR?" Daichi had a charming smile as he looked at the girl next to him. Shizune was surprised and gave a short answer. "Um¡­ Yes." "Good. Because you just took my breath away¡­" Daichi slowly took Shizune''s right hand and gave it a small kiss. "It''s a pleasure to be in the presence of such an elegant and beautiful lady." [Reputation slightly increased with Shizune Kato.] [Reputation slightly decreased with Tsunade Senju.] "Oh my!" Shizune was shocked. A small pink shade was formed on her cheeks. People usually ignored her while her master was present. So this felt kind of nice to her. Tsunade was gobsmacked at the audacity of the child who was blatantly flirting with her apprentice. "You brat. Don''t you have any shame flirting with a woman almost thrice your age?" Daichi looked at Tsunade for a few seconds before replying. "Nope." "You''re a naughty child aren''t you?" "When the occasion calls for it. Yes! But if it''s any consolation¡­" Daichi smirked and turned towards Shizune. "I''d be happy to let you spank me." The poor apprentice''s eyes widened. "W-what?" Looking at her flustered reaction, Daichi burst out laughing. "Hahaha¡­." After a few seconds he calmed down. "I''m sorry. I couldn''t help myself. I was just teasing you." Daichi, having had his fun, then looked at Tsunade and properly introduced himself. This time he kept a polite face. "I was just having some fun¡­ Please bear it no mind. My name is Daichi Hekima. It is an honor to meet you Lady Tsunade and you too Miss Shizune." [Reputation returned to neutral with Tsunade Senju.] Tsunade looked at the change in the boy''s manner and was surprised to see a serious and dignified expression. "It''s impressive you recognized me. Even more impressive, you recognized my assistant. A child born in the capital knowing my name and face is a coincidence. But I doubt that''s the case when it comes to my apprentice." Information about her is easily available but that wasn''t the case for her student. Based on the observations Tsunade made, she concluded that the child was not from the capital. Daichi nodded in agreement. "You''re right. I''m not from the capital. I''m from the Leaf village. I came here for a business trip with my gramps¡­ I always try to learn more about the strongest ninjas of our time. Your name along with your former teammates came up in my study. During my research I found out that you have an apprentice. Shizune Kato¡­" Daichi finished his explanation and looked at the apprentice. Tsunade nodded and was somewhat satisfied with that answer. "It''s nice to meet you Daichi." Shizune spoke with a smile. At that moment the dishes Daichi ordered came and Tsunade got her hands on some more alcohol. She didn''t say anything else and started drinking again. Daichi looked at the glazing lamb chops in front of him. The smell and the visual aesthetics captured Daichi''s attention. But he didn''t ignore the person sitting on his side. "Would you like to join me, Miss Shizune?" "No. Thank you. Maybe another time." She replied smiling. "Ohh¡­ Is there going to be another time?" Daichi asked with a grin and winked at her. Shizune giggled at the child''s antics. "Maybe when you''re older." Daichi shrugged and slowly ate his food. He made small conversations with Shizune while Tsunade didn''t look like she was interested. Some time went by and Daichi''s plate only had a few small bites left. "So you''ve completed your 4th year in the academy huh. Unless I''m mistaken, the classes for the new year start in April right." "Yeah. But I don''t have to worry about that. I won''t be going back for the next couple years." "Why is that?" Shizune asked in slight confusion. "It''s¡­. Nothing. I''m sorry, but I can''t say." Daichi knew his medic training was to be kept a secret until the appropriate time. But now looking at the person in front of him, Daichi knew he would be disappointed with the person Kensei assigned to him. ''She''s the best medic in the world. The things I could learn from her.'' Daichi let out a small sad sigh. "What''s wrong?" Shizune asked him. Daichi thought about what he should say. ''If I can get Tsunade to be my teacher¡­ If there is any chance¡­ Shouldn''t I take it?'' Daichi decided to tell them the real reason he was here. ''Even if I do tell, who are they gonna blab to.'' Daichi spoke. "The truth is I''m interested in learning medical jutsu." Tsunade and Shizune''s eyes slightly widened as they heard this. But they quickly schooled their faces. Daichi, who was looking down at his food, failed to see their reaction. "I told my gramps about it a couple years ago and now he''s managed to arrange someone to train me. He didn''t tell me who, just that I would meet him or her tomorrow. So that''s why I''m here. To get lessons in medical ninjutsu, but meeting you two here¡­" Daichi looked up from his food. "I know I''m going to be a bit disappointed tomorrow¡­ I''m certain they wouldn''t be as good as you two." Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she looked at Daichi. She glanced at Shizune and her apprentice knew what the look meant. Keep quiet. Without giving any of her intentions away, Tsunade asked Daichi a question. "Who is your grandfather?" Daichi replied without much hesitation. "Kensei Yasaji." Author''s Note: Hey guys. Sorry about the week long delay. Caught the flu. Still a little bit under the weather but the thought of delaying the chapter release anymore than I already did left a bad taste in my mouth. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 114 – The Test Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hearing the name, Tsunade''s eyes slightly narrowed but other than that there was no change in her expression. She remembered the conversation she had with the man several months ago. Tsunade had told him that she would only meet the boy and only after assessing him would she even consider taking him under her. She made sure to emphasize that she was only doing this as a favor to her old sensei. Kensei agreed and said that he would keep her identity secret. He wanted to surprise the kid. ''So this is the boy huh. It seems Kensei really didn''t tell him about me. Well¡­ I''m not going to spoil the fun¡­'' Tsunade looked at the child who was finishing his plate. ''At first he came off as rude but he surprisingly has a respectful personality. Still¡­ I need to see if he''s as good as sensei makes him out to be.'' Tsunade took another swig from her bottle. "Kensei huh. You''re his grandson?" Daichi looked up at that. "You know him?" "We''ve met." The medic Sannin didn''t elaborate any further and continued her drinking. Daichi had a thoughtful face. ''Hmm¡­ In hindsight I should have guessed that. Kensei is from the third Hokage''s generation. And he was strong and formidable enough to have a nickname. So it stands to reason that she knows him.'' Daichi looked at the woman who was currently more concentrated on her alcohol than anything else. ''Is it possible¡­'' A thought appeared in Daichi''s mind but he dismissed it, thinking it was absurd. Daichi looked out the nearby window and saw that it was getting late. ''I better head back. And I don''t want to overstay my welcome.'' Daichi got ready to leave. "It''s getting really dark out. I should get back home. Again, it was an honor to meet you Lady Tsunade. Miss Shizune¡­" Daichi nodded to the two of them. Tsunade didn''t even bother looking at him and just gave a small wave of her hand indicating her dismissal while Shizune was more courteous. "Good night Daichi. Get home safe." Daichi left the restaurant after paying the bill for the table. "So that''s the child Kensei and Lord Jiraiya were talking about huh." Shizune spoke after Daichi left. "It seems so." Tsunade looked at the exit and then turned to her apprentice. "Did you notice?" Shizune''s face turned serious. "Yes. His footsteps. It didn''t make any sounds. And his presence¡­ It was similar to those who conceal their chakras. I wouldn''t have even noticed him if he hadn''t spoken." Shizune was there during the meeting with Kensei. She was surprised that the Hokage was making her teacher take on another student. Tsunade nodded with her student. She knew a capable ninja when she saw one. From just this one interaction she knew Daichi was more than he seemed. A smirk slowly formed in her face. ''Looks like this trip will be more interesting than I thought.'' ¡ª- Daichi walked through the illuminated streets of the capital. The lights coming from the fancy lanterns gave off a festive atmosphere. ''My ''observe'' didn''t show anything on Tsunade but I was able to get some information on her apprentice. Based on her stats I''d say Shizune is currently in the middle of the Jonin spectrum. A student of a Sannin and a talented medic ninja that very few can match.'' Daichi thought about the entire interaction and there were many things he was now unsure about. He walked home with several thoughts running through his mind. ''It''s just a coincidence that she and Jiraiya are here. Isn''t it¡­?'' Daichi couldn''t get rid of the feeling that he was missing something. He soon reached his home and greeted his grandfather who was enjoying the calm atmosphere in the small backyard. "How was your second day at the capital?" Kensei asked him. "Very interesting. More than I thought actually¡­" Daichi replied. "Oh?" Kensei raised an eyebrow at that. Daichi decided to tell his grandfather about Tsunade''s visit. He wanted to know if the presence of two Sannin here was just a coincidence or not. "I met Lady Tsunade and her apprentice." Daichi looked at Kensei for a reaction but he didn''t get one. Kensei kept an impassive face but he knew that a non answer was also an answer. Looking at the boy''s expression he sighed. Kensei decided to tell the boy about his soon to be teacher. Daichi saw Kensei let out a small breath and his eyes widened. ''No way. Is it possible that she''s the one who''s going to train me?'' Daichi didn''t want to jump to any conclusions and decided to hear it from Kensei''s mouth. "I think you''ve dragged the suspense on for too long. Will you tell me who''s coming to train me?" Daichi asked him. "I wanted to keep this a surprise but¡­ As you may have already guessed, it''s the woman you''ve met. Tsunade Senju. The most proficient medic ninja in the world." Daichi''s eyes widened. "But I thought she wasn''t interested in taking any students and she''s not currently an active ninja." ''Did I change something or am I wrong?'' "What you''ve said is true. And normally she wouldn''t have agreed to take another student under her wing but this was a special order from Hiruzen. She''s doing this as a favor to him. I also told her that she would be doing me a favor as well by teaching you." Kensei replied. Daichi was surprised. ''I understand Kensei¡­ But the Hokage ordered her to as well? So that''s why she''s here. And the fact that Jiraiya is here as well¡­'' Gears started turning in Daichi''s head faster and he deduced several things. ''Kensei must have told the Hokage about my training plans and since he knows my talents the Hokage must have decided to send me to the best medic out there. He must have made contact with Tsunade through Jiraiya. That also means Jiraiya knows about me and is at least aware of my talents¡­ '' Daichi crossed his arms and thought about the whole thing. ''When I saw her in the restaurant, for a split second I thought that maybe she was the one Kensei had arranged to teach me¡­ But I dismissed that thought immediately. Currently she''s someone who doesn''t like responsibilities and hates the position of Hokage. Someone who''s haunted by the memories of her loved ones and stuck in the past. I thought for sure that she would never agree to being a mentor for anyone¡­ So I concluded that her being here now was just a coincidence. Looks like I was wrong. Did she change or is there something else going on?'' "Did she really agree to train me in medical ninjutsu?" Daichi asked with anticipation. Kensei slightly winced. "Well, technically all she said was that she would give you a shot. So there is a great chance she could reject you." "I see." Daichi nodded. ''That makes more sense. Based on what I understand from the series, she still has some respect for her former sensei and is probably meeting me out of obligation. She has a strong temperament and this is the best deal Kensei could make with her.'' Kensei got up from his chair. "We''re going to meet her tomorrow. At that moment she''ll decide if she wants to be your teacher or not¡­" Daichi nodded. "I''ll be ready for whatever she throws at me." Kensei looked at the confident child and his worries lessened. ''Whatever tests she puts him through, I''m sure he will get past them.'' ¡ª- It was morning and Kensei and Daichi were in front of an apartment. Kensei knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds. The door opened and Shizune appeared. "Good morning Kensei. Hello Daichi." She greeted the two and led them inside. As Daichi stepped inside a voice spoke, addressing him. "So you''re the kid sensei talked about huh¡­ You don''t look like much." Daichi looked in the direction the voice came from and saw that it was Jiraiya. He was sitting on the balcony at the other end near the open window. Daichi looked at the other sannin sitting in the corner of the room and the small pig near her. "He''s just a little brat. What exactly did you expect?" Tsunade gave her thoughts. "Daichi, that''s Lord Jiraiya and you''ve already met Lady Tsunade." Kensei gave a simple introduction. Jiraiya looked affronted with that introduction. "Hey that''s not how you introduce someone as great as me." He jumped and landed in the middle of the room, right in front of Daichi. A smoke suddenly appeared covering his entire body. When it cleared, it showed that Jiraiya had summoned a human sized toad and was standing atop its head in a strange pose. "Listen well young one, wherever I go men gaze at me with admiration and respect and women all over the world fall for my charms. I am none other than the holy sage of Mt. Myoboku. Jiraiya." The man stood on one leg with his hands extended and shook his head in an exaggerated fashion. Daichi looked at the man with wide eyes and his mouth was slightly open. He was excited to meet the legendary warrior and it showed on his face. ''Oh wow. This is really happening.'' Jiraiya looked at Daichi for a reaction and saw the awe and admiration in Daichi''s eyes. He thought he had impressed the kid. ''Yes. Be at awe in my presence¡­ Hahaha¡­'' Tsunade looked at her teammate and then towards Daichi and couldn''t help but let out a tired sigh. ''Don''t tell me that kid fell for that. I thought he was smart.'' Daichi immediately bowed and introduced himself. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Jiraiya. My name is Daichi Hekima." Jiraiya laughed merrily. "Proper respect from the young ones is rare these days. I''ll let you have some signed copies of my books." "Please don''t." Kensei interrupted him and gave Jiraiya the stink eye. He was one of the few that resisted the temptations of the book ''Make out tactics.'' "You don''t look surprised to see us. So your grandfather told you why I''m here?!" Tsunade got up and asked Daichi. Daichi nodded his head. "I mentioned our meeting and he told me that you would be my teacher." "That remains to be seen, little boy." Jiraiya stepped back and dismissed his summon. Tsunade looked at Daichi and came to a decision. ''Sensei knows what I''ve been through. So what would prompt him to suddenly make this decision? I have to find out.'' "Raise your hands and gather some chakra in your palms. Keep the chakra flow steady until I tell you otherwise. And stop suppressing your chakra." Tsunade said to the boy. Daichi obeyed without asking any questions. He had been using the ''Chakra Suppression'' skill and had been steadily leveling it up. ''Since it''s come to this I won''t hold back. I need to make sure she will take me as a student.'' Daichi raised his hands with his palms facing upwards. He concentrated his chakra on his palms and stopped the suppression skill. Everyone in the room felt the large chakra flowing through the boy. The adults in the room were shocked when they sensed his chakra volume but they kept a neutral face. Shizune was shocked as she looked at the kid. ''This child. His chakra reserves, it feels even larger than mine. And to suppress it to such a degree¡­ His control is no doubt beyond average.'' Kensei looked at his grandson beside him and even though he expected it he was still surprised. ''His growth rate is incredible.'' Jiraiya had a lifetime of practice in maintaining a poker face. He had heard about the boy''s capabilities but seeing it felt entirely different. ''This kid isn''t from any clan and he isn''t holding a tailed beast. So for him to produce this much chakra at his age¡­ Only Jonin level ninjas and above have this much reserves. Looks like sensei wasn''t kidding about this kid''s strength.'' Tsunade kept a calm face but was now intrigued about the child''s capabilities. ''Time to see what you''re made of.'' Daichi''s test to become a medic ninja under Tsunade had begun. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 115 – The Bet With Tsunade Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. As Daichi focused his chakra he saw Tsunade bringing her hands over on top of his palms. She held her hands just a few inches above Daichi''s and a second later it started glowing green. Daichi looked at the green chakra and at that moment he received a system notification. [Unharmful foreign chakra detected.] Daichi saw the message and came to a conclusion. ''So Tsunade is using her chakra on me? But it doesn''t seem to be medical jutsu. Hmm¡­ My guess is she''s most probably checking my chakra level and control¡­ And It seems my body won''t reject even ordinary chakras that aren''t harmful to me, just like medical ninjutsu chakras.'' Daichi dismissed the blue box and focused on his current task. He kept the chakra flow steady and was in complete control. Tsunade kept a neutral face as she injected a bit of her chakra into Daichi. Her goal was to understand the boy''s chakra levels and his current control over his chakra. At first she kept a neutral face but after a short while her expression changed. Tsunade frowned and narrowed her eyes. The green glow between her palms got bigger and she looked far more serious than before. Kensei, Jiraiya and Shizune sensed the change in her. They all kept quiet and didn''t say anything to interrupt the medic nin. Jiraiya crossed his arms and looked at his former teammate. ''Looks like she found something interesting about him. It must be something big¡­ I can''t remember the last time she looked so focused.'' Shizune held the pet pig Tonton and looked at her mentor. She knew what her master was doing right now but was confused about something. ''It''s been over a minute since Lady Tsunade started. She should have an accurate assessment of his chakra volume and control by now. So why isn''t she stopping?'' The occupants aside from the Senju patiently waited for her to finish. After several minutes the green glowing chakra faded and Tsunade took a step back from Daichi. She looked at Daichi with an astonished and bewildered face. She opened her mouth a couple times as if to say something but no words came out. [Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju.] Daichi had a guess as to what impressed her about him. ''Looks like all that chakra control training paid off.'' Seeing that the test was done, Daichi cut off the chakra flow to his palms and put his hands down. After a few more seconds Tsunade took a deep breath and regained her poker face. "Your chakra control is adequate. And you have excellent reserves considering your age. And the fact that you can keep a steady flow of chakra for several minutes tells me just how well you''re trained. You certainly have the capabilities to become a medic ninja." Shizune was shocked at that assessment and Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He knew what his teammate was most proud of was her precise chakra control and medical skills. ''Adequate control..? That''s high praise from her. For her to admit that much means this child''s control is beyond good¡­ Then again he mastered the Rasengan in a week. So I suppose I should have expected this much.'' Daichi''s face had a smile as he heard her. ''Yes! Looks like things are gonna be easier than I thought.'' Just as this thought ran through his mind Tsunade burst his bubble. "But that doesn''t mean I''ll take you on as a student." "Wait what? Why?" Daichi was sure his control skills had impressed her so he was confused about her refusal. "Listen brat. I don''t have to explain myself to you. Just because sensei said so doesn''t mean I''ll do it. I''m sure you can find another medic back at the village who''ll be more than happy to teach you." Tsunade spoke in a hard tone. She knew he couldn''t go back to the village for the time being. Jiraiya had filled her in on the on-goings of the village and her sensei''s secret investigations. She was just saying it to see Daichi''s response. Daichi was not someone who gave up that easily. "But¡­ You''re the best medic-nin in the world. I could learn far more from you than anyone else." Tsunade smirked at that. "You do know how to flatter a girl. But sadly that won''t work on me¡­ Still¡­" Tsunade paused and looked at the boy and after a few seconds continued. "Considering your above average chakra control skills, I''ll give you a chance. If you can complete the next task, I might take you as my student." Daichi nodded. "Alright. What do I have to do?" Tsunade smirked and looked at her apprentice. "Shizune, bring it here." "Yes. Of course!" Shizune left the room and after several seconds quickly came back with a scroll. Tsunade took the sealed scroll and held it in front of Daichi. She put it down and released the seal. A smoke suddenly appeared and when it cleared, Daichi saw over two dozen books atop the scroll. All of them several inches thick. "There are 24 books here. These textbooks contain the necessary information a competent medic-nin needs. These were all written by me, for those looking to become more than an ordinary medic ninja. I''ll give you two months to learn all the information in these books." Tsunade had a devious smirk on her face as she said this. Daichi''s eyes widened as he heard the insane timeframe given by the woman. He looked at the titles of some of those books. ''Medicine, Toxicology, Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Battle medics, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Animal anatomy, Human anatomy, Rules for medic ninjas on the field, Surgery, Poisons, Herbs, Chakra techniques and their effects on the human bodies, Medical equipment''s managements, Medical forensics and more¡­ Oh man¡­ That''s a lot of books.'' Shizune, who was standing nearby, was also shocked. ''The amount of information contained in those books¡­ It would take a normal person years to learn and memorize all that. It would take someone motivated and highly intelligent at least 9 to 12 months. But she''s only giving him two months to understand all that?... There''s no way that''s possible¡­ So she really doesn''t want him as a student after all.'' Kensei, who was standing behind Daichi, also came to the same conclusion. He was upset that she wasn''t even giving Daichi a fair shot. "Tsunade. That''s not fair." The blonde woman scowled. "I said I''d give him a chance. Never said I''d be fair." "That''s¡­" Kensei was about to argue but Daichi slightly raised his hand, stopping him. The boy took off his glasses and looked directly into the woman''s eyes. A playful smile appeared on his face. "I heard you like to gamble. Would you like to make a bet with me?" Daichi smiled and spoke in a polite tone. "Ohh?! What kind of bet?" Tsunade was intrigued. "If I learn all the information contained in all these books in seven days, will you take me as a student?" That question shocked everyone. The moment Tsunade heard that her smile vanished and she narrowed her eyes. [Reputation massively decreases with Tsunade Senju.] Daichi ignored the blue system box. Tsunade looked at the smiling boy in front of her and became slightly angry. "Che! I didn''t know you were so arrogant. I''m not going to teach someone who''s just going to take this as a joke." Daichi shook his head. "I never said I took this as a joke. I can assure you I''m dead serious. And besides¡­ You didn''t answer my question. Do you want to make that bet with me?" The lady smirked. "First rule of trying to get someone to make a gamble. You need to have something the other person wants. If you want me to take the bet, you need to have something I want. And it doesn''t seem like you do." Daichi slightly laughed. "I wouldn''t be too sure of that." He took a small scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the ground. He pressed his palm and injected some chakra. The next second the contents of the scroll became visible to everyone. From the scroll several stacks of money appeared. The adults in the room were astonished. Daichi stood up and looked at Tsunade. "That''s 500,000 Ryo. My savings from the last 5 years¡­ Still think I don''t have anything you want?" [Reputation increased with Kensei Yasaji.] [Reputation increased with Shizune Kato.] [Reputation increased with Jiraiya.] [Reputation slightly increased with Tsunade Senju. ] Tsunade looked at the confident smirk on Daichi''s face and wanted to refuse the boy but her gambling addict side took over. She smirked and spoke. "Well well¡­ Things just got interesting. So if you can''t memorize everything in all those books in seven days, all this money is mine and you stop bothering me¡­?" Daichi nodded. "Ha! Easiest money I ever made¡­" Tsunade laughed and wondered which gambling den she should go to once she wins. "When I win¡­" Daichi spoke up at that moment interrupting Tsunade''s day dreams "You accept me as your student and teach me everything about medical ninjutsu you know¡­ Give me your word that you will hold your end of the deal." The smile on Tsunade''s face disappeared as she saw the seriousness in Daichi''s eyes. She was quiet for several seconds and then nodded. "You have a deal." Daichi smirked and sealed the money scroll and the book scroll and took them with him. He smirked as he looked at the female Sannin. "I''ll be back in a week. Make sure not to skip town¡­ Now, Lady Tsunade, if you''ll excuse me, I have a lot of reading to do¡­ Miss Shizune, Lord Jiraiya¡­" Daichi slightly bowed, bid his farewell and left with Kensei following him. Daichi headed back to Kensei''s house with the old man following him. Daichi had a simple yet efficient plan in mind. And the seven day challenge he proposed wasn''t something done out of impulse. Daichi looked at the quest that was created when Tsunade said she would refuse to be his teacher. [Quest created. - ''Win the bet.''] [Make a bet with Tsunade Senju and win. Study and memorize all 24 books within seven days from now.] [Conditions.] Memorize all the books. Complete the task within seven days or less. . [Rewards. ] [2500 Exp.] [Reputation massively increases with Tsunade Senju, Jiraiya, Shizune Kato, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kensei Yasaji.] [Odds of becoming Tsunade Senju''s apprentice increases massively.] [Completing one half of the conditions required to open the Special stat ''Luck''.] . [Failure.] [Will never become Tsunade''s Student. ] [Reputation decreases with Jiraiya, Tsunade Senju and Shizune Kato, Hiruzen Sarutobi. ] [Completing one half of the conditions required to open Special stat ''Luck''.] As Daichi looked through all the details of the quest, the failure part confused him for a moment. ''Even if I fail the quest, I still complete half the conditions needed to open the luck stat?'' Daichi thought about it for a few seconds and he came to a conclusion. He now had an idea as to what was required to open the special stat luck. ''Tsunade has some kind of a strange relationship with luck. When she wins at something, it indicates a terrible omen. And when she loses everything is fine¡­ A strange relationship with Luck that''s beyond reason or understanding¡­ This must be why the system chose her. I think I understand now. To open the Luck stat I need to make two bets with Tsunade. One that I win and one that I lose¡­ That''s the logical conclusion I can reach from this¡­'' A large grin appeared on Daichi''s face. ''I''m going to win this bet. Then I''ll have plenty of time to make another one with her where I can lose.'' The two of them quickly reached their home in the capital. Kensei hadn''t spoken since Daichi made the bet. He knew his grandson''s tenacity and intelligence. He believed Daichi could do the impossible. Still, he couldn''t help but be slightly anxious. "Looks like you have a tough seven days ahead of you¡­" Kensei spoke. Daichi looked at his grandfather, smirked and shook his head. "No. Not really." Watching Kensei''s confusion, Daichi made a single hand-seal. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Kensei''s eyes widened as he understood Daichi''s plan and a wide grin that matched his grandson''s appeared on his old face. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 116 – The New Apprentice: Daichi Hekima Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. A few minutes ago. - Tsunade''s Apartment. The last Senju watched the child seal the money and books back into the scroll. "I''ll be back in a week. Make sure not to skip town¡­ Now, Lady Tsunade, if you''ll excuse me, I have a lot of reading to do¡­ Miss Shizune, Lord Jiraiya¡­" With those words Tsunade watched Daichi and Kensei leave the room. As she quietly stood there Jiraiya spoke up. "He''s really talented, you know. And he''s right. He could learn a lot from you. You said it yourself, his chakra control is excellent." At those words Tsunade turned to Jiraiya. Jiraiya noted that she had an unusually serious expression which was unlike her these days. "What''s wrong?" Seeing her master''s face, Shizune couldn''t help but ask. Tsunade didn''t utter any words for several seconds. She was still trying to digest the information she learned after examining the boy''s chakra network. After a while she answered. "His chakra network and his control¡­ It''s¡­. It''s perfect." Tsunade said in a low voice. While Jiraiya only looked on in confusion to that statement, Shizune''s eyes widened because she knew what her master was talking about. "What?! Lady Tsunade, that''s¡­ That can''t be!" The young apprentice almost shouted. "Are you saying I made a mistake?" Tsunade slightly narrowed her eyes. "Of course not! But¡­ Something like that. It should be impossible¡­ right?" Tsunade sighed and answered her apprentice. "Yes. It should be impossible¡­ But I''ve checked. Thoroughly. His chakra control is precise. Absolutely perfect." At this point Jiraiya interrupted them. "Umm¡­ Yeah! For those of us not well versed in medical ninjutsu¡­ Do you mind explaining? What exactly are you guys talking about?" Tsunade looked at her former teammate and began to explain the situation. "When someone uses chakra for anything, they unknowingly waste a lot of it. So to reduce this wastage and to use chakra more efficiently we came up with chakra control exercises. These exercises help one improve their control over the chakra their body expends." Jiraiya agreed with that. "Right! Techniques like tree walking and water walking and such." "Yes. The tree walking and water walking are just those for the standard ninjas. For medics there are even more difficult control refining techniques that they need to master." Shizune spoke. Tsunade nodded and continued. "Now these techniques help increase a shinobi''s chakra control and bring it to their absolute highest level as possible. But there will still be some small amount of chakra wastage. It''s not something that we can overcome." Jiraiya frowned at that. "Isn''t your chakra control perfect? You''re the best medic in the world. Some of the techniques you use can''t be accomplished if you don''t have perfect control¡­ Right?" Tsunade shook her head in disagreement. "My chakra control is only near perfect." Seeing Jiraiya tilt his head in confusion, Tsunade elaborated. "How do I put this¡­? Over the course of the last decade, Shizune has mastered all the control techniques she could and brought her chakra control to the highest level she could achieve. If I had to put it in mathematical terms I''d say that her control over her chakra is over 90%. For reference, an ordinary ninja who learned tree walking and water walking would only have about 75 to 85 percent control." "Wait! I thought by learning those techniques we would reduce wasting chakra completely." Tsunade replied. "No! We only limit the wastage and only learn to use it more efficiently. There is a great difference in the amount of chakra wastage between someone who hasn''t learned the techniques and someone who has. But even after we learn those techniques there is still a small bit of chakra leakage. With more control training this problem can only be reduced. And those being born in certain clans also have an advantage and their bloodline can help with minimizing the chakra loss. You can say that while Shizune''s control is over 90%, mine is about 95%. An advantage of being born in the Senju clan. But still¡­ it''s impossible to completely control our chakra without wasting even the tiniest bit¡­ At least that''s what I thought till now¡­" Jiraiya crossed his arms and kept quiet. Unlike what he liked to portray he wasn''t an idiot. He was starting to see where Tsunade was going with this. "So you''re saying that child¡­" "Yes. He has 100% control over his chakra. I couldn''t detect a single speck of his chakra leaking. He had absolute control over his energy the whole time¡­" The astonishment in Tsunade''s voice couldn''t be hidden. "Still¡­ It''s only just a small difference. Is it that hard to increase your control to¡­ 100%?" The toad sage asked his friend. The female sannin sighed and answered. "The difference between each of those last 5%, is like heaven and earth. It''s not something that can be done with training." She took a deep breath and let it out. "That child¡­ His chakra control¡­ It''s even superior to mine. In fact I don''t think there is or has been anyone alive who has such absolute mastery over their energy." Jiraiya and Shizune''s eyes widened at that statement¡­ "Lord Jiraiya, Is he part of some clan?" Shizune turned to the toad sage and enquired. "Not that we know of. He was an orphan. They found him buried underneath some rubble during the rescue operations after the nine tails attack." Jiraiya replied after recalling the details he read in Daichi''s file. "The answer is in his genetics. Something like this can''t be achieved with training. He must have some kind of a special mutation or gene that helps with his chakra control. I''m also sure this is also the cause for his abnormally large chakra reserves¡­ Although this is just a theory, I believe this is the most likely answer." Tsunade spoke up after a few seconds. Hearing that Jiraiya thought about the things the boy was capable of. ''So that''s how he learned the Rasengan and other nature transformation techniques so quickly¡­ Still¡­ Just because he has a natural advantage doesn''t make his achievements any less impressive. Even with his advantage, I''m sure that without a great amount of hard work he couldn''t have learned those things so quickly.'' "If he''s so impressive then why did you initially reject him? Why give him that insanely short time in the first place?" The toad sage asked Tsunade. The slug Sannin sighed and replied. "I just wanted to see how he''d react. I wanted to see if he would give up or take up the challenge and at least try and learn as much as possible before the deadline¡­ Truth is, I''d be impressed if he was able to learn 4 or 5 books at most within that time." Jiraiya smirked at that. "Well that didn''t work out the way you wanted, did it?" Tsunade replied with confidence. "He''s an arrogant brat if he thinks he can learn all of that information in one week. I''m not gonna teach a brat with a big head and overconfidence just because of a lucky break he was born with. He might have been able to master chakra control techniques easily but that was due to his inborn special ability. Learning the mountain of information on those books on the other hand¡­ That''s an entirely different thing." Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Do you really believe he wouldn''t be able to do it?" "Yes. Since he arrogantly made the bet to memorize all 24 books, I won''t be satisfied even if he learns 23 books by the end of the week. And he won''t even be able to do that. It''s an impossible task." At that moment Jiraiya thought about the conversation he had with his sensei almost a year ago. "But that can''t be! Did he really master the Rasengan to that degree?" Hiruzen nodded. "I saw it myself. And he claimed he did it in one week. I have no reason to doubt him." Jiraiya was speechless when he heard that. "But¡­ But¡­ T-that''s impossible." "Well, he did it. That boy did the impossible." Looking at his sensei''s serious face Jiraiya knew the leaf village now had another immeasurable talent growing inside its walls. "A week from now I''ll be 500,000 Ryo richer. Hey Shizune! Should we go to the upper floors of that fancy restaurant? Hmm¡­ Or maybe¡­ I wonder if I can find a good gambling den here?" Tsunade''s voice brought Jiraiya out of his thoughts. He looked at his former teammate already making plans as if she won. "Tsunade! A fair warning. I wouldn''t count on your victory just yet!" Jiraiya had a smile on his face as he said those words. Tsunade was surprised. "Oh really?! You really think he can do it?" The toad Sannin shrugged. "Anything is possible. You should wait and see the results for yourself." With those words he turned around and headed outside. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I''m off to find some inspiration for my new book." Having said those words he jumped off the balcony and disappeared. "Lord Jiraiya seems to believe in that boy. Do you really think he is capable of such a task?" Shizune asked her master. The slug Sannin waved her hand as if it wasn''t any big deal. "Bha! That idiot is wrong. There''s nothing for me to worry about." With those words Tsunade left the place and Shizune followed. She entered a local watering hole and drank to her heart''s content. ¡ª- A couple days slowly passed. It was very early in the morning and Tsunade was walking around the quiet streets. As she turned a corner she saw Daichi jogging. He was coming towards her from the opposite direction. "Morning lady Tsunade¡­ It''s a great time for a walk isn''t it¡­?" Daichi had a polite smile as he conversed with her. The female sannin looked at the kid in surprise. She expected him to be stressed out and buried in his books trying to learn as much as possible. Not running around looking like he had no cares in the world. "Shouldn''t you be studying?" Tsunade asked the kid. Daichi''s smile grew at that question. "Oh I am. You don''t need to worry about me. I''ll be ready when the time comes¡­ Good day lady Tsunade." With those words Daichi took off again. ''Has he already given up and this is just a bravado?... Eh, whatever! If he wants to lose on purpose that''s not my problem.'' Tsunade didn''t think much of it and resumed her morning walk. The next few days during her morning walks Tsunade saw him jogging and then exercising near an abandoned field. She was surprised as to what trick he had up his sleeve that made him so confident in his victory. Days passed and it was the sixth night. Tsunade was in a small bar quietly drinking her sake. ''Tomorrow is the day. Would he really be able to do it?'' Doubt was slowly forming in her mind. She quickly finished her drink and headed home. She had to prepare for tomorrow. Tsunade quickly reached her home and took a pen and several sheets of paper. At that moment her apprentice walked in. "Lady Tsunade!? You''re early¡­ What are you doing?" The young apprentice asked. "Preparing a questionnaire for the brat. I''m going to put the most difficult and complicated questions in those books." She smirked and started her task. Shizune winced at that. "Don''t you think maybe you''re going a bit too far my lady?" Tsunade stopped and looked at her student for a second before replying. "Nope!" And she went right back to her work. "Oink. Oink!" The pet pig Tonton in Shizune''s hands said. Shizune turned around and replied in a low voice to her pet. "Yes. I also think she''s only doing this for the money." "You say something Shizune?" Tsunade had a small tick mark on her forehead as she looked at her student from the corner of her eyes. ''Ehh!'' "Of course not my lady." "Oink oink!" With that the poor student of the slug Sannin got out of the house with her cute pig as quickly as she could. ¡ª- The day of judgment was here. All the parties had gathered in Tsunade''s apartment. To the adults, Daichi looked nervous and looked as if he was trying to hide that fact. Tsunade''s confidence grew as she saw that. "So you''ve memorized everything in all those books?" The slug Sannin asked. "Y-yup! All that. Y-yes. I learned it." Daichi answered. His answer created frowns on Shizune, Kensei and Jiraiya''s faces but made Tsunade a lot happier. More confident in her victory, she proceeded with her plan. "I''ll be the judge of that." Tsunade took out several pages of paper and handed it to Daichi. "There are 300 questions on those pages that cover the contents of the 24 books I gave you." "That''s a lot of questions¡­" Daichi mumbled as he bewilderingly looked at the pages in front of him. "Yes. You have exactly 5 hours to complete the test¡­ Starting now!" "Wait what?" Daichi looked shocked but then scrambled to the nearby table and chair and started writing the answers to the questions in front of him. "Oh and one more thing. If you get even a single question wrong or if you fail to answer any one, you fail the test and I win!" The smug tone in Tsunade''s voice couldn''t be masked. Daichi looked like he was in panic and was quickly writing down the answers. Jiraiya winched at the conditions of the test. "Yeesh! That''s some harsh conditions, Tsuna¡­ Maybe we should give the kid some space so he can write those answers in peace." "Not a chance. I''m staying right here." Tsunade sat down on a nearby chair and focused on Daichi. Shizune sighed as she looked at the kid and then at her master who was watching said kid like a hawk. ''A test with difficult questions and a very limited time to answer the questions. He only has one minute to answer each question. If he misses one or gets one question wrong he loses, and more than that¡­ He is no doubt feeling the pressure of being watched by so many eyes. Lady Tsunade placed the chair in the middle of the room so Daichi would feel the pressure from those present. He has to recall the information and write it in such harsh conditions¡­ I would never be able to do it if I was in his place... If he had something like the Sharingan then it wouldn''t have been a problem for him but¡­ The outcome is already decided. He''ll fail.'' Jiraiya was curious as to the outcome so he decided to stay put. He and Kensei were quiet and sat down. Shizune also took a seat near her master. Time quickly flew by and everyone had their eyes on Daichi. He was writing non stop at an excellent pace. 4 hours and over 40 minutes had gone by. Suddenly Daichi put his pencil down and stood up with the pile of sheets in his hands. "I''m done!" Everyone was surprised at that exclamation. "Already? Daichi, do you need to look over your answers? You still have some time left." Kensei asked his grandson in concern. "No need. I''m done." Daichi had a smug smile on his face. He handed the papers to Tsunade and sat back in his chair. Everyone was curious as to the results. Tsunade started going through his answers one by one. She had a smug look on her face at the beginning but as she graded the answers the smile slowly vanished. Around 40 minutes went by and Tsunade finished her evaluation. She looked at the papers with a stunned expression. She then looked at Daichi and asked. "How? How did you do it?" The question shocked the adults in the room as they could already guess the results of the test. "How did I do what? You''re gonna have to be more specific." Daichi said it in such a fake tone that small veins started popping up on Tsunade''s forehead when she heard it. "You little brat!... You got all the questions right! How did you do it?" Daichi shrugged and answered. "Like I said. I memorized and understood everything in those books these last few days." "I''m asking how?" At that Daichi''s smile widened. "I have the ability to recall all my memories with perfect clarity. And I mean all my memories. And I also abused the hell out of shadow clone jutsu." The adults, Kensei included, were surprised that Daichi had such an ability. Kensei looked at his grandson. ''This is the first time I''m hearing that¡­ It feels like everyday he''s displaying new abilities.'' "I made good on my end. I memorized the whole thing and I aced your test. Guess this means I''m your apprentice now huh!" Daichi spoke with a small laugh. Tsunade''s eyes widened in realization. "You tricked me." Those words came out before she could stop them. "I didn''t trick you. I just didn''t mention that I had the capability to win the bet¡­ Come on. Did you really think I would make a bet as important as that without having confidence that I could absolutely win¡­ Did you really think I''m such an idiot?" "Then why did you look so nervous at the beginning?" Jiraiya asked Daichi. "If I didn''t and I came here all confident looking then she might have pulled out another trick that would have made things even more difficult for me than it already was. I needed her to let her guard down." Daichi replied. "And you didn''t feel the need to share any of this with me because¡­" It was Kensei who asked that question. "The best way to fool your enemies is to first fool your allies¡­ You taught me that¡­ Remember." Daichi was smiling as his plan worked. Kensei''s genuine reaction to Daichi''s nervous act at the beginning made Tsunade drop her guard. [Reputation increased with Jiraiya, Shizune Kato, and Kensei Yasaji.] [Reputation massively increased with Tsunade Senju.] "You little brat¡­! I''m seriously pissed off right now." Tsunade said one thing but her face showed a different emotion. Daichi looked her in the eyes. "If you''re angry¡­ then why are you smiling?" Yes. Despite saying she was furious, Tsunade had a wide grin on her face as she looked at the child. "So what do you say, Lady Tsunade. Do I have the honor of becoming your second student?" Daichi slightly bowed and was polite as he asked this question. Tsunade reigned in her emotions and looked at the boy. She thought about his perfect chakra control, his absolute memory recall and his cunningness. She also remembered the things Jiraiya and Kensei said about the boy. After several seconds of silence she spoke. "A deal is a deal. From now on, call me Tsunade sensei." Daichi raised his head and gave a wide smile. "Yes, Tsunade sensei." The slug sannin walked forward and placed her hand softly on Daichi''s head. "But before we begin there''s one thing I need to do." "What''s that?" Daichi asked with great curiosity. Tsunade gave a sickly sweet smile that sent shivers up Daichi''s spine. [You have sensed killing intent.] This warning notification did not help Daichi at all. Jiraiya and Shizune instantly recognized that smile. Only one thought went through their minds. ''O oh!'' "Don''t ever hustle me again." With that she flicked her finger on Daichi''s forehead sending him flying out of the building. "Oh my god! Daichi!" Kensei yelled and ran after his flying grandson. "Shizune!" Tsunade shouted. "Um, yes my lady." "Go and heal that brat if he''s injured." Tsunade said and went to her room and Shizune took off as well. "Was that really necessary?" Jiraiya asked his friend. "Yes." Tsunade gave a single word reply and started on her first drink of the day. Jiraiya slightly grimaced and looked at the holes in the walls left by the flying Daichi. ''Yeesh! Tsunade, You haven''t changed one bit¡­ I hope you''re prepared, kid.'' Author''s Note: A Rare 3.4k words chapter. I just didn''t want to drag this on for another chapter. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 117 – 5th Year and Medic Training Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. A few days had passed since Daichi took the test and successfully became Tsunade''s newest apprentice. She told Daichi that his training would begin only after he received his academy assignments for the current year. Yesterday a chunin from the village brought Daichi a scroll containing the curriculum and assignments he needed to complete for the fifth year. It was specifically designed just for Daichi by Iruka on the Hokage''s orders. Daichi went through everything in the scroll that night and found that it wasn''t all that difficult for him to complete it. After making a mental training plan for the year he went to sleep. April 1st. Daichi woke up early in the morning. The long running quest was updated. [Ongoing quest - ''Path to the strongest'' updated.] ''Let''s see what I have to do this year?'' [Tasks to complete this year have been updated. Training clothes in your inventory have been modified. Wear them when completing the daily quests.] [Conditions:[ [Complete 500 Push ups (Daily)] [Complete 500 Squats (Daily)] [Complete 500 Punches (Daily)] [Run 30 Kilometers (Daily)] [Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of March next year.] [Train under Tsunade Senju and learn over 15 different medical ninjutsu techniques.] [Learn advanced chakra control techniques. ] [Complete academic assignments before the final exam of this curriculum.] ''Hmm¡­ So the conditions were modified according to the situation, huh! Learning 15 different medical ninjutsu, advanced chakra control, academy assignments¡­ I''ve got a lot to do.'' Rather than be intimidated by the sheer amount of goals he needed to complete, Daichi was excited. His desire to improve himself was greater than one could understand. After reading the conditions needed to clear the quest this year he looked over the rewards. [Rewards:] [Status Recovery (Daily)] [Random Reward(Weekly)] [+3 Stat Points (Weekly) ] [+3000 Exp clearing a Dungeon.] [Reward for clearing additional dungeons.] [New Skill for successfully completing all tasks.] ''The daily and weekly rewards are the same. But the reward for dungeon clearing is now different. Instead of skill or title it''s exp for the first dungeon I raid¡­ New skill huh¡­ Please don''t let it be anything like the last one¡­'' [Failure:] [-5 Stat points.] [Penalty Dungeon.] [Death.] [Accept] (Y/N) Daichi accepted the quest without hesitation and looked at the training gear in his inventory. [Weighted Training Clothes] [Rare Item: Rank C] [...Consists of 2 leg warmers to be worn below the knee and 2 arm sleeves to be worn below the elbow. Each weighing exactly 10 KG. Consists of 1 undershirt and 1 trouser to be worn under the clothes. Each weighing exactly 30 KG.] ''Wow. 100 kilos. The system is starting to increase the weights by a large margin. Still it''s nothing I can''t handle.'' Daichi began his morning workouts. ''100 kilos may seem like a small amount when working out but it''s a different story when I''m wearing these weighted clothes all the time.'' Daichi diligently completed each of his daily exercises and was done within an hour. He freshened up and went to meet his new teacher Tsunade Senju. Daichi arrived at the slug Sannin''s apartment and was greeted by Shizune. He entered and saw Lady Tsunade looking out at the balcony wistfully. Noticing his arrival she became serious and came near him. "Before we begin, I need to know a few things from you." Tsunade spoke with an authoritative tone. Daichi stood straight and looked at her. "What do you want to know?" "Show me the Rasengan. Jiraiya said you mastered the jutsu and based on my observations on your chakra control and the strength of your coils, I''m inclined to agree with him¡­ But still, I want a demonstration." Daichi nodded and brought his right hand up. In an instant a round ball of spinning chakra gathered and was rotating on Daichi''s palm. Tsunade looked at the jutsu for several seconds. "That''s enough. It seems you have the change in chakra form down. How far have you come along in change in chakra nature training?" "I''ve completed the two steps of Earth, Fire and Water nature." Daichi replied. Shizune, who was standing behind Daichi, was astounded. ''He''s only 10 years old and yet he already mastered 3 elements? His talent is incredible.'' Tsunade looked at the kid and was surprised as well but she kept a calm face. ''Jiraiya wasn''t kidding about his talents. This kid could be on the same level or even greater than the late fourth.'' "Lemme guess. You plan to master the remaining two as well?!" Tsunade asked Daichi but it was phrased more as a statement than a question. Daichi nodded in agreement. "I was thinking of completing Lightning nature this year and Wind nature by the end of next." The female sannin frowned as she looked at the boy. "Do you really think you can learn medical ninjutsu while also completing your academy assignments and master lightning chakra nature?" "Yes!" Daichi replied without hesitation. The resolute reply stunned the woman. Then she thought about his accomplishments so far and decided to move forward. "You plan on becoming a front line fighter don''t you?" "Yeah." Tsunade narrowed her eyes and looked at the boy. "There are three rules I taught Shizune before I started her training. If you''re going to be a medic ninja trained under me then you''ll have to obey those rules." Daichi narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He knew what she was about to say. "Rule 1. A medic ninja must never give up on treatment until their patient''s dying breath¡­ Rule 2. A medic ninja must never go to the frontlines!... Rule 3. A medic ninja should always be the last of their platoon to die." Tsunade paused to see the kid''s reaction to her words but Daichi was as still as a statue. "If you want to learn medical ninjutsu from me you''ll have to forget about fighting on the front lines." Tsunade was saying these words to test Daichi. She wanted to see his reaction. After a few seconds Daichi spoke with a slight cold tone. "You seem to have misunderstood something, Lady Tsunade. I''m a ninja first and will be a medic second. I have no intention of staying away from the frontlines." "Then you won''t be learning from me!" Tsunade crossed her arms and spoke. "Did you stay away?" Daichi asked. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Did you stay away from the battlefield, knowing that your presence there could change the outcome." Tsunade was quiet for a few seconds but then sighed slightly and replied. "No. I went to war side by side with my teammates." Daichi nodded. "Then you understand¡­ Besides, isn''t there one more rule¡­" Tsunade looked at the child in front of her and smirked. "Yes. Rule 4! A medic ninja who masters the ''Ninja art of Mitotic Regeneration, the 100 healings'' may ignore the first three rules!" Daichi smirked as he looked at his teacher. "I want to learn medical ninjutsu under you. All your techniques and skills. I want to learn them all. But I will also be fighting in the thick of the battle at all times." Tsunade tilted her head to the side and spoke. "It seems there is only one solution for that problem." "Yeah. I''m going to learn the ''Mitotic Regeneration 100 healing technique'' before I become a Genin." Daichi was absolutely confident that he could achieve this. Shizune was shocked at the declaration but Tsunade merely snorted. "Do you really think you can do it in just a few years? It''s a special forbidden jutsu created by me. The level of difficulty of mastering that is not something to be taken lightly." Daichi smiled as he looked at the woman in front of him. "Are you still underestimating me, Lady Tsunade?" The smirk on her face vanished as she looked at Daichi''s confident face. ''Can he really do it? Can he learn that jutsu in just a few years?...'' She sighed. "I guess we''ll find out won''t we? Let''s see if you can pull off your magic trick one more time." "Wanna make that a bet?" Daichi asked with a devilish smile. A tick mark formed on Tsunade''s head as she heard the boy''s cocky tone. "Do you want me to send you flying again?" Daichi immediately straightened and bowed. "No Tsunade sensei. I''ll be good." The horror of what he experienced that day won''t be forgotten for a long time. "Ha! That''s more like it. Now come on. There''s no point in delaying it any longer. We''ll begin your training today." Tsunade said and walked with Daichi and Shizune following her. The trio plus Shizune''s pet pig were walking down the streets of the capital. "Umm¡­ Where are we going?" Daichi asked the woman. "You''ll see when we get there." Tsunade didn''t elaborate anymore and kept walking with the other two following her. Before long she reached the destination. The trio was in front of the Fire Capital''s hospital. Tsunade quickly led them inside. There she met an older man wearing a white doctor''s coat. He was tall, had tan skin and a white beard and mustache and was wearing round glasses. "Lady Tsunade! You''re here." The man spoke. "Thank you for indulging me Karuizawa. I appreciate it." Daichi was surprised at how polite Tsunade was when speaking to the man. The man waved his hand as if it was no big deal. "Think nothing of it. This is the least I could do for all the help you''ve done over the years." The man now identified as Karuizawa looked over to Shizune. "Oh Shizune!. You''ve grown up so much. I hear you''re an excellent medic just like your teacher here." Shizune slightly bowed and answered. "Thank you Karuizawa senpai." The man then looked towards Daichi. He rubbed his chin as he looked at the boy. "So this is the kid huh. He''s a bit young isn''t he? Do you think he''s ready?" He asked, turning his attention to Tsunade. "Trust me, he''s capable. Don''t let his age fool you." Karuizawa nodded. "Well, if he has your seal of approval then I approve¡­ What''s your name, young man?" "Daichi Hekima, sir." Karuizawa smiled as he looked at Daichi. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Karuizawa. I''m the head of the hospital here. Lady Tsunade came and told me about you a couple days ago. This is where you''ll be training for a while." Daichi had a feeling it was something like that. He bowed and replied. "Thank you for the opportunity." "Come on, I''ll show you to your room." With those words, the man turned around and started walking. He led them to a medium sized room with an examination bed, table and sufficient equipment. "I believe this will do. Don''t you think so, Lady Tsunade?" "Yes. This will do nicely. Thank you Karuizawa." "No no. Please! It''s my pleasure. Now if you''ll excuse me I have to get back to my work." The head doctor of the hospital smiled at everyone and left the room. Daichi looked around the room. ''A private room just for my training? Tsunade must have some serious pull here. He knew about Shizune as well. So this must be where she trained too¡­'' "So what do I start with?" Daichi was excited. "Before I begin you on medical ninjutsu, you need training in healing and handling wounds and injuries without the use of chakra. This is basic stuff that the academy teaches you before you become a Genin." Tsunade replied. Daichi recalled the information in the books and understood what she was talking about. "You''re talking about first aid and proper basic procedures." The Senju nodded in agreement. "That''s right. Many times out in the field, you''ll run out of chakra due to different reasons. You can''t stop treatment because of such a lame excuse... And treating the different patients here will also give you some experience before we get into the real gritty part. You may have learned everything in those books but knowledge and experience are two different things." "I see¡­ Alright I''m ready. Let''s do this." "Shizune will handle things from here. Listen to her and do as she says." With those words, Tsunade went to the other side of the room and sat near the small open window. At that moment Daichi recalled the crucial information about the woman. ''Right! She''s afraid of blood. She has hemophobia.'' Daichi just nodded and didn''t say anything. He saw Shizune getting ready and mentally prepared himself. ''Let''s do this.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 118 – The First Step of a Medic Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Just as Daichi made a determined face, a new quest box popped up in front of him. [Quest Created] - ''Heal the patients.'' Successfully identify the injury and treat the patients that come to you. Time limit: Today before 5pm. [Conditions:] Successfully treat at least 30 patients. [Rewards:] 6000 Exp. New Skill. Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune Kato, Karuizawa. Reputation slightly increases with the people of Fire Capital. [Failure:] New title. Reputation decreases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune Kato and Karuizawa. Reputation slightly decreases with the people of Fire Capital. [Accept] Y/N Daichi held his breath and then let it out. He accepted the quest and got ready. And like that Daichi''s medic training officially began. Shizune went outside the room and brought the first patient. "Remember Daichi. Communication, diagnosis and treatment." Tsunade gave a few more words of advice and then sat quietly. Daichi nodded and looked at his first patient. It was a teenage boy. Daichi gave the kid a once over the moment he walked through the doors. ''Based on his outfit and the scars on his palms I''d say he''s a carpenter. Or a trainee one¡­ He''s holding his right wrist. I don''t see any external injury other than swelling so probably a sprain.'' "Hello." Daichi politely greeted the kid. The boy looked at Daichi and was surprised. "Aren''t you a little young to be a doctor?" Daichi had a slight twitch in his eye. "I''m that good. So what seems to be the problem¡­" With that Daichi''s day at the hospital began. Just as he observed, his first patient came with a sprain. Since it wasn''t a serious injury, Daichi gave the basic treatment and dismissed him. Daichi remembered all the procedures, steps and treatment methods written in the books Tsunade gave him and he perfectly applied them. Shizune stood a few feet from Daichi and had a critical eye on everything. One after another, patients of all ages came to Daichi. Most of them were surprised to see a child treat them but some didn''t care. Daichi diagnosed a patient with blisters, pain and swelling. ''A minor second degree burn. Apply antibiotics to kill bacteria and elevate the burn area to reduce swelling and pain.'' At the beginning Daichi was somewhat unsure of the steps even though he memorized them. But as he got used to the situation his speed increased and his confidence grew. Shizune was surprised at how calm and methodical Daichi was. ''His hesitation has disappeared. And the way he perfectly applies the medicine¡­ He truly did memorize every book Lady Tsunade gave him. Incredible. He''s doing a lot better than I did on my first day.'' As Daichi successfully treated more and more people the severity of the injuries slightly increased. The next person that came to Daichi had a bleeding arm. Daichi was focused on the patient but at that moment Shizune discreetly looked at her mentor. Tsunade turned her head and looked outside the window the moment she saw the patient. Daichi didn''t pay attention to the two. He quickly analyzed the arm and came up with the remedy. ''Hmm¡­ It''s a superficial wound. Non critical. So, Capillary bleeding. Apply pressure and stop the blood flow. Clean the wound and apply antibiotics to stop any infection and dress the wound.'' Daichi quickly moved with precision. He calmed the patient down and gently eased the man''s worries and quickly completed his treatment. Once that was done and the patient left the room, Shizune stepped forward. "Well done Daichi. Why don''t we take a break?" Daichi, not sure why but nodded. "Umm¡­ Sure." He then looked at the Sannin Tsunade sitting near the window clutching her green gem necklace with a slightly shaky arm. His eyes widened in realization. ''She must be reliving some traumatic memories. I better give them some space.'' "Yeah. A break sounds good. Why don''t I get something to drink? Do you want any Miss Shizune?" Daichi asked as he turned his attention to his senpai. "I''m good. Go." She replied with a small smile. Daichi nodded and left the room. Shizune turned to her master and was slightly saddened at the sight. "I really must be in a pathetic state for you to look at me like that." Tsunade looked towards her apprentice and tried to smile. "Come on. Cheer up. I''ll be fine¡­" Shizune slightly frowned. ''That''s a poor lie. You''re far from fine. You''re not happy. And haven''t been for a long time. I haven''t seen you smile like you truly mean it in a long time¡­'' "Do you think he''s already figured it out?" Tsunade''s question brought Shizune out of her thoughts. "About your¡­" Tsunade merely nodded to the incomplete question. Shizune thought about it and replied. "He''s smart. He must have seen the state you were in and came to some conclusion. And even if he hasn''t, since he''s training under you, it won''t be long before he figures it out." Tsunade smirked at that. "Something tells me he already knows or at least figured it out. He probably left the room to give me some space¡­ Cheeky brat." "You think he knew about it before today? Do you think Kensei would have told him?" Shizune asked with a surprise. The slug Sannin shook her head. "Kensei isn''t the kind of person to tell someone something like that. Not even to his grandson¡­ If Daichi did know then he must have found out some other way. But if he didn''t then I''m pretty sure he must have suspected it after seeing my reaction to the last patient." Shizune nodded. Meanwhile Daichi was roaming the halls of the hospital. He got something to eat and was feeling mentally refreshed after taking a break. He reviewed the events of the day and smiled. ''I''m getting better and better. I haven''t made a mistake so far and must keep it that way. Tsunade really is a genius when it comes to medical stuff. Her books contained information that made everything I learned about the field seem like nothing. The precise and most effective methods of treatment and medicine were her creations. She truly is a master of the field.'' After a while Daichi got back to the examination room and continued treating his patients. Daichi gained experience with treating burns, bleeding, concussion, setting a split and more. He learned and experienced how to stitch up and close wounds and set the dislocated bones right. His basic skills and overall experience and understanding improved at tremendous pace. As Daichi treated each patient his reputation with said patient would also slightly increase. The day soon came to a close. Daichi successfully completed his quest and got a new skill that paired well with his current needs. [Quest ''Heal the patients'' Completed.] [Rewards:] 6000 Exp. [New skill: First Aid ] [Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune Kato, Karuizawa.] [Reputation slightly increases with the people of Fire Capital.] [You have leveled up.] . [First Aid - Passive(LV.1): A basic and necessary skill for any ninja. This skill enables the user to heal themselves or others and remove poisons and other non critical debuffs. With more proficiency the user can create a variety of bandages from different clothes and increase the HP restored. Higher level increases faster HP recovery.] [Effects: ] [10 HP restored when applying First Aid.] [35% Increase in successfully identifying normal poisons. ] [35% Increase in successfully creating antidotes. ] [2% Increase in recovery speed.] [0.5% Increase in successfully identifying unique and engineered poisons.] Daichi looked at the rewards and was happy. ''A level up and a new skill. Nice.'' He went over the effects of the skill ''First Aid''. ''A passive skill huh. Hmm¡­ With higher levels I can increase the HP restored and the recovery speed and this says it applies to everyone I use it on. So people I heal in the future will recover faster. That''s going to come in handy when I''m in a team¡­ Only 35% in identifying poisons and creating anti venoms? I learned all the poisons and antidotes written in those books. And I''m pretty sure I can follow the steps and create antidotes. So shouldn''t it be 100%?'' After thinking about it some more, Daichi came to a conclusion. ''Tsunade only gave me a portion of the books. She must still be holding out the important stuff. Hmm¡­ Now that I think about it, that makes sense. Looks like there is still much I need to learn.'' "Not bad. You did well on your first day. But things will only get harder from here. So don''t get overconfident." Lady Tsunade''s voice brought Daichi out of his thoughts. He nodded. "I understand." "You''re done for the day. Meet us here tomorrow morning at the same time. Let''s go, Shizune! I need a drink." With those words the Senju left the room. Daichi gave a small bow and spoke to Shizune. "Thank you for the guidance. I''ll see you tomorrow." The woman nodded and smiled at the boy and they both went their separate ways. Without wasting time Daichi headed straight home. He met Kensei who was going over some documents. "So how was your first day as a medic ninja trainee?" "It felt a bit overwhelming at the beginning but I got used to it pretty quickly. The day passed without any problems." Daichi replied. Kensei nodded. "Well, it''s your first day¡­ Daichi! You''ll experience many hardships, but if you can persevere and move forward, you can become something truly great." Daichi smiled at the encouraging words. "I plan to." Daichi went to his room and started on his academic assignment that was given to him. There were many he needed to complete and he got to work. ¡ª- "Sake! Another bottle of sake." Tsunade emptied another bottle and yelled at the waiter. Shizune, who drank with her master, was passed out on the chair near her. "You seem to be having a good time." The voice of Jiraiya came. His eyes then went to the woman passed out next to his former teammate. "Looks like Shizune is done for the day." Tsunade looked at her apprentice. "Even after all this time¡­ She still can''t handle her booze. What a wimp." "Hahaha¡­. I doubt anybody can hold a candle to you when it comes to booze." The toad sage laughed and sat down. "You look more and more beautiful each day." "What do you want, you pervert? Shouldn''t you be off somewhere doing ''research'' for your trashy book"? "Not tonight." Jiraiya took out a bottle and poured himself a cup and then handed Tsunade the bottle. They both drank and stayed quiet for a while. "How''s the brat?" Jiraiya asked her. Tsunade took a few moments before answering. "You weren''t kidding... He has enormous talent and potential. And it''s not just that¡­ He has a strong mind. His mental focus, his concentration¡­ It''s far above normal." Jiraiya nodded. "I told you sensei wasn''t wrong about him. He made a good choice sending the kid to you." "I''ll hold up my end of the deal. I''ll teach the brat as much as I can. But after that I''m done." Jiraiya only nodded to the words and didn''t say anything else. They enjoyed each other''s company in silence. ¡ª- For Daichi, a routine slowly formed. Each day he would wake up early and complete his morning workouts and then would go to the hospital and train under Tsunade and Shizune for about 6 hours. He learned how to treat several types of injuries and became adept at identifying different diseases and poisons. His skill steadily leveled up. After his time at the hospital he would go home and complete the academy assignments for the day and then train his ninjutsu skills with the remaining time or just roam the capital. Tsunade and Shizune were impressed with Daichi. They were surprised that he could keep his composure even under great stress and correctly make a diagnosis. He was always so calm and in control that they sometimes felt as if they were looking at a professional medic and not a trainee. The days turned into weeks and soon a month passed. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 119 – Seek the Hidden Truth of the Necklace Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. It was the last day of April. Daichi had spent everyday training in the hospital and improving his basic medical skills. He also didn''t neglect his other chakra training. The day was coming to a close and Daichi was just about to complete his shift when an emergency occurred. "Lady Tsunade! We need your help." A nurse at the hospital barged into the room. She had a patient with her that seemed to be in agony. "Lay him down." Shizune and Daichi laid the patient down on the examination table. "He came in with severe pain in his abdominal area. We ran a diagnostic and sensed abnormal chakra fluctuations." "We''ll take it from here." Shizune told the nurse and after giving them the relevant information she left. "Well Daichi, you''re up. He is in pain and his chakra network is behaving erratically. So identify the problem quickly and solve it or Shizune will step in." Tsunade spoke at that moment. Daichi nodded and looked over at the patient. He ran a medical diagnostic jutsu created by Tsunade and quickly identified the problem. "He has a parasite in his abdominal area and it''s leeching off his chakra. He needs surgery." Daichi spoke and quickly put on the gloves and took a clean scalpel. The room they were in was clean and was capable of such a situation. Daichi prepared the patient and he cleaned the area and cut into the person''s body. He quickly reached the intended area where the parasite was laying and carefully cut it out. It wiggled and sent the drops of blood on its body flying everywhere. Daichi placed it in a container and quickly closed the wound. He was calm the entire time and moved with precision. His high dexterity helped in making it a perfect surgery with no mistakes. "Done." Daichi said. He called the nurse back and she took the unconscious patient out of the room. It was only then that Daichi turned around to look at his mentors. He saw a few drops of blood on Tsunade''s hands and she was shaking like a leaf. Shizune calmed her down in a low voice and quickly wiped the blood of her master. Tsunade looked at the two people in the room. Her eyes fell on Daichi and she felt like a failure at that moment. ''How pathetic! At this point a child is a better medic than me.'' "I need some air." With those words she quickly left the room. Daichi sighed at the scene. ''Trauma like that¡­ It''s not something that can be overcome with ease¡­ Well unless you befriend the protagonist of the series¡­'' His eyes then went to Shizune. Even though he knew the reason he still asked. "She has hemophobia doesn''t she¡­? What happened?" Shizune let out a small breath and looked sad at that question. "It was something that happened a long time ago¡­ She had two great loves in her life. The two most important people to her. The first was her brother. Nawaki Senju. He had dreams of becoming Hokage. On his twelfth birthday after learning his goal, Lady Tsunade entrusted him with the green gem necklace and hoped he would achieve his dreams¡­ The necklace once belonged to her grandfather, the First Hokage. So she thought Nawaki deserved it. He died the day after in an unfortunate accident during a mission¡­" Daichi nodded slightly and didn''t speak. ''If I remember right, then his body was blown up and the only thing that was intact was the necklace.'' Shizune continued without knowing Daichi''s thoughts. "It took a long time for her to recover from that. The second person she loved was my uncle. Dan Kato. He too had the same dream of becoming Hokage and he was the second person she entrusted the necklace to. Shortly after, during the second world war his team was ambushed and he was gravely injured. Lady Tsunade couldn''t save his life and he died in her arms¡­ From that day she became afraid of blood¡­ She holds onto the necklace because it reminds her of her loss." "So that necklace represents the two great losses of her life huh¡­ If she wants to recover and move on then she should entrust the necklace to someone else." Daichi said this because he wanted to see if he could cure Tsunade of her phobia. And he felt that the person who should have the gem was Naruto. Daichi had no interest in becoming Hokage and he had no interest in getting the green gem from the Sannin. Shizune shook her head hearing that. "It''s not that easy. There is more to that necklace. Lady Tsunade believes it is cursed. She believes anyone who wears it other than her will die. So she won''t give it up to anyone." Daichi crossed his arms as he thought about that detail. ''Right. There is that¡­'' At that moment an unexpected quest box appeared. [Quest Created] - ''Seek the Hidden Truth of the Necklace.'' [Tsunade and those around her believe there is a curse on the first Hokage''s necklace that would kill anyone who wears it other than Tsunade Senju. But is this the truth? Investigate what happened in secret and find the hidden truth of the necklace. ] [No time limit.] [Once you''ve found the truth, you have two options.] [Option 1:] Reveal the truth to Tsunade. [Rewards:] 15000 Exp. Reputation might increase or decrease with Tsunade, Shizune and possibly others. [Note: Revealing the truth to Tsunade will have unknown consequences.] [Option 2:] Keep what you''ve learned to yourself. . [Rewards:] 15000 Exp. [Failure:] If you are caught investigating the incidents then certain dangerous individuals will have their eyes on you. [Possible death¡­] . [Accept] Y/N After telling the story Shizune left the room to find her master but Daichi was standing still staring at the quest box. He read the contents and was astonished. ''What the hell¡­? There''s more to the story behind what happened¡­? And the failure part of the quest¡­ Certain dangerous individuals and possible death¡­ So does that mean¡­'' Several thoughts went through Daichi''s mind and he came to a conclusion. ''The death of Nawaki Senju and Dan Kato¡­ They weren''t accidents. It was both planned¡­ Two assassinations disguised as accidents.'' After thinking about it for a few more seconds Daichi accepted the quest despite the risks. He was far too curious now. He decided he would think about it more once he got home. He washed up and stepped out of the room. He saw a much calmer Tsunade and Shizune waiting for him along with the head of the hospital Dr. Karuizawa. "I''m impressed young man. You passed the month without any problems. You treated every patient correctly. A perfect record. Which is unheard of for a trainee¡­ and even some doctors." The man spoke with a large smile. [Reputation increased with Karuizawa, Tsunade Senju and Shizune.] "Your basic training has now come to an end. If you wish to practice your medical arts you are welcome here." Daichi gave a small polite bow and thanked the man for the opportunity. ''Thanks to Tsunade''s books I know every part of the human body, the problems that can arise and how to treat them efficiently and correctly. And with the Gamer''s Mind keeping me calm and my absolute recall skill treatment is no problem. Add in my ''observe'' skill and diagnosing and accurately identifying a patient''s illness was easy too...'' Once Karuizawa left, Daichi turned to his two teachers. "Come on brat. Let''s go. We''re celebrating tonight. My treat." Tsunade said with a smirk and led the way. They made their way to the red phoenix restaurant and this time went to the First floor. They found a quiet private spot and gave their order. Tsunade looked at Daichi and was deeply impressed with his skills and talents. She never met a child with as much raw potential as him. ''He didn''t make a single mistake throughout the month. He was able to correctly identify the problem and solve it every time. Even I made mistakes when I started out. But then again I didn''t have the knowledge he had. But still. To apply that knowledge into practice correctly¡­ His potential is vast.'' "You''ve completed your training for the first month and performed the tasks perfectly. I have to admit. You have some skill. You know¡­ You could become an excellent medic and spend your days in minimal danger and lead a comfortable life if you become a medic at the hospital here." Tsunade said as she looked at the boy. "I know. But that''s not the life I want¡­ And you already know that." The Senju merely smirked at that reply. "Take a few days off to rest. After that we''ll get started on the advanced stuff. It will only get difficult for you from this point forward." Daichi nodded. ''Finally¡­ I''ll be able to learn medical ninjutsu and can master it much faster thanks to my perfect control. Based on the speed, I should be able to learn everything she can teach me in the next couple years.'' The food soon arrived and everyone enjoyed themselves. "So Daichi, what are your plans for the next two days?" Shizune asked the boy. Daichi paused for a moment and thought about it. After a short while he had an answer. "I''m thinking about starting on the first step of the change in chakra nature for lightning. Since I have the next few days off I''ll be able to start on that and complete it in a month or two." The slight Sannin smirked and looked at the boy. "You really think you can master the first step in just two months while training in medical ninjutsu and completing your daily academy assignments¡­!?" "Yes. I would have mastered it in less than 2 or 3 weeks if I had nothing to do but as you''ve said, I have plenty on my plate already. That''s why I said two months¡­" Daichi had a smirk on his face as he replied. "You''re a cocky little brat aren''t you?" "You''re only now figuring that out?" Daichi looked at her and took a bite of his food. Tsunade''s eyes twitched as she looked at the smug grin on the boy''s face. ''Why this little¡­'' Shizune awkwardly laughed looking at the scene. ''Daichi¡­ Please don''t antagonize Lady Tsunade. I really like this restaurant.'' "Don''t you have anything else to do? Don''t you have any hobbies?" Tsunade asked him as she drank some sake. "Well¡­ I cook when the mood hits me and I occasionally paint¡­ But... now that I think about it¡­ I haven''t had much time for those recently." Daichi pondered on that though. ''I need to enjoy myself. I can''t spend all my time training even though I like it¡­ I need to experience more in life¡­'' "Wait! You paint?" Shizune asked him. Daichi nodded and Shizune made a request for a portrait of herself. Daichi accepted and told her he would make one in a couple weeks. A couple hours later the small party winded down and Daichi went home. When he got home he noticed that Kensei wasn''t around. ''Must be on a trip outside the capital again¡­ He''s been going out a lot more, lately. Wonder why¡­?'' Daichi didn''t think about it more because he had something else in his mind. He completed his daily assignments and just laid in his bed. He thought about the recent quest that was created. ''Seek the hidden truth of the necklace. It''s the first time I got a quest with different options like this. Not telling Tsunade and nothing happens, but telling Tsunade can create some kind of ripple effect¡­ And what''s more is the reward for telling her... My reputation might decrease¡­? How is that even possible? Just what kind of secret is it?'' Daichi went over everything he knew about the deaths and about the two characters. ''Nawaki Senju and Dan Kato. To the show they were just side characters that were created to move the plot forward. But this isn''t a show¡­ It''s real life. At least for me¡­'' Daichi took a deep breath and thought about the situation. ''It looks like their deaths were planned murders instead of some accident that happened on a mission¡­ So who would benefit from the death of a genin and a Jonin¡­? Is it the work of one individual or two individuals? Or is it an organization that''s behind their deaths? Is Danzo involved in this? Both of them wanted to be hokage¡­ Is that the reason? No. Nawaki was just a kid. He wasn''t a threat. And I doubt Danzo would order the assassination on the grandchild of the First Hokage¡­ Still¡­ can''t completely rule him out.'' Daichi frowned as he looked at the ceiling of his room. ''There are too many variables. Dan, Nawaki, Tsunade, the Senju clan, Hokage, the necklace¡­ There are too many things connected. But what was it that caused their deaths¡­?'' Daichi thought about it some more and made a decision. ''I need more information. In the meantime I need to come up with some theories that connect all the dots. I''ve seen the show in its entirety. The clue must be hidden in there somewhere¡­'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 120 – Sculpting Skill and Lightning Nature Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi woke up precisely at 4 am. He was used to waking up so early and he began his morning workouts. Daichi completed them and meditated for a couple hours. He had several thoughts running through his mind. ''I have a couple days off¡­ So should I start lightning nature training today or tomorrow?.. Hmm¡­ I''ll begin on that tomorrow. Before I start that training I need to check my skill list and see what level all of them are at and see if any of them needs leveling up.'' Daichi opened his skill list and went through each skill. As he went down the list his eyes reached a certain skill he hadn''t truly started on yet. [Creation - Active(LV.3): This skill is used for creating an item. As the skill increases, items with greater quality can be created. This skill can be used to even create legendary and Mythical items. But blueprints are required for such creations. The items are divided into 5 grades. Common, Rare, Unique, Legendary and Mythical.] [Note: The chakra cost of the skill, depends on the chakra supplied.] [Effects: ] [16.5% Chance when creating Common grade items.] [ 1% Chance when creating Rare grade items. ] [ 0% Chance when creating Unique grade items.] [ 0% Chance when creating Legendary grade items. ] [ 0% Chance when creating Mythical grade items.] ''This is an extremely important skill but I haven''t had the time to use it. But it still managed to reach level 3¡­'' The answer quickly came to him. ''It''s most likely my painting skill. I created several artworks and it''s a crafting skill¡­ So it is possible it will have an effect on this skill¡­'' Daichi got up and went for a walk around the capital. He had several ideas in mind but he wasn''t sure if he should follow through with them. ''The gamer ability is truly an OP ability. I could learn a lot of non shinobi related stuff in a short amount of time¡­ But should I do it or just focus on the chakra and ninja skill aspects¡­'' As Daichi walked through the streets he came near a sculpture shop. ''Terra crafts house''. It was the name of the shop. Daichi saw several sculptors working on various materials. At that moment a thought went through Daichi. ''I can learn important skills like sculpting and blacksmithing and it would definitely increase my creation skill level. Now that I think about it, I''ll be able to create different weapons and armor as well if I can level it up to a high degree¡­ And these are important life skills I''ll need in the future¡­ So it''s not a bad thing to learn them.'' Daichi made a decision and entered the shop. He quickly found the owner of the place. Daichi asked the man if he could just observe the workers that were in the shop for the day. At first the man refused but Daichi was able to change his decision with the promise of 20000 Ryo. The man''s eyes went to the money in Daichi''s hand and he changed his mind. "You only want to see how they work for the day, right¡­?" Daichi nodded his head. "Yes. Just for today and I''ll only be observing them. I promise I won''t disturb them from their work." "Fine." The head sculptor Morman finally agreed. Daichi gave him the money and created two clones. Each clone along with himself picked the three most talented workers in the place and started observing them. Daichi and his clones carefully memorized everything the workers did. From the way they use the tools to the movements of their wrists, hands and body. Daichi had the ability to memorize everything and it greatly helped him. By the time evening came Daichi had a solid understanding of the sculpting arts. He knew what tools to use and how to use them. He bought a set of carving knives and tools and a couple blocks of wood. He headed straight home and began his work. Daichi had an image in mind and he began carving the wood in front of him. He worked slowly and methodically. He carved the wood away bit by bit and a short while later the image he had in his mind began to appear in it. The image of a man started to appear and with each minute and with more delicate details added the identity of the man became clearer. Kensei Yasaji. Yes. Daichi was creating a small sculpture of his grandfather. After an hour the work was done. The sculpture had a great resemblance to the old man. The details Daichi added to it were so accurate that one might think it was a miniature Kensei. At that moment Daichi heard the system message sound. [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [By carving the wood and creating a good sculpture, the skill ''Sculpting'' has been created.] [Sculpting - Passive(LV.01): A production skill that helps the user create sculptures of various shapes, sizes and designs. This skill helps the user in carving or engraving on various types of materials. Although this is limited at the moment due to the low level. Artworks created in the future that have high artistic value can be worth a fortune. Sculptures created at higher levels can be imbued with some effects. This skill is divided into 4 grades. Common - Great - Epic - Masterpiece. Mastering this skill can increase the level of other crafting skills.] Current grade: Common. [Effects: ] [5% Increase in visual appeal of the sculpture.] [5% Increase of accuracy when sculpting.] [1% Chance of engraving unique patterns when sculpting. ] [Increase reputation throughout the land.] "Yes!" Daichi had a wide smile. ''I knew it. I knew I would get the necessary skill if I made a good sculpture.'' Daichi looked at the small statue in his hand. ''This will make an excellent gift for the old man.'' Daichi placed the statue in a safe place and went over the new sculpting skill. ''I can make a lot of money with this skill¡­ And the ability to add effects to my works¡­ That''ll definitely come in handy¡­ This is definitely an excellent skill.'' At that moment another notification appeared. [Skill Creation''s level has risen by one.] ''Just as I suspected. Creation is an ultimate crafting skill which can be used to make legendary or mythical items like the blades of the seven swordsmen of the mist or even something like Itachi''s spirit weapons¡­ I need to level up the creation skill fast and the best way to do it is to level up the production skills like painting and sculpting. I also need to learn blacksmithing at a later date¡­ With that skill I''ll be able to create Armor and weapons that this world has never seen before¡­'' A grin formed on Daichi''s face as he thought of the different possibilities. ''When the time comes my name will be known to everyone. They will know me as not just the greatest ninja but a man of many talents¡­ I will spread my name throughout the world.'' Daichi decided to add sculpting and painting to his training. He would create three or four sculptures and artworks each week and improve the level of the related skills and the creation skill. ''With each day I''m adding more and more things to my ''to do'' list. Leveling up, Medical ninjutsu training, chakra training, academy assignments, dungeons and now sculpting¡­ But even though there are a lot of things I have to do, I don''t feel overwhelmed at all¡­ All I''m feeling is excitement¡­'' With a wide smile and a satisfying day Daichi went to sleep. The next day after his morning routine Daichi was in his backyard sitting under a tree. He picked up a leaf and held it between his fingers. ''I shouldn''t delay it any longer. It''s time to train the change in chakra nature for lightning.'' Daichi remembered the information on the Lightning training methods from Kensei''s books. ''For the lightning nature I need to separate the chakra into many pieces and make the chakra bounce and hit each other. This will generate spark and heat and then I have to rejoin the chakra and concentrate it on the leaf.'' Daichi held the leaf between his palms and began the 4th chakra nature training. Daichi closed his eyes and focused. ''Concentrate.'' With each chakra control technique and chakra nature mastered, Daichi''s Chakra Affinity and Chakra Manipulation skills have also leveled up. This in turn made it easier for him to utilize his chakra with each passing day. Daichi gathered his chakra and was able to quickly split it into many pieces. He started bouncing the tiny pieces of energy and made them hit against each other. Daichi visualized and concentrated on how his chakra felt when using lightning jutsu and focused on it. It was a success. After a minute Daichi rejoined his chakra and poured it to the leaf. The sound of the system alerted him to the outcome of his experiment. "Ding." [A new skill is created with a specific action.] [Lightning - Leaf scorching technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. 1): A lightning chakra affinity training skill obtained through continuously focusing chakra to a leaf and scorching it. A basic technique to help the user increase the strength of their lightning chakra nature.] [Note: Increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Lightning Affinity.''] [Effects:] [1% increase in Lightning Chakra control. ] [CP cost : 52/sec.] ''Leaf scorching technique, huh! Well¡­ The name is apt I suppose.'' Daichi looked at the leaf between his palms and saw that a small portion of it was scorched black. ''It''s a bit different from fire. With fire the leaf would burn and the burned portion would immediately crumble to ash but now when using lightning, the portion of the leaf is scorched black. Almost charred¡­.'' Daichi examined the leaf with a critical eye. ''An incomplete combustion due to being subjected to high heat. The heat removed the hydrogen and oxygen and now the only thing remaining in the charred portions are primarily made of carbons.'' Daichi thought about the applications of the lightning chakra nature. Just as water can be boiled and turned to vapor or cooled and turned to ice, lightning can be used in various ways. ''Right now I need to master the 5 different natures. Then I''ll see if I can start on creating Ninjutsu and combine different natures¡­'' Daichi created 10 clones and 2 of them went to meditate while the others picked up some leaves. ''If I want to stand above the rest then I need to fight on a higher level. Create techniques that they never even thought of¡­'' Daichi then opened his skill list and checked the Lightning Affinity skill. [Lightning affinity - (Active/Passive)(LV.20): Lightning Release is one of the five basic nature transformations. It is commonly affiliated with Snake hand-seal. Once this skill crosses Level 85 the user can manipulate all forms of electricity dwelling in all matter known as Charged Particles. This will boost the user''s lightning powers several times. Once this skill crosses Level 90, the user can combine it with other nature affinities which have also crossed Level 90.] [Effects: ] [40% Increase in Lightning attack jutsu.] [40% Increase in Lightning defense jutsu.] [18% Increase in success when creating Lightning style jutsu.] [10% Decrease in Chakra cost when using Lightning style jutsu.] ''Level 20 huh. It''s low but that will increase to at least level 75 by the time I''m done with the first two steps.'' And thus Daichi began his change in chakra nature training of the year. He and his clones spent every second of the day on nothing but training and by midnight he was able to level up the Leaf scorching technique to 16. Daichi freshened up, ate some food and went to bed. As he laid there he thought about his plan for the year. ''I will have to resume my medical training tomorrow so I won''t be able to make such fast progress on chakra training. But still¡­ Leaving 2 clones for training and one for meditation and gathering chakra each day won''t be a problem¡­ I''ll also have to finish the dungeon run quickly.'' He thought about the many things he had to accomplish this year. With several plans for the future in mind, Daichi quickly went to sleep. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 121 – Medical Ninjutsu – Tests and Skills Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Wait! You made this?" Kensei asked Daichi in disbelief as he looked at the miniature version of himself in his hand. "Yup." "When? How? Since when do you know sculpting¡­?" "I learned it a few days ago." Daichi shrugged and replied. Kensei''s jaw slightly dropped as he heard the nonchalant answer. ''A few days ago? This is something that takes months and years to learn¡­ I thought this kid was talented in just the ninja arts¡­ But, it seems I was so wrong¡­ His natural talent is unbelievable¡­'' Kensei looked at the small statue and a happy smile formed. "Thank you Daichi. This is wonderful." Daichi just smiled as he looked at the old man. "So how is your training with Tsunade?" Kensei asked the boy. "Well¡­" Flashback. Daichi was in Tsunade''s apartment. "There are several components when it comes to being a medic. The first and foremost is knowledge. Then comes basic applications. Since you''ve done well on the first two parts, we''ll move to the next stage." The Slug Sannin and her apprentice were in front of a table that held three tall glass jars. The first jar had two different colored sands mixed in. The second one had liquids of two different colors mixed and the third had 4 types of colored liquids. Tsunade looked at Daichi and spoke. "Alright brat, listen up. Your task is simple. I want you to separate the solids and liquids in the three containers into different layers. In the first jar it''s the same compound, sand, but with two colors. In the second jar it''s the same concept but instead of a solid substance you have to separate two liquids. In the third you have to separate not just 4 types of compounds but each one is similar yet unique. They might look the same but the substances are different from one another." Daichi nodded in understanding. He looked at the three glass jars on the table. "You want me to use chakra and separate the compounds huh. This is similar to how one separates poison and other foreign materials from the tissue or blood¡­" The woman agreed. "Precisely. The antidote jutsu! Now get to work." Daichi stepped near the table and went to the first jar. The container had green and blue sand mixed in. Daichi placed his palms above the container and concentrated his chakra. The sand in the container started to swirl. Due to Daichi''s precise control over his chakra, his sharp eyes and the knowledge of different compounds he was able to quickly finish the first task. Within a couple minutes Daichi separated the two colored sands into two layers. Green on the bottom and blue on top. "Done." Daichi took a step back and Tsunade placed her hands on the container and used her chakra and started inspecting the jar. Shizune was surprised at how quickly Daichi was able to finish the exercise. ''Even I couldn''t complete it that fast on my first try. Lady Tsunade was right. His chakra control is unbelievable and along with his knowledge and ability to quickly identify unique substances¡­ Daichi''s Truly incredible.'' Tsunade finished her inspection and stepped back. "Alright, start on the next one." The Sannin watched the child step forward and place his hands atop the second jar and concentrate chakra to his palms. ''Separating liquids compounds will be much more difficult than solids.'' She crossed her arms and let the kid focus on the task. Daichi concentrated his chakra and the blended water of yellow and red began to swirl in the jar. He focused. ''This is a bit more difficult than before but¡­ I got this.'' It took a minute longer than before but Daichi was able to successfully separate the two colored liquids into different layers. "Start on the last one." Tsunade ordered as she stepped forward and checked the results of the second jar. She examined everything with a critical eye. ''Perfect. He perfectly isolated them down to the most minute point.'' It took a bit longer than the other two but Daichi successfully completed the third task as well. He took a step back and let out a breath. ''Now I know why medical ninjas are so rare. This is tough. And I''m only just beginning. And if it''s tough for me I can only imagine how difficult it must be for others¡­ For Sakura to learn from Tsunade in just 3 years¡­ Her talent for the medical arts is outstanding. But then again it wasn''t just her talent. She had a purpose for her training.'' Tsunade examined the third container and was satisfied with the results. "Not bad. Your chakra control is precise and that''s going to be your greatest advantage when it comes to learning medical ninjutsu." At that moment Shizune brought a white doll and placed it on the examination table. Tsunade quickly made a large cut on its chest. She pointed to the doll and spoke. "This is a special doll capable of mimicking the reaction of a human body when medical chakra is used on it. Your next task is to rejoin the wounded area on the chest. This is the healing jutsu." Daichi stepped forward and concentrated chakra to his palms. He identified what part was damaged and quickly followed through on the healing. He accurately applied his chakra and the cut on the doll''s body began to close. Daichi kept a steady flow of chakra and after a short while he completely closed the wound. Shizune and Tsunade examined the doll and were impressed. "Well done. Two more and we''ll be done for the day." Shizune quickly brought the last two items and placed them on the table. It was a small branch with flower buds and the last was a fish. Daichi''s next task was to bloom the flower buds in a small branch. Tsunade spoke. "This is similar to applying chakra to someone in life saving emergency situations. If you can make the buds bloom, you''ve succeeded." Daichi once again began his work and focused. He sensed chakra in the small branch and more so in the flower buds. ''Hmm¡­ All things in nature have chakra. So even if it''s cut off from the tree it still has chakra. For it to bloom I need to concentrate on the yang aspect of the chakra and apply it. Can''t use too much or too little. It must be accurate.'' Due to Daichi''s sharp chakra control and the skills associated with it he was able to easily alter the Yin and Yang ratios in his chakra. And the results showed. The flower buds slowly started to bloom. A few seconds later the green chakra between Daichi''s palm died down and he held the small branch with several bloomed flowers on it. The eyes of the other two occupant''s in the room widened. Tsunade looked at Daichi and slightly smiled. ''He already figured it out! The fact that he can make the buds bloom means he can even alter the ratio of his spiritual and physical energy with absolute control¡­ And he got it on the first try too. His talent¡­ it''s far beyond Shizune and¡­ possibly even me!'' Daichi moved on to the last one. ''Reviving the fish huh! Let''s get to it then.'' Green chakra lit up around Daichi''s palms and he sensed the life force of the fish. ''Too much chakra and it''ll burn the cells and disrupt the circulation and too little, there won''t be any effects¡­ I need to measure the amount of chakra needed accordingly.'' Daichi had to take several aspects of the fish into account. It''s size, the strength of its chakra coils and tissue and more. He calmly and carefully stimulated its cells with chakra and before long the fish started to move and a few seconds later it started wiggling on the table. "Congratulations. You''ve completed the necessary requirements to begin healing patients using medical ninjutsu. The fact that you got it so quickly¡­ It''s impressive." Tsunade didn''t hold back in her praise. She respected someone''s talents and she could see that Daichi had an abundance of it. "Today''s session is over. Tomorrow we''ll begin with medical ninjutsu on the patients and I''ll show you the different techniques." Tsunade headed out after giving her instructions. Shizune came near Daichi and had a smile on her face. "You did well Daichi. Your skills are very impressive. Your first day as a true medical ninja will begin tomorrow¡­ So make sure to get plenty of rest." Daichi nodded. As he was about to leave, Shizune invited him. "Would you like to join us, Daichi? I''m sure Lady Tsunade wouldn''t mind." "No, thank you. I''m currently working on the first step of my lightning nature transformation. I''m a third of the way there." "What!? Already? But it''s only been like 4 days since you started on it." Shizune was shocked at his progress. Daichi awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and slightly chuckled. ''I probably don''t need to tell her that I only started on it 3 days ago since I spent the first day sculpting.'' "What can I say? I''m really good at that stuff¡­ Well¡­ I''ll see you tomorrow." Daichi left the place and headed home. Due to Daichi completing the tasks so quickly, he was able to reach his home before noon. As he reached home Daichi looked at the 4 new skills that appeared after he completed the 4 tasks. Antidote Jutsu, Healing Jutsu, Regenerative Healing Jutsu, Mystical Palm. Daichi checked the skill list and he saw that it had been rearranged. Just like his arsenal of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were listed in different tabs, a new list was created with the name Medical Ninjutsu. ''Hmm¡­ This makes things easier. But then why isn''t that the case for taijutsu? Why is it marked with the other skills?'' Daichi quickly came up with an answer. ''I have several ninjutsu and genjutsu and now I''ve learned 4 different medical techniques¡­ So for there to be a separate section for taijutsu I need to learn at least 3 or 4 different types of Taijutsu style huh¡­ At least that''s the one that makes the most sense.'' Daichi went over the 4 new skills. He checked the effects and utilities of each skill. ''All are active skills at level 1. A C-rank jutsu with dangerous capabilities. The antidote Jutsu helps with identifying complex poisons and creating the necessary antidotes. It also increases my chance of making a custom poison but that''s only after I level it above 75. With each level up the effects of the poisons or antidotes I create will increase. That will definitely come in handy.'' ''Healing Jutsu. It''s a simple jutsu which treats non critical wounds. The user gathers healing chakra and moves it around the injured area. Cuts and bruises are healed at a fast rate. While deeper wounds take time. Used for treating external injuries. It was created for ordinary ninjas who have average reserves. The jutsu uses less chakra so it can be used by many but it''s not as effective as the Mystical Palm jutsu.'' Daichi had an idea as he read the details of this technique. ''If Lee and I ever train together then this would be perfect for him. It can heal his body''s wear and tear and he''ll be able to train much more¡­ And it doesn''t affect the growth and strengthening of the tissues or muscles. With this jutsu his recovery time could be drastically reduced.'' Daichi then went over the details of the Regenerative Healing Jutsu. ''An advanced A Rank jutsu only used in severe life threatening situations. It''s supposed to be performed on a patient alongside several other competent medic nins. An extremely difficult procedure. And it has a great chakra cost¡­ But I''ll be able to do it on my own once I have enough proficiency in it and a large enough chakra reserve¡­ The effects of this skill will be much better once I level it up... Making that flower bud bloom was just the tip of the iceberg. It was to see if I was capable yet¡­ There is still a long way to go.'' His eyes then went to the last Jutsu he acquired for the day. Mystical palm jutsu. ''The user applies chakra to the wounded part of the body and accelerates the body''s natural healing process. Can be used to treat both internal and external injuries. With each level up the HP recovered increases. Even though it requires a delicate chakra control it''s on the low end of difficulty for an A rank jutsu¡­ Hmm¡­ It seems due to my knowledge and perfect chakra control the success rate of all the jutsus is over 80%. And since my gamer ability would auto correct any small mistakes I don''t have to worry that much.'' After going through everything Daichi closed the skill list and went to the backyard. He dispelled his clones and the level up notifications for the Leaf scorching technique appeared. Daichi spent the day training and by evening Kensei had returned home. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 122 – 5th Year – Life in the Capital Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. "Concentrate. Keep the flow steady and hold¡­" Tsunade was standing near Daichi and giving instructions as he healed the patient in front of him. A minute later the green chakra between Daichi''s palms died down. [You have successfully healed your patient.] [134/10000] Daichi let out a breath as he saw the notification. ''One step closer to completing the quest.'' He wiped the sweat off his forehead and took a deep breath. He mind went to the quest he received after the first month of basic training. [Quest created - Become a prodigal Medic Ninja.] [Successfully heal the people that come to you for help. Time limit: Before the end of March next year.] [Conditions:] Heal 10,000 People using your medic ninjutsu within the given time limit. . [Rewards:] [40000 Exp.] [+20 Stat points.] [Level of all medical skills that have not reached maximum would increase by 3.] [Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune, Kensei Yasaji, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya and people of the Fire country.] [New Title.] . [Failure:] [-3 Level.] [New Title.] [Reputation decreases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune and people of the Fire country.] Daichi was unsure when he first saw the number of people he would have to treat. But after thinking about it for a while he knew that it was possible. ''20 stat points is the equivalent of 4 levels and level increase of my medical skills by 3. There was no way I would have rejected the quest even with its penalty.'' Daichi focused on the present and looked at the sedated patient he just treated. He stepped back to let his sensei examine his work. Tsunade checked the condition of the person on the hospital bed and nodded in approval. "His internal bleeding has stopped and you''ve set the bones perfectly. You healed most of the damage. Well done. The nurses will handle it from here." Daichi and Tsunade then left the room and they were joined by Shizune. She had a wide smile as she looked at the boy. "It''s only been 3 weeks but your skills have improved so much in such a short time. You''re a true genius Daichi." Daichi had a small blush as he rubbed his head and smiled. "Thanks Shizune senpai." "Now that today''s work is done I''m gonna hit the casinos. Shizune, you coming?" Tsunade asked her former student. "Yes of course my lady. Who knows, maybe we''ll get lucky." "Wait! Aren''t you forgetting something sensei?" Daichi looked at the Sannin and with a small smirk. Tsunade groaned as she looked at the boy "I was hoping you''d forget that but with that perfect memory that''s not going to happen." The three left the hospital and went to Tsunade''s apartment. She sat down on the tatami mat and looked at Daichi who sat down opposite her. He took out three dice and put them in a small cup. He shook the cup and quickly placed it on the ground upside down. "Ladies first." Daichi had a smirk as he looked at the woman. "12." Tsunade called. "I''ll go with 5" Replied Daichi. He slowly lifted the cup and saw the results. "1, 2 and 4. Makes 7. Looks like I win again." The blond woman had a slight twitch in her eyebrows as she looked at the boy who was trying to look innocent but failing due to his smug grin. She let out a breath and went to her room and took a book from the shelf. She returned and gave them to Daichi. "There are advanced medical techniques in there that I developed a few years ago. Return it by the end of the week." "Yes sensei." Daichi nodded and took the book. Shizune let out a sigh as she watched the scene. She still remembered the event that led to this moment. Three weeks ago. "So you want to make another bet with me?" Tsunade asked Daichi. "Yes." "Why?" "I want to. And I really like it." Daichi replied with a smile. "Not interested brat." Tsunade replied and drank her sake. "How about this?" Daichi opened a scroll and stacks of money appeared. "The bet is for 500,000." Shizune was appalled. "Daichi, you''re too young to gamble. You shouldn''t do it." "It''s not a gamble if I know I''m going to win." Daichi said this to provoke the slug sannin and his strategy worked. "Alright brat. What''s the term?" "But my lady¡­" "Not now Shizune. I''m about to win us some money." Tsunade said, keeping her eyes on the boy. "If you win you keep the money. If I win I get another book on medical techniques you wrote. I know you haven''t given me everything the last time¡­ And if I win, we do this again next week¡­ Until you win. But I doubt that''s gonna happen." "You cocky little... Deal! So what''s the game?" Daichi took out three dice and a small cup. "Each of the dice is a standard dice with 6 faces. So the highest number would be 18 and the lowest would be 3. I''ll place them in the cup, shake them and place the cup upside down. Whoever calls the number or the number closest to the total of the three numbers on the dice wins. If it''s a draw we do it again. Deal?" "Let''s do it." Daichi shook the cup and then quickly flipped and placed it upside down. "So wanna do the honors?" "You''re gonna lose and I''m gonna enjoy spending your money. I call 7!" Tsunade said with a confident smirk. "Hmm¡­ I''m gonna go with 14." Daichi then slowly lifted the cup and saw the outcome. 5, 6 and 2. A total of 13. The number closest to it was 14. Daichi''s eyes widened. "Haha! I won." It was at that moment that Kensei came to the apartment. He opened the door and saw a grumpy Tsunade, Daichi with a wide smile and hands up in the air and between them were stacks of money and three dice. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you teaching my grandson to gamble?" Kensei asked as he gave the woman nasty look. "I did no such thing! And why are you criticizing me?" Shizune who looked at the whole situation could only sigh. Present Time. "Oh before I forget I have something for you two." Daichi took a storage scroll from his pocket and took out its contents. There were two paintings. One of Shizune and the other of Tsunade. "Here. I know it''s not much but this is a small token of my appreciation." Shizune took the painting of herself and was impressed. It was as if she was looking at a real live person. "Wow, Daichi. It''s incredible. Thank you." "Not bad." Tsunade looked at the image of herself and spoke. [Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju and Shizune.] Daichi smiled and left the place a few moments later. He had several things running through his mind. ''In the next couple years she should encounter at least 1 good luck moment and win against me. That way I will complete the second half of the conditions required to open the luck stat. But her winning would also mean bad luck and danger. Have to be ready for that too.'' Daichi made the bet so he could open the luck stat and to get more information and knowledge. A win win from his point of view. He quickly reached home and completed the daily assignments and went to the small training area behind the house. He sat down and thought about everything he had to do and how to fully utilize his gamer ability. ''I learned several Ninjutsu, Genjutsu and medical techniques and now it''s best to improve the level of those skills. I''ll create or learn more skills during my Genin days.'' Daichi then thought about the other important skills he would need. ''I can create weapons that this world has never seen. But I would have to learn blacksmithing. And if I want to create objects like the Atamagai''s cloak then I''ll need to learn Tailoring and Sealing Arts. But that''s not all¡­ My combat skills and weapons skills are lacking. I also need to learn different Taijutsu styles to improve my hand to hand combat and I need to learn to handle different types of weapons¡­'' Daichi let out a breath and looked at the sky. ''There are so many things I have to do¡­ With this year focused on medical training, I won''t be able to focus my attention on anything else other than the chakra control training. Next year it will most likely be the same and I have to start on the Creation Rebirth technique. So I''ll have to postpone everything non critical until after I become a genin.'' Daichi let out a breath and took a leaf between his index and middle fingers. He ran chakra through it and in a second the entire leaf was in a wrinkled charred state. Proof of mastery of the first step of the Lightning nature. [Lightning - Leaf scorching technique - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX): A lightning chakra affinity training skill obtained¡­.] [Effects:] [100% increase in Lightning Chakra control.] [CP cost : 5/sec.] ''I''ll start on the second step in a couple days when Kensei comes home.'' ¡ª- Daichi started on the second step of the lightning nature. Unlike the others where Daichi had to train by separating the waterfall, this time Daichi had to cut through a giant boulder. Kensei stood near him and spoke. "For the earth chakra nature, we blocked the waterfall, for the fire you separated and when training water nature you had to control the flow of the water and stop the waterfall. But this time we won''t be training on the waterfall." Kensei created a giant sturdy long earth wall. It was over a dozen inches thick and over 3 meters long. "Your goal is to pierce through the rock wall. Coat your hands in chakra and change it to lightning nature. Then slam into the wall and release the energy. You need power and precision for this. When you release the chakra make sure not to spread the lightning chakra. It will reduce the power." Daichi nodded in understanding. He began training. ''The natural advantage that lightning has over earth won''t matter much here. This wall is far stronger than normal. The old man used quite a bit of chakra to create it so it''s going to be especially strong.'' Daichi quickly coated his hands in lightning chakra and thrust his palms forward. The moment he made contact with the rock surface he released the chakra with the intent to pierce through. But his efforts only resulted in creating small scratches on the surface of the rock. ''I need to concentrate the lightning to a point and increase the piercing power.'' Created a few clones and resumed his training. A few minutes later he got the Skill ''Lightning - Rock Piercing Technique.'' ¡ª- Daichi attended medical training at the hospital and worked on his chakra training at home. He also worked on his sculpting and improved his painting skills as well. Daichi was able to create unique sculptures of various animals and sold them to ''Terra crafts house'' owner and head sculptor Mormon. The man was surprised that Daichi knew sculpting and was able to make such detailed sculptures. Since his impression of the boy was good and recognizing another talented artist, the man bought the sculptures from Daichi at a reasonable price and sold them at his shop. Daichi made sure to mark every sculpture with a small unique signature because he knew it''s value would increase in the future when his fame increased. That''s how it went for him. Daichi was busy almost all the time and he was happy about it. With each passing day his various skills improved and he was getting stronger and stronger. Months passed by and it was December. Tsunade gave Daichi a few days off and he was currently alone in his house. In his hand was a Dungeon Key. Daichi got it as a random reward after he completed the daily exercises. The key was white in color indicating that it was a normal dungeon and the opponents would have a level gap of +5 or -5 with Daichi. Without wasting time he activated the key and disappeared from the room. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 123 – Unknown skill and New Title Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi quickly walked to the locked dungeon gate and inserted the key. [You have reached the entrance to the dungeon - Hidden Mercenary Guild Would you like to enter?] [Y/N] "Yes yes. Let''s get on with it." The gates to the dungeon opened and Daichi entered without wasting time. [The titles ''Dungeon Warrior'' and ''Executioner'' are now active.] [All your stats are increased by 15% while inside the dungeon. All your stats will increase by 7% when fighting enemy ninjas.] ''When I was studying the history of the capital I came across a few mentions of a mercenary guild that operated here. They were prevalent before the time of ninja villages and their system¡­ So this dungeon must be created based on that long forgotten guild.'' In front of him was a large district with dozens and dozens of houses and a small castle could be seen at the back. ''Still¡­ It''s a bit strange. I thought the level would be much higher but based on the color of the dungeon key the strongest opponent I would face here would only be 5 levels higher than me at most. Based on my stats alone there is no way I would lose.'' Daichi had been rigorously training everyday. He only slept the bare minimum and on the days when his grandfather wasn''t home Daichi would even forgo sleep. But due to his great vitality and meditation techniques he would be able to perform his daily tasks without any problems. He opened his status page and looked at the stats that had grown for the last several months due to his sheer hard work. [Primary Stats] Strength - 194 Vitality - 196 Dexterity - 147 Agility - 191 Intelligence - 141 Chakra - 288 Wisdom - 149 . [Special Stats] Sense - 98 Stamina - 179 Indomitable - 20 Charisma - 47 Persistence - 22 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) All the stats that got a boost were due to Daichi''s relentless hard work. On top of the weights he already had he would pick up giant rocks and complete several exercises. He would train until his body dropped to the ground. The increase in Strength, Vitality, Stamina and Agility stats were proof of that. Daichi''s eyes then fell on the stat with the highest points. ''I would never be able to complete the quest of healing 10,000 patients without a large enough chakra reserve and stamina. It was as if the system was telling me to invest some points in the chakra stat. I put 50 points in the chakra stat and due to training in medical ninjutsu and lightning nature my CP was reduced to single digits every night, and this helped in increasing that stat even more. Tsunade has definitely noticed the increase in my reserves and kept pushing me. I had to heal at least 25 to 40 patients a day. Some of them would only have minor issues that would take a few minutes to heal but some would take almost an hour. And most days I would spend up to 15 hours at the hospital.'' Daichi looked at the dungeon with cautious eyes but he had a smile on his face. ''Thanks to the intensity of my training I was able to push myself. I had wondered if I would get another boost if my stats reached 200¡­ But since my chakra stat didn''t give any after reaching 200, I''m not hoping the others would. Maybe the next awakening is at 300 points. Whatever the case I need to increase my Sense stat to over a 100.'' [Quest Created - Destroy the Mercenary Guild.] [Condition: Defeat the 300 enemies lurking through the district. ] [Time limit : None. ] . [Rewards:] 35000 Exp. Red Potion. . [Failure:] Death. [Accept (Y/N)] ''300 enemies huh!''. Daichi accepted the quest that was created and began to raid the dungeon. ¡ª- On the first couple days Daichi fought the dungeon ninjas in a pure frontal assault. He observed the enemies he fought and all of them were between level 40 and 46. Daichi dodged a sword swing and attacked his opponent''s hands with chakra scalpel. ''My stats and skills overwhelm them by a large margin. Even though we are nearly the same level, my power is on a different scale than theirs. Speed, Strength, Vitality, Recovery, Skills¡­ I''m above them in all these.'' Daichi was using some of the offensive medical ninjutsu and improving their level. He then finished the fight with several small but precise and powerful fireballs. [Enemy killed.] +200 Exp. +30 Exp. Due to the strength difference, each dungeon kill only gave Daichi 200 to 300 exp. And even when the dungeon ninjas attacked Daichi in groups the result was an overwhelming defeat for the black clad ninjas. On the third day Daichi decided to switch tactics. He looked at the skill that would become an important asset the moment he became a Genin and started going on missions. [Stealth - Passive/Active(LV.1): This skill increases your ability to move undetected. It also gives you the ability to perform actions unobserved or undetected. This skill helps with pickpocketing, sneaking around and lockpicking. Damage dealt to targets also increases when stealth is active. Holding breath increases the effects by a small margin. Note: This skill is divided into 5 grades. Current grade: Average.] [Effects:] [Removes footstep sounds.] [+2% Chance of successfully lockpicking doors, safes and containers faster.] [+2% Chance of pickpocketing an unsuspecting target. (A skilled pickpocketer is less likely to be caught and more likely to loot valuables from the target.)] [+1% Chance of successfully moving unseen and unheard. (Highly skilled sneak can even hide in plain sight.)] ''Instead of brute forcing through this place I need to use this as a training exercise. This is an ideal dungeon for that. Since the level is so low I won''t have to worry about getting ganged up by several powerful enemies. I have to train my stealth skill and level it up. And improve my sense stat and get it above 100. I''ll increase the level of skills like chakra scalpel too.'' And so Daichi began using his stealth skill, shadowing his enemies and attacking them from their blind spot when they least expected it. But due to this tactic the speed of Daichi''s hunt considerably slowed down. In the beginning the dungeon ninjas would be able to sense Daichi easily but as the days passed by and the level of the stealth skill increased it became harder and harder for the enemies to find Daichi. Daichi learned many things as he attacked the ninjas from the shadows. He learned how to blend into his surroundings, steal things from his enemies before they noticed him, control his intent when going for the killing strike and learned when to strike the enemy and how they would react. Once the stealth skill passed Level 20 the grade of the skill changed from Average to Good. A new effect was also added when the skill reached level 21. [Anyone 5 Levels below your level would not notice you when you''re in active stealth unless you want them to.] That wasn''t all. For Daichi to successfully kill his foes, his senses had to work at peak efficiency. The moment his special stat sense had reached 100 points something strange happened. [+1 SENSE] [Your SENSE stat has reached 100 points. ] [You have received an ''Unknown skill''] [Note: Information about the ''Unknown skill'' will be revealed to the user only after a certain condition is met. And only after the specific condition is met can the skill be used.] ''What the? What kind of skill is this¡­? Why would it be unknown?'' Daichi was confused as he read the notifications. He looked at the existing skills related to his senses but didn''t see any change. But he was certain about one thing. ''This skill definitely has something to do with sense. And if the system is setting a condition for the skill to appear. It must be something huge. An extraordinary skill that needs a certain trigger¡­ It''s too bad the system hasn''t told me the condition required but¡­'' A wide smile appeared on Daichi''s face. ''I can''t help but get excited.'' The days slowly went by as Daichi fought in the dungeon. Daichi''s goal was to efficiently finish off his enemy before they knew he was even there. Despite the difference in power it was a difficult task. But Daichi persevered. He had to focus on his senses and find his opponent, track the ninja without having his presence discovered and wait for the perfect time to strike and then land a killing blow. It was an arduous task and it took him weeks to finish most of the enemies in the dungeon. [You have leveled up.] But with each kill he was slowly increasing his experience and he had another level up which brought him to level 45. Daichi was currently hiding his presence, in the dark corner of a room and was looking at his next target with a critical gaze. The dungeon ninja was sitting in the middle of the room with both hands placed at his sides. It didn''t seem as if the ninja sensed any enemy in the room. This enemy was of level 49. The highest level enemy he had seen so far. Daichi controlled his breathing, and didn''t let any emotions hinder him. He was as calm as he was when meditating. For Daichi it felt like an hour but only several minutes had passed. The next instant Daichi was only a hair''s length behind the enemy and slashed down. He cut his enemy''s head off in a single clean swift move and during the entire instance there was no sound made other than the small sound of a sword swiftly severing a bone. It faded away just as quickly as it came. A fatal strike that took the enemy down in a single second. The dungeon ninja turned into smoke before he realized what had even happened. [Enemy killed.] +500 Exp. +75 Exp. [Enemies killed: 284/300] [You have killed 100 ninjas without letting them sense your presence.] [You have acquired the title ''Assassin''.] ''Wow. A new title. Assassin huh. Alright!'' Daichi checked the details of the new title and was impressed. [New title: Assassin: ] [This title can only be triggered when you''re in active stealth.] [100% increase in potency when using Poisons. ] [200% increase in Damage when using a dagger.] [100% activation of ''Fated to Perish'' when landing a critical strike on enemies of the same level or below.] [75% activation of ''Fated to Perish'' when landing a critical strike on enemies up to 5 levels above you.] [50% activation of ''Fated to Perish'' when landing a critical strike on enemies 6 to 10 levels above you.] [10% activation of ''Fated to Perish'' when landing a critical strike on enemies +10 levels above you.] ''Wow!... Fated to Perish¡­ What''s that?'' [Fated to Perish: A one shot death skill that kills the enemy in an instant. The activation of this attack when facing higher level ninjas depends on the user''s condition, attack weapon, the enemy''s condition, level and defensive and resistance skills.] Daichi''s eyes widened as he read the details. ''Oh man that''s one hell of an attack. Would definitely come in handy in the future. All that time stalking and painstakingly waiting for the enemy to let the guard down¡­ My efforts weren''t in vain.'' Daichi had been hunting his enemies like this for the past several weeks. He sometimes had to hold back the urge to just fight like he normally does and punch and blast everything into pieces. But he resisted the temptations in the name of increasing his stealth skill. It was now at level 36. But now after receiving the new title and looking at its effects he left the place with a happy smile and resumed his hunt. There was no boss in this dungeon. It was just a mob of 40 to level 49 ninjas that roamed the place. Daichi quickly finished off his last enemy and completed the quest the very next day. [Quest ''Destroy the Mercenary Guild'' Completed.] [Rewards:] 35000 Exp. Red Potion. [You have leveled up.] [You have successfully defeated every enemy in this dungeon. You have been granted access to the return key.] "Time to get the hell outta here." After activating the return key at the dungeon entrance, Daichi vanished. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 124 – 5th Year End Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Once he was back in his room Daichi opened his status page. [Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer)] [Class : Student] [Age : 10] [Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Dungeon Warrior, Executioner, Assassin.] [Level : 46 (27551/56900)] . [HP : 14131] [CP : 24107.05] [SP : 14473] [MP: 6120] . [Primary Stats] Strength - 194 Vitality - 196 Dexterity - 155 Agility - 191 Intelligence - 148 Chakra - 288 Wisdom - 160 . [Special Stats] Sense - 110 Stamina - 179 Indomitable - 22 Charisma - 49 Persistence - 24 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . [Stat Points - 733] [Ryo - 722606] . ''Hmm¡­ Aside from wisdom, intelligence and dexterity none of the other primary stats have increased. And in the special stats the only one that got a boost was the Sense stat¡­ I suppose I should have seen that¡­ This dungeon was an easy one. So those other stats wouldn''t see any growth¡­ Still two level ups and a title. That''s worth it.'' Even though only a few seconds passed in the real world, for Daichi, it had been a long time. He had been in the dungeon for over a month. He took a look around the room and got up. He got out of the house and went for a walk. It was night time and the end of December. It was the time of the ''Fire Festival'' in the capital. An annual end of the year holiday the people enjoyed. Daichi walked through the streets of the capital admiring the views of the various decorations that hung outside the shops. He went to a small BBQ stall and bought a few kebabs. ''My lightning nature training will come to an end by next month. Progress on it has been so slow due to my time in the hospital. And I haven''t been able to learn any other craft related skills. But the good news is that I''ve learned most everything that Tsunade has to teach me... She said she would take me out of the capital next year for special training¡­ Wonder what that''s about?'' Daichi stopped and sat on a bench as he enjoyed the delicacy in his hand. He watched the fireworks in the sky and a smile was present in his face. ''If I was in my old world, right now I would be home with my family for Christmas¡­'' Daichi had made peace with what had happened to him but the thought still made him a little sad. He slightly shook his head and just enjoyed the moment. Once the festivities came to an end he headed back home. ''Whatever special training Tsunade has planned I''ll be ready. And along with that I need to work on the last chakra nature. Wind¡­ I''ll also need to begin on the Creation Rebirth technique¡­ I already know that''s going to be a pain¡­ So much to do.'' Daichi let out a small breath of exasperation. He had a lot on his plate but he also knew that with each day he was getting closer and closer to his goals. ¡ª- Daichi was at the hospital in an operating room surrounded by Karuizawa, a few medic nurses and Shizune who was by his side. His hands had green chakra and were atop the chest of a middle aged man. Daichi was at the end stage of completing a complicated transplant surgery and was in the process of healing the patient and closing the incisions. Under his green healing chakra the flesh and skin slowly but perfectly melded together and after a two hour long surgery he was finally done. Daichi let go of his healing chakra and checked the vitals of his patient. [You have successfully healed your patient.] [10000/10000] [You have leveled up.] The notifications indicated to Daichi that everything was a success. At that moment Shizune spoke up after looking over the man on the table. "All vitals look stable¡­ The wound''s perfectly closed. Well done Daichi!" [Reputation increased with the medics of the hospital] [Reputation increased with Shizune] "Thank you Shizune senpai." The head doctor of the hospital Karuizawa stepped forward. "You are truly talented in the medical arts, Daichi. What do you say about joining us? I''ll make sure you''ll have all the comforts you want, here." Daichi smiled at the offer but politely declined. "Thank you for the offer Dr. Karuizawa but becoming a ninja has been my goal for a long time. Can''t let it go now." The old man sighed sadly but then smiled. "I know... I know you want to become a ninja but¡­ I just can''t help but be selfish¡­ We might never see another talented kid like you in our lifetime again." All the medics at the hospital hold Daichi in high regard. Each day at the hospital Daichi kept proving his talent. Techniques that would require months to learn would be mastered in less than a week. He would work just as hard if not harder than most medic ninjas at the hospital. And due to his young age and prodigious medical skills even a few important people in the Fire Capital''s Daimyo court became aware of him. His reputation had grown quite a bit during the last year. Daichi and a smiling Shizune left the operating room and got themselves cleaned up. After a short while they met with Tsunade who was waiting for them outside. Tsunade was about to ask how things went but based on the smiling faces of her former and current apprentices she knew the results. [Reputation increased with Tsunade Senju] "I have to admit it brat, I am impressed!" Tsunade had a big smile as she looked at her student. "I never imagined you would come so far in such a short amount of time¡­ You''re truly something else." "It''s all because of you and Shizune. Thank you." Daichi bowed his head and replied. His deep gratitude was clear in his voice. "BHA! Don''t get so formal with me you brat." Tsunade laughed as she ruffled Daichi''s hair. Over the year she had grown to like the brat. She admired his tenacity and willingness to work for his goals. Shizune smiled as she looked at her mentor and mother figure. She was grateful to Daichi for bringing such joy to her Master''s face. "Come on you two. Tonight we''re celebrating." Tsunade led the way and all of them left the hospital for the famous Red Phoenix Restaurant. It was evening by the time Daichi and the other two left the hospital and they spent the remainder of the day at the private booth on the upper floor of the restaurant. Hours had passed by and it was almost midnight. Tsunade and Shizune were drunk but Daichi was calmly eating a few BBQ chicken pieces. He was hungry and had a very large appetite. He sighed as he looked at the two drunk ladies who were passed out in front of him. ''Tsunade had been so busy training me that she hadn''t had time for her vice. I suppose this was the perfect opportunity for her to get drunk¡­ Tomorrow is the day an instructor from the academy arrives and tests me¡­ Based on what the old man told me, my test will be a bit different from the ones my classmates will take. It''ll be much more difficult¡­ But it won''t matter. I''ll be ready.'' At that moment Daichi decided to check the rewards he got for completing the healing quest. [Quest ''Become a prodigal Medic Ninja'' Completed.] [Rewards:] [40000 Exp.] [+20 Stat points.] [Level of all medical skills that have not reached maximum would increase by 3.] [Reputation increases with Tsunade Senju, Shizune, Kensei Yasaji, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya and people of the Fire country.] [New Title: Mighty Healer.] [Mighty Healer: This title increases the Exp. gain by 10% for medical skills. Increases the effects of all healing skills by 15% when healing a patient. The effects further increase by another 5% when the player uses healing skills on himself.] ''Awesome. Stat points in this alone are the equivalent of 4 levels. And that title. Mighty healer huh! I like the sound of that.'' Daichi then opened his status page and checked the level progress. [Level : 47 (13017/59075)] ''Almost 47000 to go huh¡­ Not bad.'' Once Daichi was done eating he woke the two from their drunken slumber and bid farewell for the night. Tsunade looked at the vanishing figure of the boy. She had been studying him the whole time he was with her. ''His growth is extraordinary. He has a very steep learning curve and his perfect chakra control helps mastering any technique far too easy¡­ And it''s not just that. I''ve seen him train his body most days to its utmost limits. His chakra reserves had grown much faster than I anticipated. Only almost 11 years old and he already has high Jonin level reserves¡­ Is it because of the stress he put himself under? I know he was training the second step of the lightning nature and using shadow clones to do it. Then again he never made that a secret from me¡­ Now that I think about it, that''s actually kind of brilliant. Then again only someone like him with his unique abilities would be able to train like that.'' Tsunade took one swig from her sake bottle and leaned back in her chair. She thought about the observations made on Daichi and came to some conclusions. ''His chakra must have been exhausted and he should have been tired, unable to move properly for at least a few days but after a night''s rest his body completely healed and his reserves were back to full capacity. He has extraordinary Recovery and Regenerative abilities. And for his chakra to increase at the rate it did¡­ His body must have a strong adaptable ability. And coupled with his sheer will and an almost unbreakable concentration¡­ He will one day be a force to be reckoned with.'' Tsunade''s hands slowly went to the green jeweled necklace. ''Should I give it to him¡­'' It was only for a moment but Tsunade immediately banished the thought from her mind. ''No! Absolutely not! I won''t end another life with this curse. And besides¡­ He doesn''t even have any interest in becoming Hokage.'' Tsunade once asked Daichi what his dream was. When he told her that he wanted to be the strongest, Tsunade thought his dream was to become Hokage. But she was surprised to hear that becoming a leader was not his ambition. She was even more surprised at the conversation that followed. "Na! I''m not interested in being Hokage. That position belongs to a friend of mine. One day he''s gonna reach that goal." The slug sannin was surprised at the confidence Daichi had in this mysterious friend. "You really think there''s someone who''s more talented and stronger than you in your generation?" Daichi laughed at that and shook his head. "Oh no! He''s nowhere near as talented as me. In fact if I''m right he''s currently in the middle of the class rankings. And that''s being generous. He can be a moron and a goof most of the time and he''s not that smart. But sometimes he can be quite cunning." Tsunade was bewildered as she heard Daichi describe his friend. "You do realize that someone like that would never make Hokage right?" "Ohh you''d be surprised. Sure he sounds like a mess now but¡­ He''s got a will that very few can match. He has a lot of potential just waiting to be unleashed. And once he sets his mind to something he''s not gonna stop. Ever! Guys like him are a pain to fight. To be honest¡­ I''m looking forward to challenging him to a battle once he gets strong enough¡­ I can''t help but be excited just thinking about that." Tsunade saw the smile Daichi had on his face. She understood that Daichi held this person in great regard. "Do you really believe he can be Hokage one day?" "Yes! I believe he can do it. And strength isn''t the only thing needed to become Hokage. The leader of the village needs charisma¡­ He has a charm that brings people together¡­ That makes me wanna believe in him." Tsunade''s eyes widened as she heard those words. The emotions Daichi felt were almost the same as the ones she felt a long time ago. "Who is this kid?" Tsunade couldn''t contain her curiosity and asked. At that question Daichi had the mysterious smirk which sometimes infuriated her. "You''ll find out one day." "Why you little brat¡­." Tsunade shook her head and brought herself to the present. She then looked to her side and the face of the drunk passed-out Shizune brought a smile to her face. ''Since he''s almost done with the medic training, I might as well teach him my fighting style¡­'' At that moment the image of another person came to mind. A Taijutsu master she met and helped a long time ago. ''He owes me his life. A life debt in his words. I think it''s time I cash that in. If Daichi can train with him and improve his Taijutsu skills by fighting that man, then maybe¡­ He might be capable of learning and using ''that'' style¡­ It''s a slim possibility but¡­ It''s worth a try. If there is anyone who can master ''that'' style then I believe it''s Daichi.'' Tsunade sat there making plans for Daichi''s training for the next few months. ¡ª- The next day at Kensei''s Home, Daichi completed the academy final exams under the supervision of a qualified chunin. Daichi would mail his academy assignments every two months. So he had nothing to worry about on that front. And with the written test completed and after a brief spar which showed the examiner Daichi''s Taijutsu level he was marked as the top of the 5th year. Even though he was absent from the academy he still retained the position of first in his class. The month of March was half way done. Daichi meditated in his room and after midnight the rewards for the year appeared. [Ongoing Quest - ''Path to the strongest.''] [5th Year tasks successfully completed. ] [Distributing the reward for clearing a dungeon. Distributing New Skill for successfully completing all tasks.] [+3000 Exp.] [+450 Exp.] [Health Manipulation - Active(LV.1): This skill allows the user to manipulate the health(the state of physical/mental/social well being) of the target. The user can manipulate the healing process by speeding up any or all aspects of regeneration or slowing or blocking the healing of the target. Can sense the health of anyone within a certain range and identify the causes of wounds. Although this has certain limitations.] [Note: This skill is divided into 5 grades. Currently can only manipulate the Physical Health of the target. More effects will be added as the skill level increases. The restrictions will be removed as the user increases his level and the level of the skill. Current grade: Average] [Effects:] [Can sense the health of anyone within 5 meters. (There are certain limitations.)] [Can increase or decrease the healing of your target by 2%.] [5% chance of manipulating the biological chemicals or bio-electrical signals of the target. (There are certain restrictions.)] [CP Cost: 5000] [Cooldown time: 6 Hrs.] ''Wow! Holy shit. This is¡­ Incredible¡­ It''s not much at the moment but after I level it up this is gonna be one hell of a skill¡­ Damn it I wish I got this last year. That way I could have leveled it up a lot by now¡­'' Daichi let out a sigh and consoled himself. ''Better late than never I suppose. This is the first time I''ve seen a skill with such high chakra points cost and a cooldown time.'' ''I have a feeling this is gonna be an OP skill one day.'' With a big happy smile Daichi closed the blue notification boxes and went to sleep. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 125 – Interlude 05 – Rescue mission/ Uchiha Bloodline Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. A year ago. It was night time. Tsunade accepted her second student and sent him flying a few hours ago. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune and Kensei were at the Slug Sannin''s apartment to discuss various matters. "You could have killed him with that stunt." Kensei had a frosty expression on his face as he looked at the blonde woman. Tsunade snorted with a small laugh. "If you really thought that then you''ve definitely lost your touch." Kensei knew what she meant. He knew Tsunade had absolute power and control over her attacks. And moreover from all the spars he had with the kid, he knew just how strong and sturdy Daichi''s body was and how much punishment it could take. Even though he was disgruntled about the whole thing he decided to move on since his grandson only had a few minor injuries which were quickly healed by Shizune. "Try to reign in your temper princess¡­ At least when the kid''s around¡­" Kensei let out a breath and moved on to the most important topic. "Are they completed?" Tsunade nodded her head. She took out two scrolls and tossed them to Kensei. "One of them has the concoction that you''ll need. The other is a body. Medically altered right down to the smallest details." "How long do I have once the poison is in Isen''s system?" It was Jiraiya that asked this question. "The concoction I created will slow down Isen''s heartbeat to one beat per minute. It will also reduce his chakra to the very bare minimum his body would need to survive. He will be in a near death state. After the poison takes effect he will immediately fall unconscious. You''ll have a maximum of two hours from that moment. That''s the best I could do without giving him any permanent damage. After the two hours his vitals will begin climbing back up but he''ll be out of it for another couple days. It''s the side effects of the drug." Tsunade replied. "Two hours huh. That''ll work." Jiraiya spoke after thinking about the plans. "Sensei''s agent in the prison has been slowly giving Isen the drug you created. It will create all the appearance of an incurable disease. So when he gets knocked out there won''t be much suspicion." "That still leaves the seal Mui placed on him." Kensei had heard how troublesome the chakra sealing jutsu placed on the prisoners by the warden Mui can be. "Don''t worry about it. The contact at the castle knows how to deactivate the seal. And since Isen would be in a near death state and the seal would deactivate upon the user''s death, there wouldn''t be any doubts about his death. They would quickly move to destroy the body. During that time I''ll switch Isen''s body with the corpse and escape from the prison." "I''ll be waiting at the rendezvous point." Kensei spoke. Jiraiya nodded and both he and Kensei made the preparation. A few days later Kensei and Jiraiya left the capital and headed for the Grass village, while Tsunade and Shizune began training Daichi. ¡ª- Kensei was able to gather the entry points of the castle and the guard details. With this information, Jiraiya with his infiltration expertise and the help of the toad summons, was able to get inside one of the most secure prisons in the world. The H¨­zuki Castle. Also known as Blood Prison. Jiraiya easily made contact with the spy the third Hokage planted inside the large castle. It wasn''t long before the plan was enacted. Isen. A former ninja of the Leaf village, close friend and ally of Kensei. He is a man of large stature, broad shoulders and long white beard and hair. He had an unfocused expression on his face and had drooping eyes. He suddenly collapsed as he was walking along the corridors. The guard near him happened to be the spy Hiruzen placed inside the prison. He discreetly released the seal and checked the man to make sure he showed no vitals. The guard then took him to the medical examiner of the prison. After declaring the man dead he left the room. At that moment Jiraiya appeared from the corner of the room and quickly unsealed the scroll containing an identical corpse. Summoning a special toad and stuffing the real Isen in its mouth, Jiraiya quickly made his escape. ¡ª- A few days later. Isen was sleeping on a comfortable looking bed while Tsunade was checking his condition. "Everything seems normal. No serious or permanent damage. The drugs in his system should clear out in a few days¡­ If you''re going to unseal his memories I suggest you do it now, Kensei. This is the best time." Tsunade said as she took a step back. Kensei nodded and placed a paper seal on the sleeping Isen''s forehead. He then went through several hand seals and gathered chakra on his index finger and touched the seal. "Memory Seal - Release." A complicated seal formula spread from the paper and covered Isen''s head. "Hmm¡­ Sensei told me it would take a few hours for the memories to be acclimated. We should give him some time. Let''s step outside." Jiraiya said. "You two go ahead. I''ll be here." With those words Kensei sat on a nearby chair and stared at his sleeping friend. Tsunade had already left not wanting anything to do with the matter and shortly afterwards Jiraiya followed her. Several hours went by and the seal formula on Isen''s head disappeared. It took a few minutes but the man was slowly regaining his consciousness. "Wh¡­ Where¡­ Where am I?" With a blurry vision Isen asked. Kensei stood from his chair and slowly went near his friend. "Hello old friend¡­" Isen looked at the man standing near him. It took several moments before he recognized the person. "Kensei, is that you?" The old man just nodded and smiled. He saw Isen then looking around the room. "I''m not in that prison am I?" Isen asked. "No. And you won''t ever be going back there¡­ Don''t worry. You''re safe here. We''re in the Fire capital. Right now you just focus on getting some rest." Kensei said as he held his friend''s hand. Isen nodded but then suddenly made a panicked face. Kensei was alarmed when he saw that. "What? What is it?" He asked Isen. "Danzo! Danzo¡­ He''s¡­ We have to warn the Hokage." "Calm down Isen... Don''t worry about Danzo. Hiruzen has already sent his men on the task¡­" "Hiruzen is investigating Danzo?" Isen asked in disbelief. "There''s a lot that has happened since your incarceration that I need to catch you up on." Isen calmed down and just laid in his bed. He then looked at his friend. "How is Binami?" Kensei smiled. "She''s fine. Don''t worry¡­ And you''ll be in for a surprise." Kensei had an almost teasing tone in his voice. "Just knowing that she''s safe is what matters most to me¡­ Kensei¡­ I need to see him¡­" Kensei looked at the man questioningly. "Hiruzen! I need to see him. I need to look him in the eye and get some answers." Kensei sighed as he heard that. "Get some rest right now. After that, after you hear everything that''s happened, if you still want to meet him, then I''ll make the arrangements." Isen nodded in agreement. It wasn''t long before he went to sleep. His body, due to many years of inaction and the ordeals it went through, was at the moment weak. ¡ª- Somewhere in a secret Laboratory. "Marvelous¡­ Subject 24 shows no rejection or any major malformations in the body. His chakra signature has changed. It''s now vaguely similar to Itachi Uchiha¡­" Orochimaru muttered to himself as he looked at the small child with pale white skin sleeping inside a large tank. The snake Sannin took the child out of the container and placed him on the examination table. He used his medical equipment to keep the eyelids of the child open. He placed a seal on the boy''s body and forcefully activated the chakra throughout the boy''s pathways. Orochimaru directed the chakra to the head and more specifically the eyes of the head. The black eyes slowly turned into red with a single tomoe. The signature of someone with the Uchiha bloodline. "Artificial activation of Sharingan in the clone is a success. Single tomoe present in both eyes¡­." At that moment the Sharingan disappeared due to the small reserves of the boy. "Chakra volume is below average. Extracting eyes from the subject and preparing for dissection." Orochimaru carefully cut out the eyes and placed them in a preservation jar. He then cut open the child and examined every part of the body. As he examined the body a frown formed on Orochimaru''s face. "Chakra pathways are smaller than expected. Muscle and bone density is also slightly lower than average. Based on the current structure of the body and estimated growth developments the subject would have been a Genin at minimum but Chunin at average and low level Jonin at very best¡­ Conclusion¡­ Not viable for Transference Ritual." Orochimaru extracted as many valuable body parts for studying as he could before disposing of the boy. At that moment the door to his laboratory opened and a teenager walked in. The most noticeable feature about him was the single Sharingan in his right eye and the four embedded on his right arm. "Ahh Shin! Excellent timing. I have something for you." With those words Orochimaru gave the boy the container that held the two Sharingan that was extracted a short time ago. "Thank you Lord Orochimaru. I hope my clones will be able to help you with your research." The boy named Shin replied. He was one of the many devotees of Orochimaru. He was also a test subject for Orochimaru''s various experiments. "Yes. I gained plenty of data examining each of the subjects¡­ Tell me Shin, how goes your experiment? Were you able to advance the power of the Sharingan?" "Yes lord Orochimaru. It took some intense battle with Kimimaro but I was able to increase the tomoe of all Sharingan eyes. They are now in the second stage. However, they consume more chakra. So I can''t maintain them for long." Shin replied as he looked at the 4 two tomoe Sharingans in his right arm. "As expected. Come. I''ll implant these into your arm as well. Your body will acclimate to the increased chakra usage in a short time." With those words Orochimaru led Shin to a table and began the transplant. After an hour two more eyes were added to Shin''s arm, making it six. Once the operation was completed and after taking some genetic samples from the boy, the snake Sannin dismissed him. As Shin left, Orochimaru noted down the observations he made on Shin''s body and the Sharingan in his arms. Some time later he was in front of another Tank with green liquid which had another clone that was created using Uchiha blood and the genetic samples from the boy Shin. ''Itachi! I''ll make you pay for what you did to my arm.'' Orochimaru had left the Akatsuki organization a few months ago. He tried to take Itachi''s body for himself and lost an arm for his troubles. He fled the organization and was now conducting experiments using the blood Danzo gave him. ''At first I thought I could create a clone or an army of clones with the Uchiha bloodline and awaken Sharingan and transfer my soul into them. But the clones I create are just cheap imitations¡­ Then again, there is Subject Z- 07.'' Orochimaru closed his eyes and thought about the masterpiece he was currently working on. ''But that''s not possible right now. I don''t have enough data¡­ It will take far too long for that project to be completed... A clone won''t have the power I want even if I make the necessary augmentations and Subject Z-07 will take at least a decade to be completed. And that''s only if everything goes accordingly. There could always be complications and the project could end in failure.¡­ I need a pure fresh living Uchiha body soon¡­'' A wicked smile was on Orochimaru''s face as he thought about his greatest target. ''I may not have been able to get you, Itachi, but I''m sure your brother would show just as much potential as you. That will also be my revenge. Just you wait Itachi! Once I have Sasuke''s body¡­ you''re dead.'' He then walked to the next most important test subject. Subject ''Z-07'' Orochimaru placed his hand on the glass and looked at his latest creation. ''There is still more work to be done on Z-07.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 126 – Interlude 06 – Danzo’s Plans Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Leaf Village. Somewhere in the leaf village deep underground, the construction of the Root''s new base of operations was near its completion. An elderly man with an eye bandaged and arm in a sling was walking the dimly lit hallway. He had much on his mind. ''It took a long time with Hiruzen keeping an eye on everything but at last it''s done. The construction is completed and with the new added measures not even the Hyuga and their Byakugan would be able to see in here¡­ Things are proceeding according to plan.'' The man Danzo Shimura, leader of the Root, soon reached his office. He saw a red scroll with the Insignia of the H¨­zuki Castle on his desk. Danzo opened the scroll and read its contents. ''So Isen has passed away huh. Serves right for that traitor. Because of Kensei, Hiruzen had been far too merciful with Isen''s punishment. But now that''s no longer a concern. He is now no longer a threat to me.'' At that moment the child he assigned to keep tabs on certain students in the academy appeared before him and knelt. "Lord Danzo. I have an urgent update." Without a word of acknowledgement, Danzo closed the scroll and placed it inside his desk. Only then did he turn towards the child Touma Asai. "Report." The cold tone couldn''t be mistaken for anything other than an order. "Daichi has left the village." Danzo''s one visible eye slightly widened. It was the last thing he expected. "Tell me everything you know." He needed to find out everything behind Daichi''s departure. ¡ª- It has been a month since Isen regained his memories and freedom. He had learned that the Hokage was the one who convinced Danzo to spare his life. At Isen''s insistence Kensei sent word to the Hokage and arranged a meeting. Night Time - Hokage Residence. Hiruzen was in his home waiting for the man to arrive. Because of the secrecy of the meeting he had dismissed his guards. Before long he sensed a foreign presence in his home. He turned around and met Isen''s eyes. After a few moments of silence Hiruzen spoke. "You look better than I thought." Isen was silent for a moment as he looked at the old kage. "Am I supposed to say thank you for saving my life¡­" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "Yes. What you did was reckless, stupid and could have put a serious strain on our relationship with the Daimyo. Prison and the memory loss was a mercy compared to what Danzo would have done." Isen let out a sigh as he heard those words. "Thank you¡­" Hiruzen looked at the man and then nodded his head. At that moment Isen spoke again. "Just to be clear, I''m not thanking you for saving my life. I''m thanking you for what you did for my wife Binami. Kensei told me that you made sure she had a new identity, provided safe passage to the capital and gave her the sufficient funds needed for a new life." "I remembered you telling me she was pregnant a few weeks before the whole mess. I didn''t want her to get caught up in all that." Hiruzen took his wooden pipe and lit up the tobacco. "I see you haven''t quit that habit." "Everyone has a vice. This is mine." Isen was silent as he looked around the house. He noticed the absence of two important people in Hiruzen''s life. "I''m sorry about Biwako. Kensei told me what happened. She was a good woman." The old kage merely nodded his head appreciating the sentiment. "You know¡­ After everything that''s happened I thought you would be angrier with me¡­" The old kage said as he narrowed his eyes and looked at the man. "Make no mistake. I''m angry about what happened. I spent 17 years in that place and I missed the first 17 years of my son''s life¡­ So yeah, when I learned everything, I was pissed¡­ But I can also see the bigger picture. You did what you could. And it was my decision that landed me in that prison." Hiruzen took the pipe from his mouth and let out some smoke. He asked a question that has been bugging him for some time. "That brings me to another question. What exactly did you find out about Danzo that he went through all that trouble just to get rid of you?" "I was under your command in Anbu. But what you didn''t know is that¡­ I was also part of the Root." Hiruzen was startled at that admission. "Explain!" "During one of the missions I discovered that Danzo had sent several spies to most of the villages disguised as Merchants, bandits or mercenaries." "Yes. I know about them. After the loss of Lord Second, Danzo and I decided that it was imperative that we had an intelligence gathering network throughout the nations in place." "Yeah well¡­ What you don''t know is that his network does a lot more than gather intelligence. He has created an extensive network that launders money, trafficking rare materials, weapons and people¡­" "People?" Hiruzen''s eyes narrowed. Isen nodded. "Hm! More specifically those with special blood lines." "Kekkei Genkai users." "That''s right. And that''s not all¡­ He''s also interested in Tailed Beasts." The old Kage''s eyes narrowed. "Do you have any proof?" "Just my memories." "It still doesn''t explain how you became part of Root or how you found out about these things¡­ Danzo is a very careful man. He would have had safeguards in place for all his root members." "I felt that something was wrong when I was on a mission in the Sand village. I found a merchant selling some of our secrets to the sand village. But the thing is, he was not from the Sand and he was keeping tabs on the One tails as well. At first I thought he was from another village but later I found out that he was from the Root. I felt that something was wrong and when Danzo came to recruit me I accepted. I joined the Root to see if someone had been compromised in Danzo''s organization but what I found was that I was wrong. The man was under Danzo''s orders to leak some intelligence to the sand village." "For what purpose?" "The Root wanted the magnet bloodline of the Royal family. Rumor had it that the Kazekage was planning on starting a family. Danzo''s plan was to plant a spy near the family and kidnap a child of the Kage or at least get enough experimental materials. He also had the spy send him regular updates on the Tailed beast of that village. Throughout my time in the Foundation, I learned that he has conducted several missions that I''m sure you wouldn''t have approved of. He is invested in recruiting talented people and bolstering his forces. Near the last few years of the 3rd world war I learned that he planned to kidnap the 7 tails from the Waterfall village and assassinate the child of the Earth Daimyo and frame another village for it." "What!?... Something like that could have had unimaginable consequences¡­ The war would have gone on for much longer." The old kage was shocked. He never imagined that Danzo was so out of his control. "Yes. It was a plan he hatched with a high ranking member in the Fire Daimyo court. During the chaos Danzo and his faction at the capital would convince the Fire Daimyo to make a move on the Earth country. There would have been plenty of chaos and death if this plan had moved forward. I had to stop it." "If you learned all this then why didn''t you come to me?" "It was too late by the time I learned what was really happening. At that time Danzo found out about me spying on him. He had to move forward with the plan. He framed me and bought some time. So I had to make a commotion loud enough that would draw the Daimyo''s attention to Danzo and the people under him in the capital." The old kage had a realization. "That public attack on the minister¡­ That wasn''t the act of some rage filled fool. You did that on purpose didn''t you, knowing full well the consequences¡­" "Yeah. I knew if the Daimyo found out that we were interfering in the affairs of the royal court the village would lose his backing. And I also needed him to be vigilant of external influences... I had a contingency in place if I died so I knew you would learn the truth soon after my death. What I didn''t expect was for me to lose my memories." Hiruzen let out a puff of smoke as he took in the information. "There were many ways this could have been handled differently." "I was out of time and options. I did what I could." The old kage sighed. After a short silence he asked the man a question. "Are you willing to work under me again?" "No¡­ But if you want my help with Danzo then I can work with you." Hiruzen looked into the man''s eyes and relented. "I suppose that would have to do¡­ I have a task for you." ¡ª- Leaf Village. In an underground laboratory, ''Shigaraki'' the researcher and scientist of the Root was performing experiments on a certain specimen using the genetic materials acquired from Orochimaru and Danzo. At that moment Danzo walked into the laboratory and inspected the specimen. "How much progress have you made?" He asked the scientist. "The sample Orochimaru provided is truly incredible. It can combine to any foreign DNA without rejection and can adapt its properties. Although the effects produced are not as powerful." "What are the results of the merger with the blood sample of the first Hokage?" "The DNA has adapted to the blood but there were some small mutations." With those words Shigaraki led Danzo to a certain area of the lab. In a glass container filled with nutritional fluids a small child was kept suspended. There were several monitors connected to the child. Half his body was made of wood and the face of the first Hokage was present on the left side of his chest. But even with these mutations his vitals were reading normal. "The first Hokage''s blood contains too much power. More precisely Yang chakra. We need equally potent Yin chakra or something that requires the large reserves of chakra to keep the balance and the power of the first Hokage in check." "I have something in mind. In a few months Orochimaru will be here with what I need. I need you to assist him with the surgery and graft the first Hokage''s blood into my body when the time comes." Danzo told the man. "I understand lord Danzo but¡­" "What is it?" "It''s just¡­ No matter how well the surgery goes, there will be some small mutation on your body. The power of the first Hokage is just too strong." Shigaraki bowed and spoke these words with slight fear. Danzo was quiet for a few moments. "I''m aware of the risks. And your duty is to minimize the risks as much as you can when the time comes." "Yes Lord Danzo!" Danzo walked away from the lab and made his way to his home. ''If I had the best medic nin in the world then I could reduce the dangers of the operation down to Zero. But Tsunade would never perform the operation on me and if she learns that I''ve been using Lord Hashirama''s blood for research like this, she''ll be furious. She might make a rash move and bring Jiraiya and Hiruzen''s attention to me and I don''t want that right now. But then again, I don''t necessarily need her. She has a new apprentice after all¡­ Should I delay the surgery and wait for her to teach Daichi everything before I go after him?... No. That will take too long. This must be done as soon as possible.'' The moment Danzo learned of Daichi''s departure from the village he used his contacts and found out what had happened. He learned that Kensei wanted Daichi to learn about his business operations and took the boy to the capital. But Hiruzen, not wanting to let Daichi go, made a deal with Kensei. Danzo learned that the plan was for Daichi to come back by the time his class graduates and become a Genin with them. A month later Danzo learned from his sources in the capital that Tsunade happened upon the child and took him as her student. ''The boy leaving the village is a perfect opportunity. Once she''s done training him I''ll make my move. Kensei won''t be able to protect him. But the mission needs to be covert. I can''t have anything connecting me to it.'' With that thought in mind he summoned a few of his people and gave them a certain mission. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 127 – Interlude 07 – Daichi’s Training / Rookie 9’s Exam Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Fire Capital. Several months had passed since Tsunade accepted Daichi as her student. He completed the basic training within the first month and Tsunade started him on Medical ninjutsu training. Right now Shizune and Daichi were in the operation theater going over the medical history of Daichi''s new patient. Tsunade was several feet behind them in a chair looking over the patient''s medical files. "Patient 47 years old, condition critical. Has sustained minor injuries on the left leg, bruises on left arm and torso but has a severed right arm." Daichi spoke as if giving a report. "What''s the next step?" Shizune questioned Daichi. Daichi carefully looked over every injury the man had and quickly came to a conclusion. "Give priority to the critical wound and create a viable treatment. And then proceed to the other minor injuries." "Good. Examine the injury and determine the damage." Daichi examined the severed limb and the arm on the table in great detail. It took a few minutes but he completed his analysis. "The skin, bone, muscles, blood vessels and tendons have a clean cut. The weapon is most probably a thin but sharp sword. Restoring blood flow. Chances of a successful surgery is over 88%. Beginning limb reattachment surgery." With those words Daichi began operating on the man. He carefully attached the severed arm to the man''s limb and started joining the bones. He then started to reattach the blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. It was a delicate process. Daichi''s perfect chakra control greatly helped him with the complex microsurgical procedures. Once everything was done he used chakra and created new skin above the cut. Once the critical injury was dealt with, Daichi moved on to the other wounds. He was able to quickly heal them and once his work was done he took a few steps back and let out a breath. Shizune had her eye on Daichi the whole time. She was impressed he had reached so far so quickly. "Well done. Everything looks good. He can now be taken to the observation room." Daichi nodded and then turned to look at Tsunade. She looked at the boy and nodded her head. "Good work." "Thank you Tsunade sensei." "Tell me Daichi, if you were on the battlefield right now with this man how would you proceed? Moreover, his arm was destroyed in the battle. How would you treat him?" Tsunade asked him. Shizune stayed silent and looked at Daichi. Daichi stayed silent and thought for several seconds and then answered. "If there are enemies present, I would heal the wound, stop any blood leakage and treat for any infections or poisons present. If no enemies are present, if there are fresh bodies available for a donor arm then I''ll see if I can find one for limb transplant." "But when matching a donor hand with a recipient hand there are several things you need to consider. Would you have the time for that?" Tsunade asked him. "I have to quickly check the blood type, tissue type, skin color, age and sex of the donor and recipient, hand size and muscle bulk and make sure they''re a match. So I would use the Cell Scanning technique and quickly assess the conditions of the limbs and then proceed." Replied Daichi. "What are the risks of such a transplant?" "Risks such as infections, bleeding, and blood clots can be minimized with medical ninjutsu. But rejection of the donor arm and long term Immunosuppression risks will be present." Daichi replied. "That''s right. You have to be prepared. You have to evaluate the situation and make a decision on whether or not to have the transplant¡­ You will have to make decisions that may not be the one your patient wants¡­ You need to be ready. During battles you have to make split second choices that could have life changing effects. These are all things a battle medic must be prepared for." The seriousness in Tsunade''s voice told Daichi just how difficult this path would be for him. "I will be prepared." Daichi gave a simple reply. He had an iron will that wouldn''t break under pressure. Tsunade looked at the boy''s determined face and slightly smirked. "We''ll see." With those words she left the room. Daichi and Shizune followed after her. Tsunade walked into another room and saw two Daichi''s working on their patients. One was healing a minor injury while the other was extracting poison from the unconscious child on the table. As she looked at the two shadow clones she couldn''t help but be impressed and become more curious about him. ''His chakra level has increased explosively during these last several months. He''s using shadow clones to heal the wounds of people with non critical injuries. Two months ago he could only use one clone but now he can use two. Moreover he has to create two clones that have enough chakra to heal those that come to them. He must have incredible recovery ability as well. He hasn''t missed a single day since he began training under me. And I know for a fact that he goes to bed completely worn out from training. So that means his chakra recovery during sleep must be several times normal. And he has precise control over his large reserves. His growth rate is remarkable¡­ Now I understand why Sarutobi sensei sent him my way. This child can learn things in a fraction of the time it takes for others. His talent, his skills and his abilities¡­ It''s truly amazing.'' As Tsunade stood there looking at Daichi, he completed his work and was done for the day. The two clones dispelled themselves as soon as the original walked into the room. "Using your clones to heal is impressive. But don''t overdo it." Daichi nodded his head to the advice. Soon the trio of medic ninjas left the hospital. Daichi had a thoughtful expression. "What are you thinking about?" Shizune asked the boy. "My friends back at the village¡­ I miss them." Daichi answered. "I''m sure they''re feeling the same." Shizune placed a hand on Daichi''s shoulder as if to comfort him. Daichi appreciated the sentiment. He looked at the sky and the faces of his friends flashed through his mind. ''Mid term exams must be going on at the moment.. I wonder how they''re doing right now?'' ¡ª- Leaf Village - Academy. The students at the academy were having their mid term exams. Currently Daichi''s class was on the academy grounds preparing for the Taijutsu test. Iruka called out the names of two students and began the test. "Sasuke Uchiha and Kiba Inuzuka! Step forward." The Uchiha and Inuzuka stepped inside the large ring with different expressions. There were a few girls cheering for Sasuke but he paid them no mind. For Sasuke, due to his strength he rarely sparred with any of his classmates since Daichi left. He knew his strength and was completely calm and nonchalant while Kiba was nervous. Kiba knew his chances of defeating Sasuke were zero. The other members of the future Rookie 9 were also paying attention to the fight. "Both of you make the seal of confrontation." At Iruka''s words Sasuke and Kiba raised their hands and made the seal. "Begin." Kiba slipped into the Inuzuka stance as soon as the match began. He was still for a few seconds but seeing Sasuke not even entering a stance and just watching him made Kiba slightly angry. Deciding to attack first, he rushed towards the Uchiha. Kiba might have been moving as fast as he could but for Sasuke it was pitifully slow. The Uchiha looked at the incoming assault and sighed. He parried or redirected the attacks with one arm. ''He''s so slow. His attacks are wild and predictable. And they lack the necessary strength¡­ He''s so pitifully weak¡­'' Sasuke looked at the sweating and panting face of Kiba as the boy tried and tried to land a successful strike on him. As the battle progressed the Uchiha had a strange feeling in his heart. ''Is this what Daichi feels every time he battles me?'' As this thought crossed Sasuke''s mind he caught the punch aimed at his throat with the intent to incapacitate him. Sasuke had a strong grip on Kiba''s hand. The Inuzuka boy couldn''t retrieve his arm from Sasuke''s clutches and sent a kick to Sasuke''s midsection. The young Uchiha easily sidestepped the attack and looked into Kiba''s eyes. A second later he let go of his enemy''s arm. He saw Kiba jump back and gain some distance to prepare for the next round of attacks. "I think I understand Daichi a little better now." Even though Sasuke only said this to himself, Kiba and most of the students heard it. Kiba raised an eyebrow at that. He was confused as to why Sasuke would bring up Daichi''s name at this moment. "What? What do you mean?" Iruka and most of the students were also curious. Sasuke looked at his sparring opponent, let out a sigh and answered. "There is no point fighting and defeating the weak. It''s just a waste of time and energy and not worth the effort. Especially if the enemy is so weak they can''t even force you to use both hands." "Why you¡­!" Kiba was mad when he heard that. "Daichi''s not like that." At that moment Sasuke and Kiba heard Naruto shout out from where he stood. The Uchiha only had a smirk as he heard that. He had fought Daichi at their secret training spot several times over the course of last year. So he had a good understanding of his training partner''s mentality. "If you believe that then you don''t know him as well as you think." He looked at Naruto and had a cold smirk on his face. Naruto gritted his teeth. "Why that jerk¡­" "Calm down Naruto. It will only become more troublesome if you interfere in the test." Shikamaru was able to keep Naruto from blowing up and saying anything more. At that moment when Sasuke was looking at Naruto, Kiba launched a quick sneak attack. Or at least he tried. The moment Kiba''s fist neared Sasuke''s face, it was as if Sasuke disappeared and reappeared behind Kiba. Sasuke sent a few fast jabs aimed at Kiba''s joints and lower torso that sent the boy tumbling down in seconds. "Match!" Iruka ended the fight seeing the results of the match. Once Kiba was up on his feet he made them do the seal of reconciliation and called out the next two students. Kiba had a scowl on his face as he slowly walked towards his group of friends. Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino were together while Ino, Sakura and Hinata were on the other side. Naruto and the gang were waiting for their turn. "He''s so arrogant right now. Man, I wish Daichi was here to knock him down a peg or two." Kiba said as he rubbed his arms to relieve some pain. "I''m definitely gonna challenge and beat Sasuke when it''s my turn." Naruto said confidently as he looked at the Uchiha standing on the other side of the ground. "Be serious Naruto... Sasuke is a lot stronger than he''s letting on." It was Kiba who said this and he was unusually serious. "What makes you say that?" Choji asked him. "Aside from the whole fight!? It was when he attacked me at that last moment¡­ I could tell. He was holding back. A lot!" Kiba might be hard headed and arrogant at times but he was smart enough to assess the strength of someone he fought against. "It makes sense when you think about it." Choji turned towards his friend and asked. "What do you mean Shikamaru?" "For the last four years Sasuke''s only goal was surpassing Daichi. He only had Daichi in his view and kept pushing himself everyday. I wager that he''s the only person other than Daichi who trains harder than anyone in our class. So it''s no wonder that he''d be that strong¡­ And now that Daichi''s gone and he''s at the top, Sasuke''s realizing just how far ahead of us he is. So I suppose it''s natural that he has no interest in fighting us." "You really think so Shikamaru?" Kiba asked. The Nara just shrugged. "It''s just a guess." As Naruto heard those words, he had a metaphorical fire in his eyes as he looked at Sasuke. "I''m gonna make him take us seriously." Shikamaru just sighed as he looked at the blonde. ''This guy! Getting in the middle of his new obsession would only be more trouble than it''s worth. I''m just gonna lay down, look at the clouds and ignore this whole thing.'' With that thought Shikamaru sat down under the shade of the nearby tree and looked at the sky. ''Still¡­ I can''t help but be curious... What are you up to right now Daichi?... Eh! Whatever it is, I''m sure it must be important to you. And I know you''re not one to waste your time¡­ Good luck with your endeavors Daichi. See you when you get back.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 128 – Interlude 08 – The Power of Senju and Uchiha Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Location - Dozen miles away from the Leaf Village. It was a snowy December night. A team of ninjas covered entirely in black battle gear was moving through the woods near the leaf village. They were speeding through the trees in a diamond formation. In the center of the team was an old man with his entire body shrouded in darkness. Several meters behind them were 4 other teams composed of ninjas wearing the same gear. Each of them, a formidable group of shinobi capable of battling against even the strongest Jonins and together the teams of ninjas would be capable of taking on and even killing S Rank nins. As the teams all sped through the forest silently, a figure with half black and half white face appeared from the earth without being detected. Only half the body of the strange creature was present atop the earth. He was Zetsu. The spy of the Akatsuki. Zetsu looked at ninjas who vanished from his sights after a few seconds. He already analyzed and found the organization they belonged to. ''They''re from the Root. But this many teams¡­? This is unusual. And If I''m not mistaken, that was Danzo''s chakra coming from the lead team. He''s usually not the type to leave the village and expose himself like this. And the number of ninjas protecting him. Something significant is going down. I need to find out what¡­'' "I wonder what they''re up to¡­" "Let''s follow them." The gruff voice of Black Zetsu replied to the question of his white counterpart. ¡ª- After some time the team of Root ninjas reached their destination. They came to a stop in front of a small cave. "Fu!" The man in the lead team only said a single word. But it conveyed his intentions. A ninja from the lead team raised his right hand, made a half ram seal and closed his eyes. After a few seconds he looked at the man in the center. "All clear, Lord Danzo. I can only sense one chakra at the base." The man Danzo Shimura removed his hood and walked forward. At that moment another man from the other team also joined Danzo''s group. "Let''s move." With Danzo''s orders several of his Root walked into the cave and then Danzo and the rest followed. The cave looked small and ordinary from the outside but the interior was much deeper. As they reached the end of the cave, Danzo made a hand-seal and an entrance opened up. "Fu, Torune, Shigaraki! You''re with me. The rest of you, secure the perimeter." Danzo gave the order and went inside the cave followed by his two most capable ninjas and the scientist of his organization. The wall closed behind them and a barrier came into existence. As the Root ninjas began securing the area one of them was concerned about what was happening. ''When Lord Hokage tasked me with infiltrating the root, I never could have imagined that things would be this bad. I know he''s meeting with Orochimaru right now but that''s it. I don''t know what''s going on or what this is about but whatever it is, it must be huge. Danzo doesn''t even trust his own people with what''s happening in there... Fu and Torune are the most loyal and some of the strongest of the Root ninjas and I know that Shigaraki is the Researcher¡­ What exactly is happening in there? Damn it! I can''t get any closer without exposing my intention¡­'' At that moment several meters away in the shadows, two yellow eyes popped up from a tree. Zetsu looked at the guards and then sensed the barrier surrounding the interior. ''This was once an old base of the Shimura clan during the warring era¡­ I''m pretty sure they didn''t have a barrier here at that time. It seems Danzo added a few modifications. It will be difficult to get inside but not impossible. But if I force myself in there like that I''ll be detected¡­'' After thinking about the next move, Zetsu abandoned that plan. ''The less they know about me the better. It''s not the time to make rash decisions. I''ll find out what he''s up to sooner or later.'' With that thought Zetsu disappeared back into the ground without anyone sensing his presence. ¡ª- Danzo walked forward through a small tunnel and soon entered a large room. There were several medical equipment set up all around the place. He saw Orochimaru waiting for him with a devilish grin. "Is it ready?" Danzo asked the man. "Hm!" Orochimaru led Danzo to a special glass container with several seals all over it. Inside it, a pale white arm with numerous Sharingan could be seen. "So you were able to replicate the Sharingan and implant it into the arm huh!" "Yes. I took Itachi''s blood and bonded it with Shin''s DNA. But these are still eyes made from clones. So the effects are not as powerful as the original." Danzo didn''t say anything and just inspected the arm. Orochimaru had already sent him a sample Sharingan a few months ago and Danzo made sure to confirm that it was able to use the Izanagi technique. Danzo inspected each of the Sharingan in the container. ''For my plans, for what I need to do, this will be enough. They will be my trump card.'' "I wonder what Sarutobi sensei would say if he found out what you were doing?" At that moment Orochimaru asked, chuckling. Danzo narrowed his eyes. He wasn''t in the mood to chitchat. "What Hiruzen thinks or says is not your concern! Now stop wasting time and let''s proceed." "Very well¡­ Did you bring the item?" At that, Danzo motioned to Shigaraki. The scientist stepped forward with a scroll and unlocked its contents. There was a vial of blood and some brown synthetic flesh. "This is Lord Hashirama''s blood. The other is a cultivated flesh of his blood and the specimen sample you''ve provided." "You''ve come far in your research on the first Hokage''s power." Orochimaru was not one to give out any praise but he was mildly impressed with the progress Shigaraki made. Danzo began disrobing and got on the operation table. He knew Fu and Torune would keep vigilance and Shigaraki could spot if Orochimaru did something harmful to his body. Orochimaru injected Danzo with a special serum and within moments Danzo was knocked out. "Beginning surgery." Orochimaru and Shigaraki began the operation. Danzo''s crippled right arm was severed and Orochimaru placed several seals on his body. Each one meant to keep Danzo alive until the end of the procedures. The Snake Sannin took the Sharingan arm and brought it to the table. ''The first Hokage''s strength and the Sharingans. I wonder what you''ll do with this power Danzo?'' The thought somewhat excited Orochimaru. He knew Danzo had his own plans and was extremely dangerous but he couldn''t help but take the risks. He still had use for the man''s connections. Several hours went by as Orochimaru and Shigaraki operated in Danzo. For the Sharingan arm to be of proper use, the First Hokage''s power was needed. They added his blood and grafted the synthetic flesh onto Danzo''s right shoulder and then attached Shin''s arm. The surgery lasted for over 7 hours. It took two more hours for Danzo to regain consciousness. He could already sense the change happening throughout his body. As he tried to get up Shigaraki quickly stopped him. "Lord Danzo. Please. Not so quickly. It''s still healing." Danzo just ignored that advice. "You''re underestimating Lord Hashirama''s power. He was able to heal his wounds in seconds without even using medical ninjutsu. I can already feel that power flowing through me." With those words Danzo got up from the bed and stood without a problem. He inspected his right arm. The numerous 3 tomoe Sharingan sent a thrill up his spine. ''A total of 10 Sharingan and the power of wood style jutsu. Finally! Now I have the power of both the Senju and Uchiha!'' At that moment Orochimaru came near him. "I''m sure you can already tell, but your chakra is undergoing a massive change. You will need a few months of rest for your body to fully adapt and for your chakra to stabilize." "Hmm." Danzo nodded as put on a cloak. At that moment Torune stepped forward with several steel couplings. "So that''s your plan?! I assume they have the seals that can block the Byakugan and chakra sensors." Orochimaru looked over the contraptions and deduced their purpose. Torune stood silently without giving the Sannin an answer. His master was Danzo and no one else. Shigaraki covered Danzo''s right arm in bandages and then Fu took the couplings from Torune and secured them around the arm. With everything complete Danzo and his Root members exited the room. It was dawn. Once outside Danzo ordered the other teams to head back to the village. He then took out a map and threw it to the Sannin. "The materials and equipment you wanted are marked on that location. Let''s not meet for a while." With a dark chuckle Orochimaru burst into snakes and disappeared into the forest. ¡ª- Hokage Residency - Private Chamber. Hiruzen had a grim visage as he heard Bear''s report. It was only after a week that the Anbu spy was able to make contact with the Hokage without arousing any suspicions. "This is truly troubling¡­ You have no idea what Danzo wanted with Orochimaru?" "Forgive me Lord Hokage but I couldn''t find out what happened. I didn''t want to do anything that jeopardized my position." "No. It''s alright. I need you where you are¡­" Hiruzen thought about everything Bear said. He had several theories as to why his former teammate would meet his former student like this. But he needed to confirm a few things before coming to an answer. "You said he had the head scientist of the Root with him!? So Shigaraki was present and he attended the meeting?" "Yes Lord Hokage. It''s strange. Taking Shigaraki to such a place with a possibly dangerous enemy. And Danzo himself went. The whole thing is bizarre. And after Danzo came out of the cave his whole chakra felt strange¡­" "Hmm! I might have an idea as to what might have happened. But I need to confirm a few things first¡­ In the meantime gather as much intelligence on his organization as you can. Make sure your position isn''t compromised." "Yes sir." With those words the Anbu disappeared. Hiruzen then made his way to the vault hidden beneath the Hokage tower. It contained some of the most dangerous information, jutsu and materials of the village. He opened the vault and went to a special spot that held a preserver. Hiruzen opened the container and looked at the content. ''They''re gone!'' 3 vials were missing from the row. ''3 vials of Lord Hashirama''s blood are gone. Danzo would be the only one capable of taking it without alerting anyone¡­ You bastard. I knew it. The second I learned that Shigaraki was with you, I knew you were performing some kind of experiment with Lord First'' blood.'' Hiruzen took the remaining vials with him. ''I can''t let anyone else get these.'' Hiruzen got what he needed and closed the vault. He made his way back to his office in deep thought. ''Danzo must have performed some sort of experiment on himself. Orochimaru and Shigaraki are the two people who know the secrets of the first Hokage''s blood¡­ So that must be why he met them¡­ But Lord Hashirama''s blood is too strong. The chakra is potent and will react violently with anyone it is injected with. Danzo knows this... So for him to still perform some kind of experiment on himself¡­ He must be absolutely certain that he will survive and get some benefits from the experiment¡­'' Hiruzen sighed as he reached his office. ''It seems there is no choice. I need to move forward with my plans. Even if it goes against my morals.'' Hiruzen took the forbidden scroll from its secured location. He went through each and every jutsu in there until he found the few he needed. Among the jutsus Hiruzen had his eyes one, was the one with the most potential and danger. Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation! Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 129 – 6th Year Begins Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. ''497¡­ 498¡­ 499¡­ 500!'' Daichi was in a handstand position and completed his 500 push ups. At that moment the quest was updated and gave him the tasks that needed to be completed for the 6th year. [Ongoing quest - ''Path to the strongest'' updated.] ''Ok. What do I have to do this time?'' [Tasks to complete this year have been updated. Training clothes in your inventory have been modified. Wear them when completing the daily quests.] [Conditions:] [Complete 500 Push ups (Daily)] [Complete 500 Squats (Daily)] [Complete 500 Punches (Daily) [Run 10 Kilometers (Daily)] [Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of March next year.] [Master at least 2 advanced Nature transformation skills.] [Complete academic assignments before the final exam of this curriculum.] [Reach level 50 before the end of next March.] . [Rewards:] [Status Recovery (Daily)] [Random Reward(Weekly)] [+3 Stat Points (Weekly) ] [+10,000 Exp clearing a Dungeon.] [Reward for clearing additional dungeons.] [+2 Levels increase in the skill Chakra Affinity for successfully learning 2 advanced Nature transformation skills.] [New Title.] [+35 stat points.] ''The daily and weekly rewards are still the same. +2 Levels to the ''Chakra Affinity'' skill, huh! 35 stat points? That''ll definitely come in handy¡­ New title!? Wonder which one it''ll be this time¡­'' [Failure:] [Penalty Dungeon.] [-100 Stat points. ] [Death.] ''Wow the penalty this time is massive. Taking away 100 stat points¡­ That''s not good. Well it''s not worse than death I suppose¡­ I need to reach level 50 before next March. Looks like I might have to complete more than one dungeon this time. [Accept] (Y/N) Without wasting time Daichi accepted the quest. [Weighted Training Clothes] [Rare Item: Rank C] [...Consists of 2 leg warmers to be worn below the knee and 2 arm sleeves to be worn below the elbow. Each weighing exactly 30 KG. Consists of 1 undershirt and 1 trouser to be worn under the clothes. Each weighing exactly 70 KG.] ''260 Kilos¡­ It''ll be easy if it was just for the workout but since I''m wearing them all day that''s gonna be a drain on my stamina¡­ Well¡­ Since that''s the only way I''d get to improve my physical stats, I have no choice. I gotta do what I gotta do.'' At that moment a new notification appeared. It seemed more like a system warning than anything else. [Once the conditions for this year''s quest are successfully cleared, You will be given the choice to graduate or wait one more year¡­ Choose carefully.] Daichi''s eyes widened as he read that¡­ ''Graduate at the end of this year? That means I''ll be graduating with Lee''s year group¡­ I''ll be a Genin ninja one year ahead of everyone else in my class¡­ But should I take it¡­ I''ll make a decision at the end¡­ Right now I need to focus on getting stronger and completing the tasks assigned to me¡­'' The month of April went by quickly as Daichi began training in his Wind Chakra nature. He was able to completely Max out the Leaf cutting skill in just 10 days. He also perfectly performed his tasks as a medic at the hospital. He learned almost everything from Tsunade regarding medical techniques. He also challenged her to some form of gamble every week only to win and it made Daichi somewhat frustrated, which had Tsunade and Shizune confused. As the month came to an end, Tsunade called Daichi over to her temporary home. She had two scrolls in her hands. A Green scroll and a slightly larger Red scroll. Daichi had a serious look on his face as Tsunade handed him a green scroll. "I believe you are more than capable of mastering this¡­" Daichi looked at the scroll and his eyes widened. He had an idea as to what it is. "Wait, is this what I think it is¡­?" Tsunade smiled and nodded her head in confirmation. "The Strength of the Hundred Seal. This is a jutsu I learned from information I read in one of my grandmother''s journals. This scroll contains the information on how to store your chakra, maintain it in your body without loss and when completed use it without restriction. To use this jutsu one must have absolute control over their chakra. So this is perfect for you. But make sure you read everything in there before you get started." Daichi held the scroll as if he was holding something precious. "Yeah¡­" Tsunade continued. "With the Release of the chakra stored, you''ll easily be able to use ninjutsu that would otherwise have been too taxing for your body." "But that''s not all, is it? You mastered this and used it as a parent jutsu for the Creation Rebirth technique¡­" "Yes. I''ve watched my grandfather heal without even needing to weave hand seals. I wanted to reach that level. But during my early years I learned that it was impossible to reach that feat with just normal level jutsus. And after having witnessed the horrors of war, I created it with the purpose of protecting my comrades." Tsunade had a sad smile as she remembered the faces of her lost friends and families. Two significant people stayed at the forefront of her mind. She sighed and looked at Daichi with a certain fondness. Over the course of last year she had grown to like the boy. His determination, strength, abilities and personality made her smile. Daichi had a realistic yet optimistic view of the world which fascinated her. He was the first person aside from Shizune she felt close to in a long time. She didn''t want anything bad to happen to him. "Daichi! Make sure to learn the Creation Rebirth jutsu. That should be your first priority once you''ve mastered the Strength of the Hundred Seal." "I will." Tsunade then asked Daichi a question he was half expecting. "I''m sure you know that I hold a summoning contract. I''m the summoner of the Slug Katsuyu from the Shikkotsu Forest. If you sign a summoning contract with Katsuyu you''ll be able to symbiotically link your seal to Katsuyu and have her use healing chakra¡­ There are also other benefits but I''m sure you can learn them when the time comes¡­ So what do you say? Do you want to sign the summoner contract with her¡­" Daichi was somewhat dreading this question. He already promised Kensei that he would sign a contract with the Tiger clan. ''I already gave my word to the old man that I would make a pact with the Tiger clan¡­ And he told me they won''t like it if I sign a contract with another creature. Then again I have to pass some test to become their summoner, so¡­'' Tsunade could see that Daichi was having trouble answering her question. It only took a few moments to figure out the reason. "Don''t tell me¡­ You already signed a contract with the Tiger clan?" She asked the boy. "No. But before I came to the capital, he had me meet one of them. He said I would be allowed to take the test and become a summoner. Told me not to sign any other contracts." Daichi replied with an awkward smile. A tick mark formed on Tsunade''s forehead. "That sneaky old geezer." She mumbled to herself. She looked at Daichi and then sighed. "What do you want to do Daichi?" Tsunade asked calmly. Daichi thought about it for a few more seconds and gave his answer. "I already made a promise to him. I can''t break it." The slug sannin let out a sigh. "Are you sure? You won''t get this offer again?" "I''m sure. I know it would be great to have Katsuyu as my summoner but I feel that I belong with the Tiger clan." "Since you''ve made up your mind, I''m not gonna force you¡­ BUT that doesn''t mean I''m happy about it¡­" With those words she punched a nearby table, crushing it to small pieces. [You have sensed killing intent.] Seeing Tsunade mad, Daichi immediately took the contingency he had prepared. "Oh, look what I have sensei¡­!" With those words Daichi took a bottle from his sleeve and shook it in front of the angry woman. Tsunade''s eyes followed the bottle in Daichi''s hand. "This is the finest sake from the mountains of the lightning country. I remembered you saying that it was great and wanted to try it¡­ So I got it for you¡­" Daichi bought the bottle at the Fire Capital''s Auction house at a great price for just such an occasion. And at this moment, he felt that it was worth every Ryo. Tsunade took the bottle from Daichi''s hand in an instant and smelled the sake inside¡­ She smiled as soon as she got a whiff of that fine aged alcohol. She laughed and looked at the kid. "Hmm! You''re a great student Daichi. I''m glad I taught you." With those words she took a swig from the bottle and then sighed happily. Seeing his teacher appeased, Daichi let out a sigh of relief. ''Crisis averted.'' At that moment he noticed the Red scroll in her other hand. ''What is that? Another medical ninjutsu technique?'' "Umm¡­ What''s in that scroll, sensei?" Tsunade looked at the Red scroll when she heard Daichi''s questions. After a few seconds of silent contemplation, she replied. "This is a Taijutsu style developed by my grandfather and granduncle." Daichi was shocked when he heard that. ''A Taijutsu style created by the First and Second Hokages? Holy shit! That must have some incredible techniques¡­ The knowledge in that¡­ That thing must be worth a fortune.'' "Wow!" Daichi was amazed that the two Hokages created a martial arts style together. "It must be powerful if it was created by the first two Kage''s." Tsunade nodded. "Yes... My grandfather had the ability to be one with nature. He observed every aspect of nature to achieve his pinnacle strength." Daichi slightly narrowed his eyes. ''She must be talking about sage mode.'' Tsunade continued. "He observed all the elements and all the different creatures that roamed the world. It took several years but he finally understood their essence. The problem was that he couldn''t properly create the martial arts style he wanted based on the essence of nature on his own. That''s where my granduncle comes in. With his intelligence and technical skills he helped grandfather create the ultimate Taijutsu style. They called it the pinnacle of Martial arts. But before he could learn and master it, he passed away¡­ And Uncle Tobirama didn''t have the time to learn it as well." "Wait. If it''s so powerful then why haven''t you learned it?" "There are several things a person must understand before they learn this Taijutsu style. What they created is something more than just punches and kicks. Before you try and even learn it, you need knowledge. You need to understand the world. Or more precisely understand nature¡­ I couldn''t do it because I wasn''t talented enough. And I was more focused on improving my medical skills. So I didn''t bother with it¡­ This Taijutsu style is special. Even if a person were to get a hold of this scroll, they wouldn''t be able to utilize it at all. Without proper knowledge the techniques in this scroll are useless¡­" Daichi was somewhat confused. ''Did Hashirama learn this after becoming a sage? Is that what she means when she says understand nature? If that''s the case then that must also be why the second Hokage Tobirama Senju didn''t try and learn it¡­ Damn. Does that mean I have to be a sage if I want to learn that style? I can''t exactly ask her that since information on Sage jutsu and nature chakra are so secretive that most people don''t even know about it.'' "I''m giving this to you¡­ I believe you''re talented enough and have the time to learn and master this style." With those words Tsunade handed him the scroll. A quest popped up at that moment but he ignored it for the time. His eyes were on the scroll. Daichi looked at the Red scroll in his hand. It had a label on the top. ''Flowing Fist of the Natural Order'' Author¡¯s Note: Any of you wanna take a guess as to who my inspiration is for the new Taijutsu? If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 130 – Path to Transcendence "You really think I''ll be able to do it?" Daichi was happy that she had that much trust in him. Tsunade smiled and replied. "I believe you are the only one capable of accomplishing it!" At that moment a new notification appeared. "Thank you Lady Tsunade. I won''t let you down." "You better not. Now come on. Let''s celebrate. I got us a booth reserved on the exclusive second floor of the Phoenix restaurant." With those words Tsunade and Daichi made their way to the famous restaurant of the Fire capital. Shizune joined them mid way and the three headed to their destination with smiles on their faces. As Daichi made his way through the streets of the capital he looked at the new system message boxes piled up. [Tsunade has truly acknowledged you as her student.] [You have gained the Title ''Slug Sannin''s Apprentice''] [Slug Sannin''s Apprentice: ] [This title will give +30 points to Strength and Vitality stats.] [Reputation increases with Leaf Villagers and its Allies.] ''Wow. I''ve been wondering why I hadn''t received a title even when I was learning under her¡­ Now I know. It''s only now that she truly sees me as her student¡­ Regardless, this is a good thing¡­'' Daichi read the effects of the title and was impressed. ''30 points to strength and vitality huh. Makes sense it would be those stats. She is known for her strength and healing powers.'' Daichi closed the Title notification and looked at the quest that had popped up when his teacher gave him the scroll. He read the contents and as he kept reading his astonishment grew and by the time he completely read everything he was dumbfounded. He stopped dead in his tracks with his mouth slightly open. "What the frack?" Daichi couldn''t help but exclaim out loud. A couple walking nearby looked at Daichi like he was an idiot. Daichi quickly composed himself and resumed walking. He went through the quest details again just to make sure he didn''t miss interpret anything. [Quest Created - ''Observe and Understand''] Observe the various Living Creatures, Phenomena and different Geologies of the world and understand their essence. When you have an understanding of the flow of energy of the world, you can learn and use the taijutsu style created by Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. Time Limit: None . [Conditions:] Observe the Various aspects of Nature such as Land, Water, Plants, Animals and Insects. Observe and understand at least 7 different types of Creatures. Observe and understand the creational aspect of Nature. Plants, Forests, Lakes and Oceans. Observe and understand the destructive force of Nature. Raging Ocean waves, Forest fire, Natural lightning strikes, Tornado and Volcanic lightning. Explore and understand the different Geologies of the world. Forest, Desert, Frozen Tundra and Volcanic Lands. . [Rewards:] Ability to use the energy of the world. Limitless access to Nature Chakra. Knowledge required to learn and master the Taijutsu style ''Flowing Fist of the Natural Order''. Completing one half of the conditions required to become a Transcendent. New Title. . [Failure:] Very limited access to Nature Chakra. (This only applies if at least half the quest is completed.) Will not be able to master ''Flowing Fist of the Natural Order''. Will never become a Transcendent. Possible Death. . [Accept (Y/N)] ''Holy Shit! Energy of the world! Limitless Nature Chakra and Becoming a Transcendent!? My god¡­ This kind of a quest¡­'' Daichi couldn''t believe the rewards of the quest. ''Becoming a Transcendent¡­ No! It says completing one half of the conditions required¡­ So there is probably another quest I''ll need to complete to become a Transcendent¡­'' At that moment another thought popped into Daichi''s head. ''If I can become a Transcendent being, then can I fight the Otsutsuki on my own?... Questions for later.'' "Hey Daichi! Quit spacing out. We''re here." Tsunade''s yell brought Daichi out of his thoughts. He accepted the quest and decided to look into it later at home. The trio made their way up the floors and soon reached their booth on the second floor. They ordered fancy dishes and celebrated Daichi''s successful year. Daichi asked his two companions what it was like to travel and see the world. Hearing Daichi''s questions, Shizune recalled her adventures throughout the country. They had a fun time and after a couple hours things were winding down. "Daichi, since Kensei has already approved, we''ll leave the capital in a few days. There are still some things for you to learn regarding medicine and the next destination is perfect for that." "Where exactly are we going, Sensei?" "To the Land of Medicine." ¡ª- It was midnight. Daichi was laying in his bed looking at the conditions of the latest quest he had received. He looked at the first condition of the quest. ''Observe and Understand 7 different types of Creatures¡­ Somehow I get the feeling that the list should include Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians¡­ So which ones should I focus on?'' After thinking on it for a while he had a few options in mind. ''Birds, Lizards, Tiger, Snake, Toad, Fish and Human¡­ The quest didn''t say I couldn''t observe and understand Humans¡­ Not sure what more there is to understand about us but I''ll give it a try.'' Daichi moved on to the next part. ''Understand the creational aspects of Nature¡­ Hmm. Plants, Forest, Lakes and Oceans. They are ecosystems that give birth to life. Is that what the quest meant? I need to see the birth of new life in these terrains?'' Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. ''Ghaa! This quest is so complicated. Then again given what the rewards are I suppose this is only natural.'' He then moved on to the last two parts of the quest. ''The destructive force of Nature and exploring different Geologies¡­ It''s gonna take me a long time just to find some of the places mentioned in this quest. And I''ll need to spend even more on understanding whatever it is that I need to understand¡­ Oh man, that''s gonna eat up so much of my time¡­'' At that moment a new idea popped into Daichi''s head. ''What if I find dungeons with landscapes like these¡­ Then I''ll be able to spend as much time as I need there¡­ Hmm! That''s an idea¡­ But I''ll need to be prepared for failure¡­ Besides, does observing the environment in a dungeon count as observing and understanding the world? I guess I''ll have to find out.'' Up until now Daichi couldn''t focus on training in the dungeons because he would get attacked every often and had to be on guard at all times. He had a very little rest period and he focused on healing himself during such short peaceful moments. Once he eliminated his enemies in a certain area then more would show up to that spot after a while forcing Daichi to fight again or move away. So during the dungeon times Daichi couldn''t effectively train his skills. ''I would always get attacked after having just sufficient resting periods. It was as if the dungeon wasn''t permitting me to get strong quickly¡­ I''ll need to find a way around that¡­ This is a long term quest. I''m pretty sure I won''t be able to complete it before the end of the Sasuke defection arc in the series¡­ I need to make a solid plan if I want to complete this quest.'' Since it was a long term quest with a great difficulty, Daichi decided to put it aside for now. He hadn''t opened the Strength of the Hundred Seal jutsu scroll yet. He was saving that for tomorrow. ''I''ll start on this with fresh eyes once I get some sleep.'' The next day after completing his morning workouts Daichi opened his status page. He focused on the stats and points accumulated till now. His goal was increasing his primary stats. [Primary Stats] Strength - 227 Vitality - 228 Dexterity - 157 Agility - 192 Intelligence - 153 Chakra - 294 Wisdom - 163 ''Thanks to Tsunade''s apprentice title my strength and vitality stats have gone up by 30 but aside from chakra none of the others in primary stat have gone beyond 200¡­ I have 759 points saved¡­ Time to put them to some use.'' Without wasting time, Daichi started adding points to his primary stats. [Primary Stats] STR - 227+3 = 230 VIT - 228+2 = 230 DEX - 157+43 = 200 AGI - 192+28= 220 INT - 153+17 = 170 CHK - 294+36 = 330 WISD - 163+7 = 170 Daichi used a total of 136 stat points. He immediately felt the strength and chakra in his body increase several times. Several notifications also appeared before his eyes. [Chakra stat has reached 300. ] [The skill Chakra Affinity has evolved to Advanced Chakra Affinity. The skill Chakra Regeneration has evolved to Advanced Chakra Regeneration. This increases the chakra points and chakra regeneration speed of the player.] [CP formula is revised.] [Advanced Chakra Affinity - (Passive/Active)LV. 97: This skill increases the user''s talent and ability to use chakra more thoroughly. The users chakra has now become much stronger than others. ] [Effects: +40% growth rate of Chakra stat. +118% Strength increases to all chakra based skills. +118% Defense increases against chakra based attacks. +100% increase to maximum CP. -45% CP cost to all chakra based skills.] . [Advanced Chakra regeneration - Passive LV. 95: This skill gives the user the ability to regenerate chakra at a faster pace.] [Effects: Regeneration Increased by 125% of base CP. 35% Increase in Regeneration speed. 30% Growth rate of Chakra stat. [Note: Meditation increases CP regeneration to 150%.] [Skill Chakra Manipulation''s level has risen by one. x5] [Skills that use less than 20CP can now be used without chakra consumption.] [All chakra related skills will now gain experience and level up faster] ''Oh wow! It''s a good thing the old man isn''t here. He definitely would have felt the chakra spike.'' Daichi felt his chakra coils expand and become stronger. He could sense that his chakra has become much more powerful and much denser. Daichi went through all the blue boxes and was extremely happy. ''Looks like skills that use a small amount of chakra can now be used at any time without CP reduction. And the level up speed of chakra related skills, ninjutsu and genjutsu will be faster. Excellent.'' He called upon his status window. ''Status'' [Name : Daichi Hekima (The Gamer)] Class : Student Age : 11 Title : Capable Child, Explorer, Prodigy, Beast Slayer, Dungeon Warrior, Executioner, Assassin, Mighty Healer, Slug Sannin''s Apprentice. [Level : 47 (21054/59075)] . HP : 17270 CP : 44946 SP : 17780 MP: 6820 . [Primary Stats] Strength - 230 Vitality - 230 Dexterity - 200 Agility - 220 Intelligence - 170 Chakra - 330 Wisdom - 170 . [Special Stats] Sense - 113 Stamina - 190 Indomitable - 23 Charisma - 51 Persistence - 25 Dignity (LOCKED) Luck (LOCKED) . [Stat Points - 623] [Ryo - 690050] ''Oh man 44000 CP¡­ Awesome!'' Seeing his stats now and remembering what it was when he first opened the status page when he was reborn in this world, brought a smile to Daichi''s face. ''My struggles, my endless grinding¡­ They''re not in vain.'' He went over everything and his eyes fell on the Mana points. ''6820 huh. I haven''t had any time to practice my Mana powers or level up any of my Mana skills these last couple years. I''ve been so focused on my chakra affinity training and medical ninjutsu, that I completely neglected that¡­ I''ll need to start on Mana training once I become a Genin. Got too many things to focus on this year¡­'' As Daichi was making plans for his future, someone else was as well. ¡ª- "Goodbye you guys." "I was hoping you''d join us for some fun but oh well... Goodbye Romya." A staff member at the Fire capital hospital parted ways with her coworkers after her shift at the hospital. She had a bright smile that could charm almost anyone. She had a kind, gentle smile as she walked through the streets. But as soon as she reached her home and closed the door that smile disappeared as if it was never there to begin with. "What have you found out?" A voice came from the shadows. "The boy has completed his training at the hospital. His talent in Medical ninjutsu could rival Lady Tsunade''s." "It seems he''s exceeded our expectations." "There is something else. The boy will be leaving the capital." The woman told the stranger. "How accurate is this information?" "It was a coincidence that I stumbled on this information but I believe it''s credible. I heard Tsunade''s apprentice Shizune telling Daichi that they are planning on a trip outside the capital." "Destination?" "Unknown¡­ Orders?!" "Maintain your cover at the hospital. I will take it from here." With those words the mysterious man vanished. The woman known to her colleagues at the hospital as Romya went to her bedroom. She opened her dresser and at the bottom was an Anbu uniform and a white mask with no markings was on top of it. Cover identity: Romya. Job: Medical Records keeper. Real name unknown. Affiliation: The Root. Author''s Note: Hi guys, For all of you who guess One punch man. Congratulations. You got it right. I took the Taijutsu style inspiration from Bang and Garou. But I guess that was a no brainer given the arc that was just completed in OPM. Anyway, I hope you like today''s chapter. Now, I have good news and bad news. The good news is some action packed chapters are coming soon and we will see some of Hiruzen''s plans. The bad news is, I''m gonna be taking a short 3 day break. I need to rest and recharge my batteries. So I''ll see you guys with a new chapter on Thursday the 10th. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 131 – 25 Million Chakra Points Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was studying the green scroll Tsunade had given him. ''Strength of a Hundred Seal. Once created, it appears in the form of a Rhombus shape on the forehead... If I remember right then Mito Uzumaki who was Tsunade''s grandmother also had a similar marking. Does that mean this jutsu was something originally developed by the Uzumaki clan or something the Senju already had?'' Daichi decided to ignore its history and focus his attention on its creation and applications. ''The reason the forehead is chosen as the concentration point for the chakra storage is because it''s the easiest and most efficient way to gather chakra and maintain it. Well, for someone with excellent chakra control anyway¡­ It''s the same principle as the leaf concentration exercise but on a whole other level¡­'' The scroll described how to maintain chakra and create the seal. Daichi studied every inch of the scroll and was preparing himself. ''This is the parent Jutsu. Once the ''Strength of the Hundred Seal'' is created, I can release it with the ''Yin seal release'' method. I can use the massive chakra that''s available for battling or healing. The ''Ninja art Creation Rebirth'' is a subdivision of this technique. I''ll definitely need this skill in the future. And since my chakra will be far stronger and larger than Sakura''s, this will be more effective for me. But I wonder how long it will take for me to gather the needed chakra¡­ It shouldn''t be long right?'' Daichi opened his status page and looked at his chakra points. ''44946'' At that moment a skill notification appeared. [You have learned a new skill.] [Strength of the Hundred Seal: (Active/Passive) (Tier: 00): This powerful unique skill helps the user store chakra into a specific spot on their body. Once the necessary chakra volume is reached, a seal is created which the user can activate at any given time and use the stored chakra to boost the user''s abilities. This skill redirects the desired CP to the specific location on the body every day. This limitation can be removed at higher tiers.] [Note: This is a unique skill among the skill list and is represented by a Tier number. There are 7 tiers in total. Currently inactive.] Current Tier: 0 To reach the next Tier, the current goal must be completed. [Chakra Points Needed to reach Tier 01 - 0/25000000.] Daichi read the description and was astonished. This was the first time he saw a skill like this. And his eyes almost popped out of his skull as he read the last number. ''25 million? Holy crap! How long will it take me to reach that goal? And it says I''ll only reach the first Tier after gathering that much chakra? That''s insane.'' At that moment a system message appeared. [This skill is currently inactive. Once this skill is activated, the system will automatically direct the allocated amount of chakra to the specific location of your body.] [How much percentage of your chakra do you want to redirect to the skill?] With that question a small red box popped up below the blue question box. ''Hmm¡­ So the gamer system will automatically store the chakra huh. That''s nice¡­ Now how much should I give?'' After a couple seconds Daichi answered in his mind. ''10%.'' After a second a new message box popped up. [44946 * 10%/100 = 4494.6 ¡ª- Estimated at most 5562 days needed until completion and creation of Tier 01 seal. (Not an accurate time frame due to various factors.)] [The time required for completion will vary due to the additional chakra directed to the spot when you meditate, growth in your chakra reserves, and absorption of non-lethal foreign chakras or chakra generated during sleep.] [Would you like to proceed?] Daichi read the box and was disappointed. ''Over 5000 days. That''s like almost 15 years. No thanks. No.'' The last message disappeared reading Daichi''s intent and the question came once again. [How much percentage of your chakra do you want to redirect to the skill?] Daichi pondered as he thought about the information he just learned. ''This is just a rough estimate. So it looks like with sleep, meditation and other methods, I can reduce the time required to create the seal huh.. It''s logical now that I think about it. The system can''t predict when I will sleep or meditate and the additional chakra would be like a waste if it isn''t used for something.'' Daichi looked at the system message and gave his second choice. ''30%'' [44946 * 30%/100 = 13483 ¡ª- Estimated at most 1854 days needed until completion and creation of Tier 01 seal. (Not an accurate time frame due to various factors.)] [The time required for completion will vary due to the additional chakra directed to the spot when you meditate, growth in your chakra reserves, and absorption of non-lethal foreign chakras or chakra generated during sleep.] [Would you like to proceed?] ''No!... It''s almost 5 years. That''s still too long¡­ But I can''t direct too much chakra to this because I''ll need a decent amount when I''m Genin¡­'' After thinking about it for a few more minutes Daichi gave his third and final answer. ''50%'' [44946 * 50%/100 = 22473 ¡ª- 1112 days needed.] ''Yes. I suppose this will have to do. Today is the last day of April. So I still have a year before Lee''s year graduates and even if I decide to graduate at that time, it won''t be a major problem. I have more than 2 years before the Chunin exams business¡­ So there is time¡­ 1112 days huh. And I can reduce this time even further with meditation and other methods. I''ll need to learn a skill that can absorb chakras from others. Like that guy Sasuke fought at the Chunin exam. But something much more efficient¡­ I''ll need to look into it.'' [Would you like to proceed?] ''Yes.'' [Concentrate chakra to the spot on your body where you want to store your energy.] Without even needing to close his eyes Daichi concentrated his chakra to the middle of his forehead. [Location confirmed.] [Strength of the Hundred Seal skill activated.] [50% of your CP will now be directed every day to the center of your forehead due to the skill.] [Excess chakra your body produces can now be reallocated to the skill if you wish.] Daichi saw a decrease in his CP points. [CP : 44930.4 / 44946] ''Almost 15.6 CP points reduction per minute. In 24 hours that accumulates to 22743. 50% of my current total CP¡­ I see. So that''s how it is. This is the bare minimum that will be allocated a day and if I use other skills and increase the chakra redirected it can be a lot more¡­ What a fascinating skill¡­'' ¡ª- May 1st The next morning Daichi headed to Tsunade''s apartment. He had said his temporary farewells to his grandfather the previous night. The two of them had gone out to celebrate Daichi''s last night at the capital for a while. When Tsunade saw Daichi the next day she noticed his massive increase in chakra reserves. ''Has he been suppressing his chakra this whole time? No! That can''t be. I would have noticed. His reserves are in the same range as high level Jonin. It''s almost as if his reserves had increased overnight. How strange!... A strong chakra, great vitality and powerful physique. He is truly blessed with a Heavenly body.'' She also noticed something else. "I see you''ve started on that jutsu." Daichi knew exactly the one she was talking about. "Yeah. I''ll be storing a small portion of my chakra every minute to that point." The Sannin nodded. "Who knows with your progress you''ll be able to manifest the seal in about 4 or 5 years." "Actually by my estimates and with the amount I have in mind, by the time I''m done it''ll be completed in less than 2." Daichi had a smirk on his face. Tsunade chuckled seeing Daichi''s confidence. "You really think so?" "Yup." "Guess we''ll find out in two years." At that moment Shizune appeared with her pig Tonton in her hands. "It''s done, Lady Tsunade. I''ve packed up everything we need. We''re ready." She said with enthusiasm. It''s been a few years since she spent a whole year in one place. But now she''s excited to travel again. "Since we''re not in a hurry it''ll take a few weeks to reach the Land of Medicine but I doubt that''s a problem for you kid." Tsunade asked Daichi. "Nope. In fact I''m looking forward to traveling on the road. I''ve always wanted to explore new places and I''m excited for this trip." "Alright then! Let''s hit the road." And like the trio left the capital for their next destination. They began their journey and the first place they reached was Shukuba Town. "Why don''t you explore the place Daichi! I''m gonna go have some fun." With those words the slug sannin left Daichi to his own devices. "Wait Lady Tsunade! Here Daichi. When you''re done, come to this address. I better go after her." Shizune shoved a paper in Daichi''s hand and quickly followed after their teacher. Daichi looked around the place and he remembered something. ''If I recall right, then isn''t this the town where Itachi and Kisame attacked Naruto when he was out searching for Tsunade?... Yes. I''m sure of it.'' He looked around and saw plenty of people going about their business. Daichi spent his time enjoying the sights and delicacies from around the different places. He saw a large window in a shop and Daichi could see his reflection. ''Man! Long hair is indeed cool.'' Daichi looked at his reflection and admired himself for a moment. He had long spiky brown hair that reached several inches below the shoulder. He had a lean muscular frame for someone his age. He had black eyes and tan skin and was wearing a light green shirt, black cargo pants and open toed shoes. ''Damn I look good.'' Daichi suddenly had the urge to pose in front of the mirror but he suppressed them. ''Now that I think about it, I kinda look like that grown up kid from One Piece¡­ What was his name?... Oh yeah! Momonosuke. I kinda look like his adult self¡­ Well my face does anyway¡­'' After a few more seconds he left. Daichi walked and he then came upon a street sign that read ''Fun Fun Avenue''. Daichi chuckled looking at the sign. ''One day¡­.'' He left and enjoyed the sights. He would also train the second step of his wind nature chakra when he could but its progress was much slower compared to the others. Daichi believed he had plenty of time to master the Wind nature now that he didn''t have much else to do. Tsunade would visit a few gambling dens and small casinos whenever she found one. The ones that knew her reputation would welcome her with open arms and would treat her like a VIP. As usual Tsunade would lose her money and she would spend the evening in a restaurant/bar getting drunk. Daichi didn''t mind as he knew she knew her limits. He would spend the night in an Inn and would only be asleep for only 4 hours and would complete the daily part of his quest. They quickly reached Tanzaku town next and spent a couple days there. Just because Daichi slowed down didn''t mean he became complacent. He trained everyday and meditated for a couple hours to speed up the creation of his Strength of the Hundred seal. A few days went by like this with nothing out of the ordinary happening. But that all changed on the 6th day of their trip. ¡ª- A Few Days Ago. Danzo looked at the agent he assigned at the capital. "So the boy left the Capital?" "Yes. And he is traveling with Lady Tsunade and Shizune." "Did you find out where Tsunade is taking him?" Danzo asked the man. "No sir. Unfortunately Tsunade kept that information to herself. But based on what I found out they are heading north east. Based on their current route they would reach the Land of hot water in a few days." Danzo''s mind went through the different lands to the north east side of the fire country. As he thought about the different places one stood out. ''The Land of Medicine¡­ That is most likely their end goal. Since the boy is training under her and has completed the training at the hospital, it is logical that she would take him there. That place holds dozens of different medicines and herbs. If I remember right then she spent a few months there during her childhood to learn about the various plants growing there and their herbal effects¡­ Yes. It''s most likely it.'' Danzo had a frown as he came to this conclusion. ''Should I wait for her to finish teaching him?'' After he thought about it for a few more seconds he dismissed it. ''No. There is no better opportunity. Kensei isn''t with him right now. And there are a couple of blood thirsty factions in the Land of Hot Water. I''ll make use of their name. I might not get another chance. And based on the reports he is plenty good already. The land of hot water is the ideal spot. And if a commotion happens in the land of Iron then Mifune will become a headache.'' Danzo made a decision. "Bu! Gather your team. Intercept them in the Land of Hot Water." "Yes sir." The root ninja Bu replied. "Make sure to take the boy alive and relatively unharmed. Avoid a fight with Tsunade and Shizune if you can. But if you have to engage, make sure not to kill Shizune. And I''m sure you remember what I said about Tsunade." "Yes sir. I''ll only resort to it in the most dire circumstances." Danzo nodded. "If you''re forced to use it, then make sure you erase her memory of it." ''Even if she is away from the village drinking and gambling her life away, her name itself is enough to strengthen the image of the village and deter some enemies. If anything happens to her then the other nations will become bold and take advantage. Not to mention what Hiruzen and Jiraiya will do. That''s not what I need right now.'' "Go!" With that order the Root Anbu disappeared from Danzo''s sight. Author''s Note. Hey guys I''m back. For those who might be a bit confused with the calculations, I''ll break it down. [44946 * 10%/100 = 4494.6 ¡ª- Estimated at most 5562 days needed until completion and creation of Tier 01 seal.] Now if Daichi chose this option, then the minimum chakra allocated to the seal would be 4494.6 CP per day. And if he only spends this much chakra on the seal then it would take him 5562 days maximum to complete the seal. 25000000/4494.6 = 5562. Now there are various other factors that come into play. Absorbing Non harmful foreign chakra, chakra build up when meditating and sleeping¡­ With these factors the daily chakra redirected to the seal increases and the time decreases. I''m already envisioning the moment the mark appears on his forehead. I have the scenario in mind. But I don''t know how that scene will come out¡­ well that''s a long way into the future anyway. I''ll try to give it my best shot. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I''ll see you guys Saturday. Next: Chapter 132 - My Luck and a ''Surprise'' Attack. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 132 – My Luck and a ‘Surprise’ Attack Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. May 6th - Tanzaku Town. It was early morning. Daichi completed his daily workout and was on his bed. He looked at the chakra number in the Strength of the Hundred Seal skill on the 6th day of their journey. [187838/25000000] Daichi let out a sigh as he looked at the number. The chakra directed to the seal each day comprises 50% of Daichi''s max CP, the excess chakra generated in his sleep and meditation. ''I was too cautious. 22743 CP. That''s the minimum chakra the system transfers to the seal everyday. Before I activated this jutsu, I didn''t know how it would operate. If it had taken half my chakra everyday all at once, it would have been problematic in the future. Going on missions and suddenly losing half my chakra would have invited trouble. But it seems that''s not the case. The minimum chakra needed is divided and a fraction is taken from me each minute.'' Daichi closed the system messages and sat up. ''And the chakra that I lose each minute to the seal is quickly restored thanks to my chakra regeneration skill. Since I didn''t know how the skill would work or how it would take my chakra after activation, I only gave the seal a 50% supply. But if I had known it would be like this then I would have made it like 400% or 500% of my total chakra to be redirected. My chakra regen skill and meditation could have made up for the decrease in CP... I could have significantly reduced my time to create the seal.'' Daichi let out another sigh and got out of bed. ''Hindsight is 20/20. I guess¡­ But this is also valuable information. By the time the First Tier seal manifests I''ll be a lot stronger and my chakra will be much greater. I''ll be able to significantly reduce the time for the ones that come after and level it up.'' Daichi got out of bed and quickly packed his stuff. Since most of his belongings were in his inventory, he didn''t have to waste much time on getting ready. Once he put on a new set of clothes he headed to where Tsunade and Shizune were. ''Those who know Tsunade and her abilities will definitely recognize my seal once it''s manifested on the forehead. I''ll need to be prepared.'' ¡ª- The three travelers were in an Inn and deciding their route to the Land of Medicine. "Alright we''ve spent enough time here. Why don''t we pack up? We can leave in an hour." "Do you have a map, Tsunade sensei?" At Daichi''s question the woman took an old map from her belongings and handed it to him. Daichi looked at the map and at that moment the Mini-Map was updated. ''The Land of Medicine is at the other end in the Land of Iron. We can reach the Land of Iron through the Final Valley or through the Land of Hot water¡­ Hmm¡­ I''ve always wanted to see the Final Valley. It''s an iconic place after all¡­ But I think going through the Land of hot water would be better¡­ I can enjoy and relax in some hot springs¡­ Just hope none of those Jashine nutjobs comes¡­'' "Why don''t we head through the Land of Hot Water? It''s much better than just traveling through the route near the Valley of the End." Tsunade said. Shizune and Daichi agreed with Tsunade''s choice and packed. Before they left, Daichi as usual, made his weekly bet with Tsunade. "Aren''t you getting tired of this Daichi?" Shizune asked in an exasperated voice. "Nope!" Daichi turned to look at his sensei. "Bet is for 500,000. What do you say, sensei? Unless of course you''re afraid of losing again." Tsunade''s eyes twitched as she heard him. She knew he was just pushing her buttons but she couldn''t let it go. "Alright you brat. Let''s do it." Daichi took out a cup and put one dice in. "We''ll do best of three. If it''s the first three numbers then I win. If it''s the last three then you win." "Deal!" Daichi flipped the cup upside down and shook it for a few seconds and stopped. He raised the cup and saw 6 on the dice. He was shocked. ''4, 5, 6 and she wins. And it''s 6? Is this it?'' Daichi was excited. But Tsunade and Shizune were shocked. Daichi rolled the dice inside the cup two more times and both times the results came up as 6. "Oh my god. You''ve won Lady Tsunade!" Shizune was surprised that her teacher had won. But Daichi and Tsunade didn''t say anything as they knew what this signified. Tsunade looked at the results and couldn''t help but feel anxious. ''I won? This is not good¡­ Why now?... I have a bad feeling about this.'' While Tsunade was worried about what might happen Daichi was going through the new notifications that popped up in front of him. [You have won and lost a bet against Tsunade Senju. Conditions for unlocking special stat Luck reached. ] [Special stat Luck is now open.] [+1 Luck] [This stat increases the opportunities the player might encounter. It can be good or bad depending on the actions of the player.] [This stat also has a 0.001% chance to trigger a good luck moment every minute. This percentage increases with stat growth and during battle or luck based events the player is participating.] [You have unlocked a special stat. Reward: +500 Exp. +75 Exp. ] ''Finally! I have the Luck stat open¡­ So it increases my opportunities and it depends on me to make the most of it huh¡­'' Daichi went through the details of the new stat. ''A 0.001% chance to trigger every minute. And it''s good luck¡­ that''s nice but I doubt it would activate at all since its percentage is so low¡­ It says it''ll increase during battle and other events but not by how much.'' Daichi let out a breath and decided to wait and see how his Luck stat would work. At that moment the Slug Sannin spoke. "Change of plans. We''re leaving right now and we''re going through the path near the Valley of the End." Tsunade told the other two. Shizune was surprised. "But my Lady. What about the Land of water? I was looking forward to some relaxing time in a hot spring." "We''ll visit there on our way back." It was at that moment Daichi remembered the bet. He took out a scroll and tossed it to his sensei who caught it out of reflex. "A deal is a deal. Here''s 500,000." Daichi had a smile on his face even as he lost his money. Tsunade looked at her student. "You sure about this kid?" Daichi smirked at that. "Yeah¡­ And good news. I think this cures my gambling addiction. Hahaha¡­" Daichi was genuinely happy. He lost a good chunk of his cash but he was able to Unlock another Special stat. It was a trade off that was worth it in his mind. Seeing Daichi''s reaction, Tsunade shrugged and pocketed the scroll. She wasn''t going to say no to that much money even if he was her student. The trio quickly packed up and left Tanzaku Town. They changed their directions and headed in the direction of the valley of the end. Daichi was on alert. ''Since she''s won that means something bad is about to go down. I need to be careful.'' ¡ª- Some ways behind the traveling trio a man was following them secretly. Before long he was joined by four others. A 5 man Root Anbu team with the mission to capture Daichi Hekima. "Captain. It seems they have changed routes. They''re headed in the direction of Valley of the End." A ninja in the lead wearing unidentifiable clothes spoke to his leader. "Did they find out about us?" A woman in a similar get up asked his teammate. "No, that''s unlikely. Something else must have happened. Did they encounter anyone else?" The captain of the team asked his recon specialist. "No sir. Nothing out of the ordinary." "Then it must be a coincidence. A few dozen miles ahead of the valley is the entrance to the Land of Iron. We need to intercept and capture Daichi before they reach that place." "Orders!?" "They will most probably be traveling non-stop till they reach the Land of Iron. We need to adjust our plans. Since separating and acquiring the target secretly is no longer possible, we need to engage directly. Gino and I will handle Tsunade. Doka. Your goal is to keep Shizune in place. If the need arises I''m sure she''ll put her teacher''s safety ahead of the boy''s. Ichimaru, Toga! You two will subdue the target. Make sure not to reveal techniques that expose your origin." The Root Anbu captain Bu gave the orders. The speed of the Anbu team increased and they went around Daichi''s group in order to get ahead of them. ¡ª- Daichi was the first one to notice it. "Sensei. We have company." Tsunade and Shizune immediately searched the area. They could sense 3 presence surrounding them. The trio slowed down and sensed that the three chakra signatures were moving to intercept them. Three figures covered in black gear appeared in front of them. Shizune got into a defensive position while Tsunade appeared calm. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the three ninja blocking their path. ''Is this why I won? Are they the cause of my worry? What exactly are they after?'' Daichi sensed only 3 presence when he used his chakra sense but when he used Mana scout he found 2 more hidden some ways from them. Daichi used Observe on the three present and cursed inside. [?] [Bu] ? [?] [Gino] ? [LV.90] [Doka] Age: 30 HP: 17850 CP: 25900 Affiliation: [Doka is a member of the Root forces under Danzo Shimura. He was taken into the Root program at 4 years of age and has been trained in several fields. He carries out missions with no questions asked and will complete a mission at all costs. Proficient in ninjutsu. Primary chakra nature is fire. His current mission is to capture Daichi Hekima alive and bring him to Danzo. STR - 253 AGI - 247 INT - 70 The physical stats maybe subjected to change if chakra or technique is applied. ] ''Damn. They''re Root. And they''re here for me. Which means Danzo has decided to make his move. The fact that he knew to attack now means he''s been keeping an eye on me for a while. So most likely in the capital. He must have had someone at the hospital. Damn! I made sure to check out every nurse and doctor that I met there¡­ Was it someone else or was the agent not at the hospital?'' Daichi let that thought go for the moment. He had more important things to worry about. "What do you want?" Tsunade asked in a rather impolite tone. "You''re one of the Legendary Sannin right. We just wish to fight you. And maybe take that bounty on your head. You''ve racked up quite a bit during the war." The one in the center spoke. Shizune sneered, hearing the words and the arrogant tone from him. ''Is he an idiot? Does he not know what Lady Tsunade is capable of? How presumptuous of him. To think he can defeat someone like her.'' Daichi had very different thoughts from Shizune as he heard what the ninja said. ''That''s a load of crap. Based on what ''Observe'' says, their mission is to capture me. Since there are two more hiding, they would most likely be the ones to come after me. So this must be some kind of diversion¡­ These two. Bu and Gino. I can''t read their stats. So that means they''re over level 92. Most probably high level Jonin bordering S rank. But I doubt they would be confident in fighting Lady Tsunade one on one. So since they''re the strongest they will most likely stall Tsunade and the one called Doku will keep Shizune busy. And I''m guessing the two hiding will try and capture me during that Chaos. Isolating the target and capturing, huh. That must be their plan. Or the most probable one.'' Daichi analyzed their words, information and mission goals and quickly came to this conclusion in seconds. Daichi''s intelligence and battle tactics had improved quite a bit due to his many battles in the dungeons. But now he was facing real live people. Daichi knew this would be nothing like his fight with the three ninjas from the Village hidden in the Waterfall. Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You really think the likes of you can take me down?" "We won''t know unless we try." With those words several shuriken flew towards Tsunade and Shizune. For Daichi at that moment a new quest box appeared. [Quest Created - Kill your Enemies.] Author¡¯s Note: I''ll see you guys on Monday If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 133 – Attack of the Root Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi quickly read the details of the new quest. [Quest Created - Kill your Enemies.] Do not let the Root ninjas capture you. Make sure all the Root enemies present are dead and protect your teachers. If even one Root ninja escapes, or if you get captured, this quest is considered a failure. Time limit: 6 Hrs. [Conditions:] Death of all 5 enemies before the time limit. Do not let the enemy escape or reach the Leaf Village. . [Rewards:] +1 Level New Jutsu. Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji, Tsunade Senju, Shizune, Hiruzen Sarutobi and others. Reputation decreases with Danzo Shimura. . [Failure:] Possible death of Kensei Yasaji. (Only if captured) Becoming Root ninja for a short time. (Only if captured) Danzo and Orochimaru will learn about you and your abilities. . [Accept] (Y/N) Daichi read the contents and quickly accepted the quest. The shuriken flew at the three and Daichi read its path. ''The way they''re coming at us. We can only dodge and it would force me to create some distance from my team. They''re not making it obvious but they''re definitely trying to separate me.'' Tsunade, Shizune and Daichi easily dodged the shurikens and as Daichi predicted he was forced to land several meters away from his team. Daichi looked at his enemies with a narrow glance. ''I''m not gonna let you dictate the battle. Since I''m gonna have to kill them all, it''s not a big deal if they see my real strength. But still¡­ I need to be cautious. Who knows who else is around watching outside of my sensor range. If someone like Zetsu gets wind of me I''ll be in trouble soon.'' Without wasting a second and before the Root ninjas could make the next move Daichi threw several kunai with lightning chakra coating them. He then made a hand seal and immediately used body flicker and reappeared near Tsunade and Shizune. The root ninjas dodged the fast projectiles with minimum movements. The six people kept their eyes focused on their enemies. Tsunade and Shizune had heard what Daichi was capable of from his grandfather. So they had some confidence in the boy to hold his own. But still, Tsunade warned her student. "Daichi. Be careful of the three." "Actually it''s 5. Two more are hiding approximately 123 meters north north-east of us." Tsunade and Shizune were surprised when they heard it. The 3 Root Anbu heard him and was shocked as well. Bu looked at Daichi and was impressed. ''His senses are extraordinary and sharp. Ichimaru and Toga are specialists in stealth and yet this brat found them? He must be a natural born powerful sensor.'' "I didn''t know you''d taken on another student, Lady Tsunade. Perhaps my colleagues can test him and see how far he''s come under your tutelage." Bu spoke. Daichi was looking at the leader of the team just as he was looking at him. ''I need to kill all of them. But I might have to go all out. And I don''t want to reveal my true strength even to Tsunade. So on second thought it''s best that I move away from the team. They''ll think it''s their plan to separate me and I''ll just act along.'' At that moment Tsunade spoke up. "Since you came for my head why don''t you leave him out of this. I''m more than enough to deal with you and your team." Bu just chuckled. "No no. Your opponent is me" With those words he quickly jumped down the tree while weaving hand seals. Daichi recognized the seals. "It''s the mud river jutsu." The moment he touched the ground it turned into a torrent of earthen river headed for the three medic ninjas. Before Daichi could do anything, Shizune placed a hand on him, stopping him. Daichi saw Tsunade step forward. She punched the ground in front of her and unleashed her super strength. "Hiya!" shattering the ground several meters forward and stopping the jutsu. Gino, Doka and Bu dodged the flying rocks coming their way and got to safety. At that moment Daichi sensed a foreign chakra trying to intrude into his system. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Gamer''s Mind has neutralized the foreign attack.] The gamer notifications popped up. Next to him, Shizune quickly made a Ram hand seal. "Genjutsu Release." Daichi and Shizune walked and stood near their master. Daichi then said something in a very low tone that only Tsunade heard. She looked at the boy from the corner of her eyes and gave a slight nod. As this was happening the Root Anbu Doka lowered his hands and spoke to his colleagues. "As expected. It''s not easy capturing medical ninjas of their level in Genjutsu. Since they are attuned to even the smallest fluctuations in chakra they would quickly notice a Genjutsu placed on them." "Proceed with plan C." At that moment the team captain Bu spoke. Without any more words the three ninjas rushed to their enemies. Bu went straight for Tsunade while Gino went for Shizune and Doka appeared in front of Daichi. Daichi quickly raised his hands and blocked a punch aimed directly at his face. ''Shit! That punch had some serious power. If I didn''t have all those damage reduction effects, that could have broken my arm. This guy is way above my level and his base stats is above mine. And if he uses chakra it''ll increase.'' The punch pushed Daichi away from Tsunade and Shizune. ''I thought he would attack Shizune and the other two would join together to fight Lady Tsunade. Did I make a mistake?... Regardless, my end goal doesn''t change. I need to kill all of them.'' He slightly winced and shook his arm as if to get rid of the pain and numbness. Just as Daichi was analyzing his opponent and making plans, his enemy was doing the same. Doka looked at Daichi and was impressed. ''This kid''s reflexes, reaction time and response are incredible for someone his age. And he is a lot stronger than he looks. It seems the report on him is inaccurate¡­ But I''m still confident that the other two can handle him. I just need to lure him to them and then get back here. I''m not sure the captain will be able to hold on if Tsunade gets serious.'' "Daichi!" Shizune''s yell brought Daichi out of his thoughts. "I''ll be fine. I can handle him. Don''t worry about me." Daichi told Shizune as he kept his eyes firmly on his enemy. "Handle me? You''ll handle me? Looks like I need to teach you some manners." Doka rushed forward and slashed at Daichi who only barely evaded the sharp weapon. Daichi took out his own kunai and both of them began exchanging blows. But it was obvious to anyone watching that the rogue ninja had the upper hand and Daichi was struggling. Seeing this, Shizune became worried. She tried to get past the ninja in front of her but was unsuccessful. At that moment her teacher called out to her. "Shizune! Focus on the fight in front of you. Daichi can take care of himself. Have faith." Tsunade was also worried about Daichi and was on the lookout for the 2 other hidden ninjas as well but she decided to trust the kid. She remembered what he told her a few moments ago. "Whatever happens, don''t worry about me. I''ll be fine. Just make sure to take these guys down. I have a feeling they''re trying to separate us. I''ll play along. I promise I''ll be back before long." There was a strength in Daichi''s words that made Tsunade trust him. She knew he was not a fool or an overconfident person. So she decided to put her trust in him and let him handle his battles. The root ninja Doka took his tanto and slashed at Daichi. He infused chakra into his limbs and increased his speed. The strike landed and dealt a non lethal blow on Daichi. "Gha!" Daichi''s arm was bleeding as he couldn''t completely evade the slash. At that moment a new notification popped up. [Poisons detected¡­.] [Gamer''s Body has neutralized the foreign compounds.] Daichi looked at the wound and saw the light green liquid seeped into his flesh. He looked at the short blade the enemy wielded and saw the same liquid coating it. ''Based on the texture and smell, this concoction is most probably a sleeping agent¡­'' Daichi internally smirked at their strategy. ''Too bad for them. But I''ll play along.'' Daichi learned a vast amount of knowledge during his time with Tsunade. So he quickly figured out how fast the effects of the poison would take place if he was affected. The Root ninja rushed forward and the fight resumed. Daichi coated his two kunai with lightning nature and rushed at the enemy. Doka''s Tanto was also coated in lightning chakra and they both clashed. Daichi barely evaded the strikes and looked like he was having a difficult time. Tsunade was anxious as she kept an eye on Daichi and when she saw him struggling she became concerned. But that worry only lasted a second. During the battle Daichi looked back at her for only just a split second but those eyes conveyed a message to her. She immediately understood what he was doing. ''He''s playing them¡­ I see¡­'' The worry in her heart faded and she turned her attention back to the ninja in front of her. "Who do you work for?" She had something important to do before she got serious. She needed to find out more information about her attackers. ¡ª- Doka vs Daichi. The man looked at the panting boy in front of him. ''He''s a lot stronger than the report indicates. It seems Kensei has trained the boy. But I''ve seen enough. And it looks like the poison is taking effect. His movements will only get more sluggish. I''m confident the other two will be able to easily subdue him. Now I need to lure him away from here.'' Making up his mind he disappeared and reappeared in front of Daich and launched a powerful kick that sent Daichi flying. Without stopping he rushed towards the boy. Daichi regained control of himself, backflipped and safely landed on the ground. He swiftly evaded to the right and dodged a punch to his chest. "Let''s see how well you do in Taijutsu." Doka got into a fighting stance and looked at the boy. Doka rushed at Daichi and attacked with a greater ferocity. For each punch Daichi blocked or evaded, two more landed on him. The root ninja analyzed the child and came to a conclusion. ''I''d put him at low Chunin. The others won''t have a problem.'' He tried to knock Daichi out but it wasn''t easy. Deciding to let his hidden teammates capture the boy, Doku slowly moved the fight near their location. The fight progressed with Daichi blocking and parrying the attacks coming at him. As the battle progressed, Daichi saw that he was being forced to move to where the other two were waiting to ambush him. It wasn''t long before he sensed the other two take action. Doka caught both of Daichi''s fists and stepped on his right foot to keep the boy in place. At that moment Daichi''s senses picked up several senbons headed his way. Daichi didn''t move and let the sharp long needles pierce him. [Poisons detected¡­.] [Gamer''s Body has neutralized the foreign compounds.] He then immediately sent a high kick to his enemy''s chin. The attack came fast and struck before Doka could react, forcing him to let go of Daichi''s fists and take a step back. He rubbed his chin and spit out some blood. "Even a rat, when cornered, will fight back." He saw that Daichi was becoming more sluggish. ''It won''t be long now.'' At that moment a loud explosion could be heard followed by a tremor. ''Looks like that Sannin is getting serious. Even with both of us working together we have no chance of defeating her in a straight fight. I need to back up Captain Bu now. Ichimaru and Toga can take it from here. '' Doka disappeared but two others appeared. Daichi used his senses and confirmed that Doka had left to assist his captain. And he used it to see if there was anyone else around watching him. Sensing no one else, Daichi let out a breath of relief. He internally smirked as he looked at the newcomers. ''Everything''s going according to plan. Time to stop this foolish facade.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 134 – Daichi’s Counterattack Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi looked at the two people who were just staring at him. One was a black haired woman and the other was a man with faded blonde hair. He saw the woman quickly making hand signs. Daichi recognized the seals she made. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Gamer''s Mind has neutralized the foreign attack.] Daichi just stared at them without making a move. ''Attacking me with a sleeping Genjutsu?! They must have thought that it would easily take effect along with the drugs in my system¡­ It''s just not their day¡­ Still¡­ I shouldn''t play around with them¡­ Let''s see what they''re made of.'' ''Observe'' [LV.73] [Ichimaru] Age: 24 HP: 9542 CP: 14538 Affiliation: [Ichimaru is a member of the Root forces under Danzo Shimura. He joined the Root at 6 years old after his parents died in the war. He is fiercely loyal to Danzo Shimura and values the concept of strength greatly. Specializes in assassination and capture. Primary chakra nature is Fire. His current mission is to capture Daichi Hekima alive and bring him to Danzo. STR - 195 AGI - 162 INT - 61 The physical stats may be subjected to change if chakra or special technique is applied.] ''His stats are below mine. And even if he could increase it, I can do the same¡­ Now that ''Observe'' skill can show strength and agility stats I have a rough understanding of how strong Chunin and Jonin ninjas are¡­ Hmm. Specialize in capture and assassination huh. Then he must have some techniques related to stealth and capture or movement restrictions. I need to watch out for hidden traps as well.'' Daichi then used his skill on the second person. [LV.76] [Toga] Age: 25 HP: 11285 CP: 18300 Affiliation: [Danzo Shimura recruited Toga directly out of the academy due to her talent in Genjutsu and poisons. She prides on her chakra control and wide variety of genjutsu skills. She also focuses on speed rather than strength. She is loyal to Danzo Shimura and will try to complete the mission at all costs. Primary chakra Nature is Water. Her current mission is to capture Daichi Hekima alive and bring him to Danzo. STR - 170 AGI - 201 INT - 64 The physical stats may be subjected to change if chakra or special technique is applied.] ''They are quite the team. If it were any other moment I would have taken my time with them. Tried to find out how the root operates and their secrets but right now that''s not possible. If I waste too much time something could go wrong. Murphy''s law can be a bitch after all.'' Daichi could sense the battle that was going on hundreds of meters away. He didn''t want anything bad to happen to his teachers and decided to quickly end the fight. Daichi fell to one knee and looked as if he was falling asleep. His body started swaying back and forth for a few seconds and then his eyes closed and he fell forward. ''And the Oscar goes to¡­ Daichi Hekima¡­ The crowd goes wild. Ya!'' Daichi mentally chuckled to himself. Despite the circumstances Daichi entered a semi-meditative state and relaxed his breathing. His tight muscles slowly unwound and his breathing became stable. But it was all part of his plan. The two Root ninja looked at the sleeping kid. Toga spoke. "It''s impressive he was able to hold out for so long. For a second I thought he resisted the genjutsu." Ichimaru agreed. "Yes. It''s amazing. But still¡­ He is just a child. And this is his limit... We should quickly seal his chakra and take him back to Lord Danzo. If Tsunade figures out the plan then she won''t hold back." Both the Root ninjas approached Daichi but were still careful. After looking at his breathing pattern they concluded that Daichi was unconscious. Ichimaru took out some ninja wire and was about to restrain the unconscious kid in front of him but the next second he saw that he was falling sideways. It took a second for him to see that his body was headless, standing still and then falling to the opposite side. The Root ninja Toga only saw a small twitch of Daichi''s fingers before he made his move. Before she could warn Ichimaru, before she could utter the first syllable, Daichi beheaded her teammate. She barely followed Daichi''s movements and by the time she turned her head to fully look at her now dead colleague Daichi disappeared from the spot and reappeared several meters away from her. He was removing the Senbons from his back with chakra threads. [You have sensed Killing Intent.] Daichi''s senses alerted him to several shuriken coming his way. [Mental intrusion detected¡­.] [Gamer''s Mind has neutralized the foreign attack.] Daichi didn''t care about the Genjutsu attack and dodged the shurikens. "How are you not unconscious?" The cold tone of the root ninja only made Daichi raise an eyebrow. Daichi looked at the enemy in front of him. ''Wow. She isn''t even looking at him. Discarded like trash¡­ So this is what a Root ninja is like huh.'' "The sleeping agents should have knocked you unconscious by now. But you''re standing and breathing without any problems. And you''ve also stopped my Genjutsu from taking effect without any visible action. How is it possible?" The root ninja questioned him. Daichi understood what she was doing. ''I don''t need to waste my breath on the dead.'' "How!?" The ninjas questioned again but got no reply from Daichi. Daichi narrowed his eyes at the tactic she was using. ''She''s stalling but that won''t save her.'' Daichi saw the woman''s muscles tense and knew she was about to make hand seals. He didn''t say a word and rushed at her, stopping her from using her jutsu. He took out his two daggers and used Sprint skill. Daichi also added chakra to his limbs and boosted his speed further and increased his strength. He added lightning to his chakra and went with the intent to kill. In a second Daichi was in front of her and he aimed his dagger at her heart. Toga''s eyes widened in panic and she hastily put up a defense. She raised her hands and barely deflected the dagger that was aimed at her heart. The dagger was coated with lightning chakra and slashed at her arm and left a deep slash. She may have been able to barely compete with Daichi in speed but his strength was far too much for her. So she was still injured from Daichi''s Swift attack. The pain and lightning coursed through her body and made her lose focus for only just a second. But it was all Daichi needed. Flooding his body with more precise chakra, Daichi became a blur. He used both daggers and slashed at his enemy. A quick slash to the throat, thrust to the lungs, kidneys, liver and stomach and slashes along her arms and legs. Daichi severed her veins, arteries, tendons and flesh. With one final thrust to the heart he killed his second enemy. In just two seconds Daichi decimated his opponent. He had a cold merciless look on his face as he looked at the now dead ninja. He let out several breaths as he stopped using his chakra and sprint. ''I can only maintain that state for a short time right now. And it takes a toll. I can''t have my body tired out before the main battle.'' Daichi looked at the two corpses he was responsible for. ''Strange. I killed her in a brutal way and yet¡­ I don''t feel remorse or sadness¡­ I don''t enjoy this but I also don''t regret it¡­ I won''t hold back against anyone coming for me¡­ And I needed to see for myself¡­ If I could be ruthless here just like I am in the dungeons.'' Daichi looked at the two corpses and took out two scrolls. He stored the bodies in the scrolls and kept them in his inventory. Daichi healed his minor wounds from before and thought back to the brief fight just now. ''I only won so easily because they severely underestimated me. They just saw me as a 10 year old academy student and a medic ninja with some training. And I made it look like I was weakened and knocked out. That''s how I was able to get the first one. The second ninja made a miscalculation in her judgment. She underestimated my strength and abilities. And paid with her life.'' Once Daichi was healed he created five shadow clones. He took the Atamagai cloak from his inventory and handed it to one of them. "You know what to do." Daichi said as he looked at the clone. "Land a fatal blow when they least expect it." Daichi''s shadow clone answered before disappearing from view. Daichi and the four clones disappeared from their spots as well. They rushed towards the other battlefield and when Daichi reached there his eyes widened at what he saw. "Oh No!" A Few Minute Ago. Bu and Gino were fighting Tsunade while Doka was battling Shizune. Shizune was confused as she fought the enemy ninja. ''What''s going on? He''s not fighting at his full strength and hasn''t gone for my vitals yet. It''s almost as if he''s stalling me here¡­ Hmm¡­ It must be to stop me from interfering or helping in Lady Tsunade''s fight or help Daichi with his battle. Still¡­ What''s happened to him? Why did this man come back and Daichi didn''t?'' Shizune didn''t have time to dwell on her thoughts as she evaded the knives flying her way. Tsunade was having a similar thought. She hoped Daichi would be able to take care of himself until she finished her fight here. She saw the leader weaving signs and prepared herself. "Water style - Water Bullets." Bu spit out several water bullets aimed at Tsunade. The slug sannin kicked the boulder in front of her to the path of the water bullets. She quickly took another and hurled it towards the caster who was already in the motion of dodging the giant flying rock coming his way. Tsunade heard the swing of a sword and tilted her head. A sword passed by her missing its mark and she punched her attacker. The second attacker Gino splashed into water and disappeared the moment her strike landed. ''Another water clone.'' Tsunade was getting irritated at the water clones who were distracting her. At that moment something unexpected happened. She saw the real Gino turn his head and she saw his eyes widen in surprise. Gino stopped fighting when he sensed the disappearance of the two that were sent to capture Daichi. ''What''s going on? They''re dead?'' He was completely unprepared for that outcome. Furthermore he could sense Daichi''s strong chakra rushing towards their location. ''How could that brat¡­'' He didn''t waste anymore time. He yelled towards his leader. "Captain! We need to use the contingency.!" "What!?" Bu was startled that they had to resort to their contingency plan. He made the plan just in case but never expected it to happen. He nodded his head and looked at Tsunade. Doka, who was battling Shizune, was also surprised. ''That kid managed to beat those two even after all that?'' Seeing the captain agree to move forward with the contingency plan, he prepared himself. Tsunade noticed the change in their demeanor. She had an idea as to what had happened and couldn''t help but smirk. "Looks like my student was more than your men could handle." Bu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman. "Not for long." His grip on his short sword tightened. At that moment Gino turned and rushed towards Shizune who was defending herself against Doka. Tsunade''s eyes widened. "Hey, what are you¡­?" She turned to rush towards her student to help her but Bu intercepted her. "Get out of my way!" Bu evaded Tsunade''s punch and raised his sword. He quickly brought it down on his own arm and gave himself a non critical injury but one that sent a large amount of blood splashing. The blood splashed on Tsunade''s face and body, petrifying her in place. She turned her head and saw Shizune getting stabbed through her torso and falling on the ground. "N-no¡­" The slug Sannin trembled in fear as she saw the scene. At that moment Bu wasted no time and cast a genjutsu on Tsunade that amplified her fears. She trembled and fell to her knees as tears rolled down her face. It was at this moment Daichi and his clones appeared. He saw Shizune lying on the ground bleeding with two Root ninjas standing over her and the leader of the team with a sword above the trembling Sannin''s neck. The leader looked at the child and his eyes showed no mercy. "Surrender Daichi Hekima! Or watch them perish!" Daichi gritted his teeth. ''Damn you Murphy!'' Author¡¯s Note: I''ll see you guys Saturday. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 135 – Attack of the Root: Conclusion Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi was grim as he looked at the situation. His mind was operating faster than anything before. His eyes went to Tsunade and then Bu''s bleeding arm. ''They know about her hemophobia. The only way they could know that is if Danzo told them.'' Daichi thought about the possible choices he could make. He looked at the three ninjas exuding killing intent. Time slowed down for him as tried to come up with a plan. ''I knew they might use lethal force but I put that as a very low probability. And the fact that they did means they were getting ready to deal with me¡­ They must have a sensor. Someone on their team must have felt the disappearance of the other two''s chakra.'' Daichi looked at the three enemies without saying a word. He had a stony expression as he looked at his mentor and sibling student. Bu moved the sword and placed it near Tsunade''s neck. "Release the shadow clones." Daichi''s gaze shifted to the sword the root ninja held and then to Tsunade. ''He has to be bluffing. If anything happens to her then the Hokage and Jiraiya will stop at nothing to find the ones responsible. Danzo must know that. But still¡­ Can I take that risk?'' Daichi scrutinized Tsunade chakra movements. ''Her chakra is behaving differently¡­ She''s in a genjutsu¡­ I need to get the root ninja away from her¡­ But I need to save Shizune first. She''s critically injured.'' Making a decision, Daichi nodded to the demand and released his four shadow clones. Seeing their target obey Bu motioned Doka to restrain the boy. Gino stood over Shizune while Doka made his way to Daichi. Daichi''s mind was running through several scenarios as the root ninja approached him. ''I need to take out their sensor. Assuming there is only one¡­ No. Sensor ninjas are rare. It''s a waste to have two on one team. Since ''observe'' didn''t show any sensor abilities for Doka it must be one of the other two. I can''t let them knock me unconscious.'' Doka was careful as he approached the boy. He saw that Daichi didn''t have any wounds on him. "You''re going to make a great addition to our organization." Daichi smirked at that. "I wouldn''t be too sure of that." At that moment the sound of flesh being torn apart was heard. Doka and Bu looked towards Gino and saw that he had fallen down, dead. His chest was heavily bleeding and the light left his eyes. Their eyes widened and they couldn''t believe what had happened. At the same time Gino fell to the ground, several smoke bombs erupted around Daichi forcing Doka to suddenly try and grab the boy in front of him but he was unsuccessful. He waved his hand and the smoke cleared showing him a hole in the ground. The leader Bu sharpened his senses and looked around. He didn''t know how but he was certain that it was Daichi who killed Gino. At that moment he suddenly had an ominous feeling. It was instincts developed as the result of years of fighting in deadly battles. He immediately jumped away from his spot and landed several meters away. He looked around and didn''t see or hear anything out of the ordinary. ''There is nothing there. Am I in some sort of genjutsu? What''s going on?'' At that moment Bu saw Tsunade jerking her head as if she was waking from her nightmares. ''Damn it. She''s free from that genjutsu. But how?'' Suddenly the ground underneath Doka and Bu trembled and they jumped away just before it exploded. Three Daichis appeared out of the ground in front of Bu and Doka. Two more showed up near Tsunade and Shizune. And so the battle between the two Root ninjas and Daichi began. During that time the clone near Shizune began healing her wounds while the one near Tsunade examined her condition. She was clutching her necklace as if her life depended on it. ''She doesn''t have any injuries but she''s petrified in fear.'' Daichi concluded as he looked at his master. "Sensei. You need to get a hold of yourself." Daichi spoke in a soft tone but it had urgency. Tsunade turned her head and looked at Daichi. "You''re alive!?" "I am. Don''t worry sensei. It was just a genjutsu." Daichi replied and he had a small smile on his face to reassure her. Her gaze then shifted to her other student. Her eyes widened in fear. "Shizune! She''s¡­" "Don''t worry. That clone is healing her but that won''t matter if we don''t have you for this fight. You need to stand up and be strong. The real me is fighting the leader but I don''t know how long me or my clones will last against them." "But¡­ Daichi¡­ I don''t know if I can." Tsunade looked down as she clutched her green jewel. Daichi looked at her sorry figure and slightly cursed inside. ''Damn it. She''s not snapping out¡­ Time for a tough love speech.'' "Listen. I can''t imagine or understand what you''re going through. But right now Shizune and I need you. So if you don''t want to lose anyone else you care about, then I need you to deal with those fears, get up off your ass and help me kill those fuckers." Tsunade looked at Daichi''s stern expression. But she could also see that he was worried for her. "He''s right, My lady." The voice of Shizune came as she slowly made her way towards her teacher. Her wound was healed and the clone that healed her went to join the battle. Shizune knelt down and wiped the blood off her teacher''s face. "You can''t stay like this forever. If you keep living in your past, you won''t have a future. I know you lost your most precious people in your life. But you have us now. You''re not alone, Lady Tsunade." Daichi joined Shizune in helping their master and used his ''Low mental restoration'' skill to temporarily reduce Tsunade''s negative emotions and improve her mental state. The ''Low mental restoration'' skill was a jutsu Daichi created to heal someone''s phobia or other illnesses that affect the mind of a person. It was only created at the end stage of his training and he didn''t get time to level it up much. Due to that, the healing effects were reduced or temporary but Daichi didn''t care at the moment. The slug Sannin looked at her two students. "Shizune, Daichi¡­" She saw that they were depending on her and at that moment she found the strength to push away her fears. The trembling in her hands stopped and she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She opened her eyes and looked at the two. "Let''s go get them." Daichi smirked. "Oh yeah." With a new determination Tsunade stood up and looked at the battle raging hundreds of meters away from them. Daichi and his clones were keeping the fight away from the two and they were making sure the root couldn''t take them hostages. "Shizune, can you fight?" "Yes my Lady." "I will fight the leader and you two will battle the other one. Try to see if you can capture them. We need to see who they are. But that''s only a second priority. Your life comes first. If capture is not possible, go for the kill." Tsunade spoke as her eyes went to the masked leader. "Yes sensei." With those words Shizune and clone Daichi dashed for their enemy while Tsunade made her way to the leader. Clone Daichi vs Doka. The three clones were keeping the root Anbu away from Shizune until the clone healed her. They made sure to keep themselves from being dispelled but it was a difficult process. But with a combination of genjutsu and long range ninjutsu it was possible to keep the other party at bay. The clone looked around and noticed something odd. ''Why isn''t the invisible clone attacking these guys? He could kill them easily with all the openings we made¡­'' It took only a few seconds to figure out the reason for the invisible clones'' inactions. ''Someone is watching. I can''t sense anyone but he must have. I need to be careful.'' Daichi had given the order that if anyone was watching the fight the clone under the invisibility cloak should keep his movements at a minimum. He didn''t want to take any chances. A hand suddenly emerged from the ground and grabbed a clone''s legs. Several small fireballs and shuriken flew towards the trapped Daichi clone. An earth wall appeared in front of the clone protecting it from the deadly fire jutsu. The next second Daichi''s clone turned into lightning and electrocuted his attacker. The hands coming from beneath the ground turned into water. Doka looked at Daichi''s clones. ''That shadow clone substituted with a lightning clone before I captured him. Fire, earth and now Lightning. Not to mention the chakra volume needed for the shadow clones. This kid has been holding back earlier and I fell for it.'' He looked at the three and came to a conclusion after thinking over their tactics. ''Fighting and subduing him without inflicting lethal injuries is more difficult than I thought. And it''s taking too much time and forcing me to use more chakra¡­ But these three are most probably clones. They have been avoiding direct hand to hand combat and are trying to fight me at a distance.'' Doka increased his chakra output and rushed towards the clones. His speed increase was much greater than before and he reached a clone before it could escape. Daichi''s clone evaded the first couple of punches but the next fast one to the middle of the stomach hit and dispelled him. Doka saw several chakra strings headed his way and he skillfully evaded them. At that moment he sensed several shuriken aimed at his back and quickly made seals for a substitution jutsu and got out of that predicament. Doka looked ahead and saw that Shizune and another Daichi clone had joined the battle. ''Damn. It looks like he healed her. I thought it would take more time. It seems his skills in the medical arts are greater than I thought. And it looks like Tsunade is joining the battle as well. With the other three down, this mission will end in a failure. I need to report what I learned about the boy to lord Danzo.'' Doka blocked a strike from Daichi and shifted his body to escape the chakra scalpel attack from Shizune. He tried to go for Shizune but Daichi''s clones were getting in the way. Doka grabbed the clone''s arm and lashed out with a fast kick. Dispelling another clone, he jumped away and got out of the poison fog that came out of Shizune''s mouth. ''I need to retreat and inform Lord Danzo of what happened here. The captain will certainly die but it''s a price that must be paid. Lord Danzo must know about this child''s capabilities.'' With a decision made Doka jumped away from his spot and went through several hand seals and took a deep breath. It was a wide area jutsu that took most of his chakra but he was going to make his escape. "Fire style - Fire song." A long, wide stream of flame came out of Doka''s mouth. At that moment Daichi''s clone spit out an enormous amount of water to block the jutsu. "Water style - water wall jutsu." The two Jutsu collided and created a large amount of steam that covered the area and reduced vision. Seeing the perfect opportunity Doka lowered his chakra and turned around to escape only for a blade to plunge into his back. "Ghaa!" The chakra coated blade slashed through his back severing his spine and destroying several internal organs. Doka fell to his knees and looked back but all he saw was steam. In seconds he fell forward taking his last breath. A clone of Daichi came and stood near the body. "Is it him?" The clone asked in a very low voice. "Yes." Came the reply from an invisible ally. Daichi''s clone didn''t ask anything else but his eyes narrowed as he heard that answer. ''Zetsu. He''s here watching. The boss needs to know if he doesn''t already.'' With that though the clone dispelled himself. Daichi vs Bu. Daichi sharpened his senses and carefully watched his foe. Both the root leader and the academy student were engaged in a fierce sword battle. Whenever the root captain was about to land a critical blow on Daichi, his clones stepped in. "You''re quite capable aren''t you. Why don''t you come with me? I can grant you opportunities that you couldn''t even dream of." Bu tried to persuade the boy. "Not interested pal." Daichi''s swordsmanship skill was increasing as the battle continued. The two clones with him obstructed the enemy''s movements and attacked from the blind spot. Daichi''s clones spammed genjutsu and ninjutsu attacks on the enemy and forced him to split his attention between the three. Bu had to keep his chakra moving in an erratic manner and had to keep himself from falling prey to the genjutsu attacks and carefully evade the ninjutsu techniques. He looked at the three and hid a grim visage. ''Damn. I already used the knowledge of her phobia to my advantage. They will be suspicious. If I don''t erase their memories then things will turn problematic. I need to create solid clones. But if I use the shadow clone jutsu then they will be able to confirm that we''re from the leaf. And it would only cause problems for Lord Danzo.'' At that moment he saw Tsunade heading his way and Shizune joining the battle against Doka. ''This isn''t good.'' Tsunade flew and came down with an ax kick above Bu''s head. The root leader disengaged from Daichi and jumped back to avoid the powerful kick. The ground crumbled under Tsunade''s kick and she stood up from her spot. She had a murderous look on her face as she looked at the man. "You''re going to regret attacking us." Bu looked at the Sannin and then towards Daichi. The child was breathing hard but Bu knew his chances of taking the child away now was slim to none. At that moment a blast was heard from the other battle side and steam covered the combatants. Bu looked sideways and after several seconds the steam cleared and it showed Daichi standing over Doka''s dead body. The clone dispelled and the Daich he was battling took several deep breaths and steadied himself. Tsunade saw what happened and smirked. "Looks like you''re the last one left. I''ll deal with you myself and I''ll get the answers I want." The Sannin glanced at Daichi. "You''ve fought well kid. Now go rest with Shizune. I got it from here." Daichi nodded and jumped back. He landed near Shizune but both of them looked ready to assist their master if the need came. Bu looked at the turn of events and concluded the mission a failure. At that moment Tsunade spoke. "Don''t even think about escaping. No matter where you run, I''ll follow you and I''m gonna find out everything I need to know about you. Starting with who you work for." "What makes you think I work for someone?" Bu asked the woman. "Because guys like you, You take orders. Not give them. You''re a dog with a leash. And I''m going to find out who your master is. One way or the other." Tsunade slowly started making her way to the root ninja. Bu looked at the approaching woman. ''She definitely will follow me. I can''t let them find out my origin. Forgive me Lord Danzo. We failed. '' Bu immediately made a hand seal and his entire body was immediately covered in seals. Tsunade stopped in her tracks. ''What is he¡­?'' Bu looked at Tsunade and made the Ram seal. The next instant his entire body was covered in blue flames. The flames expanded. At that moment seals appeared on Gino and Doka''s bodies as well. Their bodies too were burned to ash. Tsunade jumped back and got to safety. She then noticed the other two corpses engulfed in blue fire as well. ''He was willing to die and even made sure I couldn''t find anything from their dead. These people weren''t from any ordinary organization. And moreover¡­ That man¡­ The leader of the team. He knew about my Phobia¡­ How?'' Shizune and Daichi joined her. "It''s finally over." Shizune spoke with relief. "Yeah." Daichi dispelled the remaining clone and fell to the ground. He was taking several deep breaths and his chakra was in the low double digits. The adrenaline from the fight was starting to slowly wear off. At that moment the quest completion notification appeared in front of Daichi. Author''s Note. Some people think I nerfed Tsunade and made Daichi too OP. That''s not true. People think the title Sannin gives her some sort of additional strength. It doesn''t. It''s just a title. She''s not some Gamer so that title is just that. Tsunade has wasted over a decade Gambling and drinking and she obviously wouldn''t be in the fighting shape she was during the war. And the two Root ninjas Daichi killed first were of Chunin level. And he killed the two so fast only by taking them by surprise. The root ninja Doka was of average Jonin strength and Bu and Gino were around Kakashi''s level. They were elite ninjas. Its why Daichi''s Observe skill didn''t show them anything. If someone argues that a ninja of Kakashi''s level can''t stall someone like Tsunade for several minutes, then I don''t buy it. Their goal was to stall for time. Not go head to head with her. And this was an undercover mission. If the Root ninjas behaved like emotionless robots, then that''s a pretty good give away of their identity isn''t it. And during Danzo''s Fight with Sasuke at the bridge Fu and Torune showed emotions resembling normal people. So they''re not completely emotionless robots. And Tsunade was looking for information from the enemy and someone like her wouldn''t obviously summon Katsuyu and go all out from the start. And she didn''t know they knew about her phobia. I wrote the battle like this after Taking all these factors into account. I''m well aware that I''m not gonna make everyone happy with my story and I''m not going to. I mean people complained about Zoro with his roles in the Wano arc. Anyway these are the reasons I wrote the chapter like this. You can agree with my reasoning or you can disagree. That''s entirely your right. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 136 – Short Rest in the Land of Iron Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Daichi finally let out a breath of relief as he sat down on the ground. The sun was shining in the sky and now that everything was calm he could hear the sounds of the birds chirping and flying back to the nearby trees. He looked at the quest completion notification. [Quest ''Kill your Enemies'' Completed] [Rewards:] +1 Level [New Jutsu.] [Reputation increases with Kensei Yasaji, Tsunade Senju, Shizune, Hiruzen Sarutobi and others.] [Reputation decreases with Danzo Shimura.] ''I wonder what the new Jutsu will be?'' [Fire Style - Fire Wave Dance Jutsu - Active(LV.1): The user kneads chakra and converts it to fire and expels it as a continuous stream of flames. The flames will move in a vortex shape and completely engulf the enemy leaving no room for the target to escape. The released flames, if strong enough, can vaporize the target to ash and scorch the surrounding area.] [Rank: B] [Type: Ninjutsu] [Hand Seals: Dragon - Rabbit - Tiger] [CP Cost: 440 Per shot.] [Note: The range, power and duration of the attack can be altered by controlling the chakra kneaded into the attack. Must have high fire affinity to efficiently use the technique.] ''Hmm¡­ Not bad. Not gonna say no to another powerful technique.'' "Oink oink!" At that moment the sound of Tsunade''s pet pig Tonton was heard. He poked his head out of the bushes and after looking at the surroundings he ran to Shizune''s arm. The cute pig snuggled into Shizune''s bosom. Shizune smiled looking at her pet. "I''m happy to see you too, Tonton." "Lady Tsunade, Who do you think those people were?" Shizune asked after comforting Tonton. At that question Daichi looked at Tsunade and noticed that she had a thoughtful look on her face. "Not sure. I can think of a few but I can''t confirm it since we don''t even have a body to examine... But they came here with a purpose. They were after something but I don''t think it was my bounty." For Daichi at that moment a new quest appeared. [Quest Created: Information Flow] You have the option of revealing the information you''ve uncovered about your enemies to your teacher/family or keep them to yourself. Both choices have different outcomes. [1st Choice:] Reveal the critical information you''ve discovered about the Root to your teachers and grandfather. [Rewards:] 40000 Exp. Revealing the information will have great consequences. Possible death of Third Hokage. Possible death of Danzo Shimura. Increased possibility of Root attack on you. Possibility of Tsunade becoming the 5th Hokage within the next year increases. Other unknown consequences. . [2nd Choice:] Keep the information you''ve discovered about your enemies to yourself. [Rewards:] Restrictions on Danzo Shimura. Root attacks on you will become near zero. . [Accept] (Y/N) Daichi looked at the new quest and became serious. ''Damn. If I choose the first option then I get a good chunk of exp but more than that Danzo will be dead. But it''s only a possibility and there''s a possibility of the Hokage dying as well. That''s not counting the future root attacks and other unknown consequences..'' Daichi carefully thought about what would happen if he revealed the information and tried to think of the consequences. ''If I tell Tsunade and the others they''re Root, then they''ll need proof. I saw the Root tattoo on that Toga woman so that will be enough. Tsunade will no doubt tell Kensei and Jiraiya and this incident will reach the Hokage and it will force him to take action on Danzo. The possible death of Hiruzen and Danzo means they will most definitely fight and the root will come after me if Danzo survives. If Tsunade becomes Hokage, it will change canon. Orochimaru might not attack since he mostly only had a grudge against his sensei. Although that''s not certain. This will also no doubt bring Akatsuki''s attention to me. Zetsu has been watching me midway through the battle. But I have a feeling that revealing the info will bring even more unwanted attention to me. On the other hand if I don''t reveal it, the dangers to myself become almost non-existent and things stay relatively the same as canon.'' "You''ve been quiet for a while Daichi. What''s on your mind?" Tsunade asked her student. She noticed Daichi''s face and had a feeling he might know something. At Tsunade''s question Daichi looked up. He mentally accepted the quest and made a choice. He let out a breath and stood up. "I don''t know who they were but they weren''t some weak amateurs. And I think¡­ I think they might have been after me¡­ I''m not sure though." Daichi decided to go with the second option and keep the fact that they were Root ninjas to himself. But he also wanted to make sure the Hokage would be wary and keep an eye on Danzo. The slug sannin narrowed her eyes. "What makes you say that?" Daichi thought for a few seconds and then gave an answer. "That guy who came at me first, he was leading me to the other two and they ambushed me. They hit me with a sedative concoction. It didn''t work though¡­ I think they wanted to capture me. Not kill. Maybe they were after me and the rest of their team wanted to keep you two busy or they just wanted to take me hostage to have an advantage over you¡­ I''m not sure." "If they wanted to capture you, then there were much more subtle methods. They could have laid in wait and ambushed you when you were alone, or tried to capture you in your sleep¡­ But this was an all out assault." Shizune gave her thoughts as she listened. Tsunade closed her eyes and went through everything she learned about the enemies. "Hypothetically, if they were after you Daichi, then Shizune is right. There were simpler ways to capture you. And based on the strength of the enemies we faced, I doubt you could have resisted much... That is if we were in the Land of Hot water right now." Daichi and Shizune''s eyes widened as they heard that. Tsunade continued. "We''re near the border of the Land of Iron. At our pace we would have crossed the border in about an hour. If we crossed and a battle took place in their land then their leader Mifune wouldn''t have shown mercy to any of us. And if information on those enemy ninjas were exposed it would have created a major problem for whoever they were working for¡­ I think they wanted to avoid that." "Wait, so you''re saying they were after Daichi? But why?" Shizune was startled as she heard her teacher''s conclusions. "Don''t know. And like I said, this is a hypothetical. We still don''t know if this kid really was their target." Tsunade placed a hand on Daichi''s head and ruffled his hair. Daichi had an annoyed expression as his teacher teased him. Tsunade chuckled looking at the boy. "Regardless of their intentions, we won and they lost. That''s what matters¡­ And you¡­ You did well against them. Your strength has certainly grown much faster than I anticipated." "Thanks sensei." "Yes. And his healing skills are already starting to rival mine. I''m almost jealous." Shizune said with a pouty face Even though she said that Daichi could sense not even the slightest malice from her. Looking into Shizune''s eyes, he knew she was truly happy for him. "You''re being modest, Shizune senpai. I still have a long way to go before I reach your level." Daichi replied in a humble tone. [You have chosen the second option.] Keep the information you''ve discovered about your enemies to yourself. [Rewards:] Restrictions on Danzo Shimura. Root attack on you will become near zero. With a smile Daichi turned to his teacher. "So what now sensei? We still headed north or go back to the capital?" After thinking for a few seconds Tsunade replied. "Let''s head north. I know a place where we can stay and rest for a few days." At that moment Daichi got the memories of his clone who used Atamagai''s cloak. The group continued on with their journey. They soon crossed the border and reached the Land of Iron. The three put on a thick coat that protected them from the snow and cold. Daichi felt the snow beneath his feet and felt nostalgic. ''Wow. How long has it been? That dungeon with the small snow terrain was similar but nothing like this¡­'' The group walked slowly through the snowy terrain for a few hours. Tsunade led them to an empty cottage hidden in the nearby forest. She opened the door and found the place in a decent condition. The cottage was big enough for the three of them. "This place belongs to an old friend. He just uses this as a vacation home from time to time. I''m sure he won''t mind us crashing the place for a few days¡­" Tsunade lit some wood on fire and warmed the place. "We''ve had a hell of a day. Let''s get some rest." Daichi and Shizune nodded to that sentiment and picked a room. Tsunade sat near a table and began writing something on two scrolls. A while later she summoned Katsuyu. "Katsuyu. I need you to take these to Jiraiya and Sarutobi sensei. It''s urgent and of utmost importance." "At once my lady." Taking the scrolls the slug vanished in a puff of smoke. Tsunade took out a bottle of sake from a scroll and took several gulps. ''If anyone can find out what happened then it''s them¡­ There are too many questions. Is this another village making a move or someone else? And were they really after Daichi? If so then why? Or is it something else? Too many questions and not enough answers. Whatever the case, they knew about my phobia. They had Intel that shouldn''t be available to most people. So that narrows down the list of suspects.'' She then held her necklace and let out a tired breath. ''Daichi had his first kill. I wonder how he''s dealing with that? He acted normal so I didn''t address it till now but I need to speak with him.'' Tsunade took another mouthful of her alcohol. ''But first I should get some rest.'' ¡ª- Daichi was in his room going over the events of the day. He was thinking about what Tsunade had said. ''She is right. Those guys attacked us because they had no choice. If we went through the Land of Hot Water, then we would have stayed there for a couple days and I have no doubt the root had been following us before we left the capital. They would have gotten me alone and would have tried to subdue me or capture me in my sleep. And I would have had no choice but to reveal my cards.'' Daichi sighed and went through the memories of the invisible clone. ''After my clone killed Gino he immediately headed for Bu. But somehow he dodged. Was it intuition or did he sense the clone¡­ Hmm... based on my memories it was just luck. And that clone sensed Zetsu''s presence just when me and my clones engaged Doka and Bu. It was at the edge of my senses so me and the other clones couldn''t sense him. He will no doubt inform Tobi about ''the kid'' under Tsunade''s care who can kill Jonin level ninjas already¡­ This is already a headache¡­'' Daichi laid on the comfy bed and thought about his decision. ''I''m not strong enough to bitch slap the enemies that come my way and ignore the plans and machinations of anyone no matter their strength. I could majorly fuck canon up right now but then I would lose my advantage. Until I''m strong enough, I''ll try to stick to what I know¡­ I''ve already made major changes but in my calculations they don''t take any effect anytime soon. I hope.'' Daichi got up and went to a nearby window. ''Tsunade sensei will definitely inform the Hokage and Jiraiya. I wonder what action they will take? I wonder what Kensei will do when he finds out?'' Daichi''s mind then went through every second of the fight he had. ''I took out the first one so quickly due to sheer Luck. He let his guard down thinking I fell prey to his partner''s genjutsu, the injuries I suffered from fighting Doka and the sleeping poison in my system. The other tried to stall but that didn''t work. Her strength was speed but I still outclassed her¡­ Based on their stats alone, I would have defeated them if I had battled head on but it would have taken a lot longer.'' Daichi''s memories then shifted to the second round of battle with Doka and the fight he had with Bu. ''My chakra reserves combined with my fine control allowed me to spam genjutsu and ninjutsu on them. My team work when I battle with clones is good. All those battle experiences in the dungeon did wonders for me. But still, It took everything I had to survive. In my current state, I only won because I had the cheat of the invisibility cloak.'' Daichi also noticed something in the battle. Something he was thankful for. ''They were holding back. If they were fighting to kill me things would have gone a lot harder for me. And they didn''t use any of the signature jutsu of the Leaf village like the shadow clone or any clan techniques¡­'' Letting out another deep breath, Daichi went back to his bed. He laid on the comfy mattress and crossed his arms behind his head. ''They underestimated me. Those guys thought I was just a 10 year old kid with medical training and some shinobi skills. That tells me the information they have on me isn''t accurate. Makes sense. I was extremely cautious when training. Always checking my surroundings with mana scout and chakra sense. And since I mostly trained in the old man''s compound and fought in dungeons, those root creeps wouldn''t have gotten a read on my abilities¡­ Still I need to be careful¡­ I might never know when my luck would run out.'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 137 – Interlude 09 – Cold War Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Shortly after Tsunade and her students left the battle area the spy of the Akatsuki organization appeared out of the ground. It was a mere coincidence that he was there. One of the white Zetsu clones was near the area and alerted black Zetsu of the battle. He arrived at the battlefield just after Daichi successfully forced the root ninjas away from his teachers. He watched Daichi battle the two ninjas and witnessed how he healed Shizune. "Well that was interesting." The white half said in a jolly tone. "Yes. I didn''t think there would be someone who would try to make a move on that Senju at this moment." The black half replied. "What do you think about that boy?" White Zetsu asked his counterpart. "He''s strong. Well¡­ for a brat anyway. But we''ve seen plenty like him throughout the years." Black Zetsu already made an analysis of Daichi as he witnessed the fight. "Based on his interactions with Tsunade, I''d say he was her student." "Hmm¡­ You''re right. I didn''t think she would take another apprentice." "Do you think he''s a Senju?" The white half questioned. "No. His chakra indicates that he''s not from the Senju or any other clan¡­" The black half replied after giving it a few seconds of thought. "A clanless kid? He''s quite strong for his age. He was able to kill that one ninja and fight the other all the while healing that other apprentice." "Yes. But there are several things that were in his favor. Based on what we saw I''m certain those ninjas were holding back. There were several moments where they could have gone for the kill. I think they were trying to subdue him. Probably to use against Tsunade or the Leaf." The black spoke in a gruff voice. "What do you think they were after? That child or the Sannin? Or something else?" At the white Zetsu''s question the black half fell silent for a short while. He then replied after thinking it over. "It''s possible they were after the child but it''s a small one. Based on what I sensed the only things he had going for him was his large chakra reserves and control. The jutsus he used had the precise amount of chakra needed and the number of ninjutsu, genjutsu used and the shadow clones used tells me he has great reserves. On par with high level Jonins. He also knows medical ninjutsu. He must be talented to be learning medical techniques under her¡­ If he was the target then that should be it." "Someone with perfect control and large reserves. That''s rare." White Zetsu complimented. "Yes. But we''ve seen plenty who were like that. Granted they were part of a clan but still, he''s nothing special." "Do you think he would become strong enough to interfere with the plan? Are you going to tell Madara?" "No. It would be a waste of time. Our goals will be completed within the next 7 or 8 years. The boy would become strong in that time but not enough to become a threat that would endanger our plans. He''s not a Senju, Uchiha or an Uzumaki. He''s not Jinchuriki either. The boy is inconsequential. The only thing he has going for him is the large chakra reserves and being Tsunade''s apprentice. And that''s not all that special and won''t matter when the time comes." Black Zetsu replied dismissing Daichi as a non threat. "Hmm. You''re right. Still¡­ I wonder who sent those ninjas? Only someone bold enough and has enough strength and backing would launch a direct attack on one of the Sannin." "You''re right about that. I have a few suspects in mind with Orochimaru and Danzo being at the top of the list... But it''s not our concern. Let''s head back." Black Zetsu gave the verdict and the strange black and white creature disappeared into the ground. Somewhere in the Land of Hot Water. Jiraiya was perched atop a roof and was peering through a telescope. His eyes were taking in the sights of the lovely ladies who were relaxing at the hot springs. "Ohh yeah. So gorgeous. Take your time ladies. I''m not in a hurry." He was writing something in his small notebook as he ''conducted his research'' as he usually put it. "Mmm yes. So round. So firm¡­ My next book is going to be so epic." The man said to himself as he perved on the women. At that moment a small puff of smoke appeared near him. The mountain sage glanced at the puff of smoke and was curious as to who came. "Are you still acting so shamelessly Jiraiya?" Katsuyu asked the man. Jiraiya was surprised when he found that it was Lady Katsuyu. He smiled and nonchalantly replied. "A man needs his hobbies." "Make sure it doesn''t get you killed. I''m sure you remember what happened the last time you attempted something like this with Lady Tsunade." Jiraiya grimaced as he recalled those memories. He slightly shivered in fright but also giggled as he recalled Tsunade''s furious face. Even when angry, she still had her charm. At least that''s what he thought. The slug summon sighed looking at Jiraiya''s reaction. "You certainly are an odd one." The toad sage brought his attention back to Katsuyu. "What brings you here? I assume it''s something important." "Yes. Tsunade tasked me with delivering this message to you as quickly as I could." The toad sage was curious now. He took the scroll and read through the contents. The smile vanished from his face and the aura of a clumsy pervert was replaced with a cold hearted veteran shinobi. "I''ll meet with Tsunade at the Land of Medicine in a few days." The slug nodded at the reply and vanished. Jiraiya looked at the private bath and sighed. ''Next time ladies.'' Hokage office. It was night time. Hiruzen was smoking and enjoying the calm atmosphere when suddenly a small slug appeared on his desk in a puff of smoke. The kage only took a second to recognize the creature. He made a slight motion to his guards to stand down and indicated that the visitor was an ally. "Lady Katsuyu. This is a surprise." Hiruzen greeted the Summon. "Apologies, Lord Hokage for the sudden arrival. But Lady Tsunade asked that I deliver this scroll to you as quickly as possible." With those words the small slug spat out a scroll. It had Tsunade''s signature chakra on it. Hiruzen''s eyes immediately sharpened. He knew Tsunade wouldn''t resort to using her summon unless something extreme happened. "How is Tsunade and everyone else?" He asked Katsuyu as he took the scroll and unwrapped it. "Lady Tsunade and her students are fine. Considering everything that has happened. You will understand once you''ve read the scroll." Hiruzen had a bad feeling in his heart as he heard those words. He opened the scroll and went through every line written on it. His face went rigid as he read through the scroll and by the end anyone could tell that he was furious. "Please tell Tsunade that I''ll handle it." He replied to the slug who was waiting for his response. "Yes." With that the small summon vanished. ''It was the right choice. I made the right choice moving against Danzo''. Hiruzen pressed a button under the desk which sent a special alert to selected Anbu members residing in the headquarters. He then looked at the ninjas hidden in the room and gave an order. "Summon Danzo Shimura here. If he refuses for any reason, consider him a traitor and bring him here by force." The Anbu and guards were stunned. They obeyed quickly and moved out of the office. Within a short time they reached the former councilors home. They found the man''s chakra signature inside the house and without waiting for an invitation they entered. Danzo narrowed his eyes at the sudden arrival of several Anbu ninjas. Since publicly he was no longer the head of the root he didn''t have any Root ninjas as guards posted at his home. But they were hidden near the area in case of an attack. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Danzo questioned. "Danzo Shimura." The lead Anbu stepped forward. "You have been summoned by Lord Hokage." Danzo did not like the tone in which the Anbu ninja spoke to him. He didn''t like the way things were going. "Why?" "We''re not here to answer your questions." Danzo tensed and clenched his fists. The Anbu who saw the subtle movements and tensions of their target began to prepare for a possible combat. But the next second, the man stood up and calmly spoke. "Take me to him." The Anbu surrounded the man and they all disappeared. They arrived at the Hokage''s office within a short time¡­ Danzo had an impassive face as he walked in. ''Hiruzen summoning me like this at this time¡­! This must be related to the mission I assigned Bu. Something must have happened. But I need to stay calm and find out what.'' Hiruzen was looking out the window at the Hokage monument and was smoking from his pipe when Anbu brought his old colleague. For a while none of them spoke. After a minute of silence the old Kage spoke. "When Tobirama sensei tasked me with the protection of the village, I knew I could do it. It wasn''t because I had absolute confidence in myself¡­ No. It was because I believed I would have you to watch my back. I knew you wanted to be Hokage and when Tobirama sensei made the choice I knew it must have made you angry. But despite our rivalry, different personalities and ideals, I had faith that you would help me in times of need. I believed we would both protect the village hand in hand and I could sleep easily knowing that you were here if anything happened to me." The kage fell silent. Danzo was silent as he listened to the Hokage. "Hiruzen. I- " "Those days are long gone." The Hokage cut off whatever the man was going to say. His tone set Danzo on edge. Hiruzen then turned around and looked at the man. He had a calm gaze but Danzo knew the man was furious. "Tsunade and her students were attacked earlier today. It was near the Valley of the end. The attackers all died. Under normal circumstances I would have focused on the enemies outside the village walls but there was one detail in the report she sent that made me focus my gaze here. They knew about her phobia." Hiruzen kept his eyes fixed on Danzo as he spoke. He wanted to see the man''s reaction. He wasn''t surprised that the only reaction his old friend made was the small narrowing of his one eye. "Hiruzen. Let''s be clear. You believe I had a hand in this. That''s why you brought me here, isn''t it?" "Yes." "I don''t have the ability to do something like that. You saw to that a couple years ago." Hiruzen didn''t speak and just looked at his old colleague. Danzo continued. "And there are several people who knew about her condition, like Orochimaru. He could be the one behind the attack." "And what reason would he have to go after her after all these years?" Hiruzen asked the man. Danzo became silent for a few seconds. If he said Daichi''s name then that would indicate he knew private information that was not easily available. "Maybe he''s after the Senju bloodline. He''s had a fascination with the first Hokage''s power." The Hokage just simply looked at the man with a steely gaze. Danzo was unnerved. "Hiruzen. You''re making a mistake. I''m not the enemy¡­ And what proof do you have that I''m the one responsible for this attack?" Hiruzen smiled at that. "Nothing. The ninja who attacked them all used a suicide jutsu to make sure no identification was possible. It''s why you''re here in my office instead of the interrogation department with Ibiki and Inoichi tearing through your mind." The old kage then took a puff from his pipe and let out a smoky breath. "But the thing is I don''t need proof. I''m the kage of this village. I can have you shipped off to interrogation at this very moment and find out the answers I''m looking for." "Hiruzen!" The angry shout from Danzo drew blades from the surrounding ninjas. The old kage looked at his former rival for several seconds and made a choice. "You are hereby placed on house arrest. I will have someone go through your finances and assets. If you interfere, resist or try to escape, I will declare you a traitor to the village." Danzo''s eyes widened as he heard those words. He knew if he was declared a traitor he would never be able to become the kage of the village. Even if he somehow takes it by force he knew there would be a large resistance. "How could you? After everything I did for the village!" Just as those words were spoken by Danzo, killing intent burst forth from Hiruzen. "Did you send your team to capture Daichi, injure Shizune and traumatize Tsunade for the village?!" The Root leader was quiet as he heard the accusation. "The only reason I''m being lenient like this is because I don''t have any solid proof that it was your agents who ambushed them. And if you utter one more word, I''ll do what I should have done that day." Danzo remained silent as Hiruzen took a breath and reigned in his intent. Danzo was channeling chakra through his body and was prepared to use Kotoamatsukami in the worst case scenario. But he knew there were risks of being found out if he used it here. Hiruzen spoke after several seconds of silence. "I know you''re aware of the boy and his talents¡­ He would be quite the shield and sword if you were to get your hands on him. So I''m only going to say this once. If anyone goes after Daichi Hekima, I''ll consider them doing so, on your orders and we will have another conversation in a very different environment. Do I make myself clear?" Danzo gritted his teeth and then gave a short reply. "Yes." "Take him. And keep him under surveillance." Hiruzen motioned to his Anbu. After the Anbu left Hiruzen made a signal and all his guards vanished. A few seconds later an Anbu appeared in his office. "Have you found that man Bear?" Hiruzen questioned. "No sir. It seems ''that individual''s'' identity is a closely guarded secret that only Danzo knows." Anbu bear replied. Hiruzen sighed and took his seat. "I expected as much. That person is the second in command of the Root. He knows every root ninja''s identity, their operational details, the roots locations and finances. His identity would be of the utmost secrecy¡­ Danzo is one of the most cunning, merciless and shrewd men I have ever met. To become his second in command¡­ No ordinary person could do it. I know how intelligent, ruthless and cunning one has to be to fill in that position." "Sir, if you don''t mind me asking. Why did you let him leave like that? You could have taken him to interrogation and we would have had the answers we needed." "Yes. But if that was the case then his root would have attacked and they would have tried to rescue him. They are loyal to him first and the village second. A serious mistake and oversight on my part¡­ The collateral damage and life lost is not something the village can handle at the moment¡­ I know he was the one who sent the people to ambush Tsunade. But this way, by letting him go, he would think that I have no proof and unsure of his role and thus would drop this matter after finding no evidence. So for the moment he''s going to lay low and his root ninjas won''t make any moves as well. That''s what I want too. Until we find the identity of that man and every asset under Danzo, this war must remain a cold one and in the shadows." At that moment a Jonin appeared in the office. He had pure white eyes without pupils indicating that he was a member of the Hyuga clan. A Jonin who was considered for the position of Anbu. Tsubaki. Hiruzen and the Anbu bear turned their attention to the new arrival. "What did you find Tsubaki?" The kage asked. Hiruzen tasked Tsubaki with examining Danzo''s body with his Byakugan. "His chakra is much stronger and more potent than most ninja I''ve seen in the village. It was especially potent in his right arm but I couldn''t see more than that. There were special seals blocking the Byakugan." The Jonin replied in a serious tone. "It''s to be expected. I believe he used the first Hokage''s blood and performed some sort of experiment with the help of Orochimaru." Bear''s eyes widened when he heard that. "Wait. So that''s what he was doing that day at that hideout?" "Yes. I believe so." Hiruzen replied. "Sir there''s something more¡­" Tsubaki spoke, gaining their attention once again. "His right eye had chakra running through it. The eye wasn''t used but was active. I believe he has a Sharingan hidden under that bandage. And the chakra signature of that eye. I''ve only seen one person with that unique chakra signature¡­ Shisui Uchiha." Hiruzen''s eyes widened as he heard that name. Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 138 – Land of Medicines Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. Hokage office. Hiruzen stood still, shocked and in disbelief at what he just heard. "Tsubaki! Are you sure about that?" The question came before he could even stop himself. "Yes sir. There is no mistaking it." The Hyuga Jonin replied. Hiruzen''s mind worked faster than it had in a long time. He recalled the day when Shisui Uchiha confided in him and his advisors on his Mangekyo Sharingan powers. He also recalled the day the young Uchiha died and what the clan was about to do at that time. ''Shisui was going to use his Sharingan to stop the revolt but the next thing I hear is that he committed suicide. I had no clue what drove him to do something like that but now¡­ The only way Danzo would have his Sharingan is if he took it from Shisui¡­ The power of his eyes. Now that I think about it, Danzo would definitely covet something like that. He went after Kakashi''s Sharingan once upon a time. So it''s not a stretch to assume he''d do something like that again.'' Hiruzen had a startling realization. ''Danzo killed Shisui. But that note Shisui left¡­. No. A shinobi like him wouldn''t commit suicide unless he had nothing else. Either Danzo killed Shisui and disguised it as a suicide or something else happened. But he is involved in this. But how do I find out what happened?... Itachi! He would know. I need to make contact with him. I need to know the truth.'' "Lord Hokage. What is it?" Hiruzen raised his head and looked at the two loyal shinobi in front of him. "I believe in your assessment. If it is a Sharingan then I believe it''s Shisui Uchiha''s Sharingan that''s in Danzo''s right eye. Shisui Uchiha committed suicide over a year before the Uchiha massacre. But it seems that''s a lie." "Lord Hokage, not that I''m doubting you or Tsubaki, but you seem absolutely sure that it''s Shisui''s eye that Danzo has. Why?" The Anbu codenamed Bear asked his kage. Hiruzen let out a breath and a few seconds later replied. "Shisui had something called Mangekyo Sharingan. It''s an advanced stage of the Sharingan even greater than the 3 tomoe. Only a handful of people in history were able to awaken the Mangekyo eyes. Those who awakened those eyes were granted unique powers. Shisui had the ability called Kotoamatsukami. It''s a powerful genjutsu that allows the user to enter the victim''s mind and manipulate them by giving false experiences. And the victims would be completely unaware they were being manipulated. Those who know it regard it as the most powerful genjutsu in existence." The eyes of the two ninjas in the Hokage''s office widened as they heard that. "That''s¡­ If Danzo had something like that¡­" Tsubaki was startled as they heard the power of Shisui''s Sharingan eye. "But sir, wouldn''t there be drawbacks to something like that? Every powerful jutsu must have some weakness." Bear deduced that something as powerful as that genjutsu must have some sort of a weakness. "Yes. Every powerful jutsus has their risks but¡­ With Hashirama Senju''s power added to the mix, I''m not sure." Hiruzen looked at the two ninjas in front of him. "I will come up with the necessary counter measures. Tsubaki. Make sure to check Bear''s status from time to time. I can''t have him falling under Danzo''s power." "Yes sir." Land of Iron. In a cabin hidden in the snowy forest in the land of Iron, three medic ninjas were taking some much needed rest. Daichi only needed 4 hours of sleep and after waking up he went downstairs to the small kitchen to cook something for the group. He knew Tsunade and Shizune would be mentally tired after an ordeal like this and wanted to help them. Daichi had many ingredients stored in his inventory and in a scroll in case of an emergency like this. He made the necessary preparations and began preparing the foods. Cooking relaxed Daichi. It had a calming effect on him similar to painting or gardening. After sometime several exquisite smells drifted out of the kitchen which woke the other two temporary residents in the cabin. "Wow¡­ That smells delicious Daichi." Shizune came first and Tonton walked in as well. "Thanks. It''s going to taste even better than it smells." Daichi grinned and gave a cheeky reply. A few moments later Tsunade joined them in the kitchen. "It''s really handy to have our own personal chef isn''t it Shizune." "Yes. The dishes are quite delicious. His cooking skills have certainly improved. I''m half tempted to keep him with us." Shizune replied with a small laugh. "Oink oink!" "See. Even Tonton agrees." Tsunade ruffled Daichi''s hair. She knew it always got to him. The slug Sannin and her first apprentice teased the young boy. They laughed seeing Daichi''s annoyed face. "I could stay with you or¡­ you two could come back to the village with me." Daichi replied back with a smile. Hearing that Tsunade smile slightly turned sad. But it was only for a moment. She snorted and turned her head. "A tempting offer. But I''ll pass. Maybe I''ll visit once in a while to check up on you and see if you screwed anything up but I like roaming around the place." Daichi shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "Your loss." In a short while all the dishes were prepared and they set the table. The 3 ninjas plus a pet pig had a comfortable meal and finally relaxed after the life threatening ordeal they went through. At that moment Tsunade looked and Daichi decided to broach a delicate subject. "How are you feeling Daichi?" She asked him. Daichi was confused for a moment. "I feel fine." He replied unsure why she would ask him now. "Unless I''m mistaken you''ve had your first kill today, haven''t you?" Daichi''s eyes slightly widened as he heard that. He had completely dismissed it. Due to a combination of gamers'' minds, his numerous kills in the dungeon and the kill during the heat of the battle he didn''t give it any thought. "If you''re asking me if I had some nightmares over those kills or regret my actions, then the answer is no." Daichi replied with a straight face. Tsunade looked at the kid for a few moments and then asked. "Why?" Shizune was also paying attention to Daichi. Daichi was silent as he thought about how to best answer that question. After a minute of silence he gave his reply. "I understand the life I chose. One day I''m going to have to make the choice of me or my enemy. And I know the kind of person I am. I don''t feel any regret over killing them. It was in the heat of the battle. But I also didn''t enjoy it. If it were just me, I might have tried to escape or I would have tried to subdue them and killing them would have been a last resort. But it wasn''t just my life that was at stake, your lives were also in danger. I won''t take the life of every enemy I come across, but to those that threaten my life and the people I care about, to those that truly deserve it, I won''t show any mercy." Tsunade looked at Daichi''s resolute face and let out a small breath. "You have a strong heart and mind. You are dealing with this better than most kids your age would¡­ The piece of advice I can give you in this situation is, don''t let it consume you. With your strength, it won''t be long before enemies come for you. You will have to make choices like this again and again. Don''t let those decisions swallow you up¡­ Make sure you have someone you can count on to help you through in your dark times. No one can go at it alone and not change." Daichi nodded. "I understand." "You saved my life, you know. You''re a good kid with a good heart. Don''t forget that." Shizune said, smiling at Daichi. Daichi nodded, smiling. "I can''t help but wonder who those people were? They must have had a reason for such a brazen attack." Shizune turned to her mentor and said as she thought about the attackers. "Too bad we don''t have any bodies. If we did, we could have figured out where they came from." Tsunade sighed. Daichi was looking at his food and was concentrating on finishing his plate. He didn''t want to let the other two know that he had two intact fresh corpses of the root ninjas with him. Daichi had checked the status of the first two ninjas he killed after taking the scrolls out of the inventory. The bodies were preserved and were still warm as if they were only killed a few minutes ago. Daichi quickly sealed them back inside the scroll and placed them back in his inventory. ''Tsunade sensei is right. But it''s better that I hold on to these bodies. I could study them and figure out so many things. Their bodies contain valuable information on the root after all. If I can learn some Yamanaka mind techniques or increase the level of my Mana skills and create a skill that can read memories of the dead, then I can get the root secrets. This is a valuable opportunity, and I can''t waste it¡­ Although something like this will definitely take some time to accomplish.'' ¡ª- The next morning the trio of medic ninjas left the place and continued on with their journey. Within seven hours they reached their destination. "This is the Land of Medicine. If we go inwards then we''ll reach the ''Three Wolves'' mountain ranges." Tsunade gave a run down of the land to Daichi. At that moment Daichi received a system notification. [Mini-Map has been updated. Location - Three Wolves Mountain Range.] "Now, there are three villages situated at the base of each mountain. The Howling Wolf Village, Awakening Wolf Village and Nourishing Wolf Village. We''ll first be heading to the Howling Wolf Village. They sell medicines and shinobi services. I spent some time here training a long time ago. Come on." "Are medicinal herbs the specialty of this place?" Daichi asked his teacher. "Yes. The region surrounding the mountain range is filled with medical plants and rare herbs. It''s why it''s called the Land of Medicine. A person with adequate knowledge would be able to make over 300 medicines with just the herbs that could be found near the Howling Wolf Village." "Wow." Daichi''s eyes widened with excitement. ''If I can increase my knowledge I can maybe level up several skills and increase the effects of several of my medical skills.'' Tsunade led the other two through the mountain range and soon reached the Howling Wolf village. She headed in a certain direction and soon stood in front of a small home. She knocked on the door a few times and a few seconds later it opened. A man with dull blue hair opened the door and his eyes widened as he saw who was standing in front of him. The next second he quickly shut the door in her face without a word. Daichi and Shizune stood back and had an awkward expression seeing what just happened. Tsunade knocked on the door again. "Come on Denjiru, open up." "Go away." A voice came from the inside. "Oh come on! Are you still mad about what happened?" "Yes!" "What if I say I can remedy that?" Tsunade said in a somewhat teasing tone as she looked at the locked door. Daichi who was standing several feet back sweat dropped. ''This sounds like the start of a bad porno.'' "Unless you have my 400,000Ryo there''s nothing you can do." "I have it." After she said those words there was a few seconds of silence and then the door opened once again. The blue haired man looked at Tsunade and asked her to show him the money. Tsunade took a scroll from her jacket and tossed it at the man. He opened it and was surprised to see it filled with money. "Can I come in now?" The slug Sannin asked. The man signed. "You''re just gonna break my door down now if I say no. So what''s the point?" With that he slowly opened the door and Tsunade entered the small residence followed by Shizune and Daichi. Daichi looked at the man. ''I wonder what''s the story with him?'' Author¡¯s Note: If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen Chapter 139 – Training in the Land of medicine Disclaimer: I don''t own Naruto or the Gamer. Please support the official release. The 3 medic ninjas entered Denjiru''s home. ''Observe'' Daichi quickly used the ability to get a read on him. [?] [Denjiru] ? ''Wow. I can''t read his level. So then this guy must be some kind of elite Jonin. Based on the wrinkles on his skin I''d say he''s in his late 40s. And I can''t sense his chakra presence.'' The lack of information from his observation skill and what he sensed or lack thereof had Daichi on his guard. "I have to say. This is a surprise. I didn''t expect to see you here Tsunade. Especially after the stunt you pulled with me." The man known as Denjiru spoke. "Would you believe me if I said I felt sorry and wanted to see my old friend again?" Tsunade had a smile as she said that. Denjiru didn''t look amused. "No. I wasn''t born yesterday..." The Sannin sighed and then sat down on a nearby chair. "I''m looking for Shinji. Last time we spoke he said he''d be here. But it''s been several years since then. And since you''re his closest friend I figured you might know his exact location." The blue haired man chuckled. "You''re a year late if you''re looking for Shinji here. He''s gone. Since he was on borrowed time, he went to ''explore the world'' as he said, about a year ago." Tsunade slightly scowled as she heard that. "Damn. That man is like a chameleon. It''ll be damn hard to find him once he disappears." Nodding his head in agreement, Denjiru then turned to Shizune and Daichi. "I remember Shizune but who''s the kid?" Daichi stepped forward and introduced himself. "Hello sir, my name is Daichi Hekima. I''m Lady Tsunade''s student." The man raised an eyebrow at that and turned to look at the blonde haired woman. Tsunade just smirked and shrugged her shoulders as if it wasn''t a big deal. "Well I was here for Shinji but since that''s a bust, I''ll move on with my other plans. It was nice seeing you, Denjiru." With those words Tsunade left with Shizune and Daichi following behind her. "Who was that guy?" Daichi was curious about their relationship. "He is someone I met a couple decades ago. He''s a medic ninja. And a competent one at that. But he disliked the violent shinobi life and came here to live his life in peace." "What was with the money you gave him, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked. Tsunade had a sheepish expression as she replied. "I may or may not have duped him out of 400,000 Ryo and skipped town." The two students just sighed at their master''s antics. The three soon found a decent Inn and settled down. "Daichi. I had planned on having someone train you in special Taijutsu style but that plan is now scrapped. Along with your remaining medical training I''ll be teaching you how to use my super strength. I''m sure you can incorporate it into your style." Daichi nodded in agreement. "For now, just explore the village. But don''t cause any trouble." "Yes sensei." With that Daichi left the place. He looked around and saw several apothecaries. ''This place must have a treasure trove of information on herbs. I need to learn it all.'' Daichi then thought about the things he had to complete this year. ''I need to find a waterfall to complete the second step of the wind nature chakra. And if there isn''t one, then I need to find a remote place and make one. I''ll also need to find a dungeon. Getting to level 50 with one dungeon would be ideal but if not, I''ll have to do a second one.'' He discreetly created a few clones and had them move around the village. After a while one of his clones found an ideal spot for completing the waterfall cutting step of his wind nature training. Daichi explored the small village and returned to the Inn when it was nightfall. When he entered the room he was surprised to see Jiraiya there drinking with his teacher. "Ah! Daichi. You''re here. Tsunade was just telling me about you." "Lord Jiraiya. You''re here?" "I just came to visit this place. Nothing much." Came the reply from the Toad sage. "Mmhm." ''Yeah. A routine visit the day after we were attacked. Like I''d believe that.'' Daichi excused himself and went to his room. He freshened up and went to the balcony outside and looked at the sky. A few moments later Jiraiya joined him. "You know, you, standing there looking at the stars like that¡­ you just reminded me of someone else." The man spoke to Daichi. "May I ask, who?" "My sensei of course. He had that look too when he gazed at the stars. As if there was something more there." Both of them fell silent for a while. "You''ve gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met." Jiraiya spoke looking at the boy. "Thank you. That''s a high compliment coming from someone like you." "You did good, kid. I haven''t seen Tsunade like this in a long time. She''s a lot happier than she has been in a long time." Daichi nodded and agreed with that sentiment. He saw that his teacher was drinking less and had a smile most of the time. "Tell me something, have you ever considered learning the Sealing Arts?" Jiraiya''s question startled Daichi. The boy then folded his arms and thought about the subject. A moment later, he replied. "Truth be told, yes. Learning the Sealing Arts has been on my mind for a while but it''s not a high priority for me at the moment. I figured I''d start learning it a year or two after I became a Genin. And then master it in another couple years." Daichi turned his head and looked at the Sannin next to him. "Why are you asking? Are you interested in having me as a student?" Jiraiya looked at Daichi for a few moments and he had an unreadable expression. A few moments later, he sighed. "The sealing arts isn''t something one can master in a few years. It needs time, dedication and intelligence¡­. But then again the same could be said for medical ninjutsu. And you completed it in one year. Something that should be impossible. So¡­ Maybe you can do it." The man looked ahead and became quiet for a few seconds before continuing. "And to answer your question, No. I''m not interested in taking a student at this moment. No matter how much of a genius he is¡­ Good luck with your training Daichi." Patting his back, Jiraiya left the place. Daichi stood on the balcony for sometime as well and soon went to bed. ¡ª- The next day onwards his training resumed. Under Tsunade, Daichi had to learn about hundreds of different plants and their uses and how they would interact with other medical herbs. His time was split learning about the herbs, how to concoct medicine as well as poisons, learning Tsunade''s strength technique and completing his wind chakra nature training. He also had to spend time on his daily exercise and finishing up the academy assignments. A few days later Kensei had also visited him. The man was furious when he learned what had happened, but after seeing that Daichi was alright he calmed down. He spent a week with his grandson and then left for the capital. Kensei knew if he did something reckless in anger it could jeopardize the plans put in place. But that didn''t mean he wasn''t still angry. He redoubled his efforts and decided to find the spy in the hospital in the fire country. The months went by and Daichi was making steady progress on his training. [Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.] +500 Exp. +75 Exp. ''Finally! I''ve completed it.'' Daichi finally completed the second step of the wind nature chakra. He opened the skill list and checked on the two skills. [Wind - Leaf cutting technique] - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) [Note: increasing the level of this skill will increase the level of the skill ''Wind Affinity.''] [Effects:] 100% increase in Wind Chakra control. [CP cost : 5/sec.] . [Wind - Waterfall cutting technique] - (Active/Passive)(LV. MAX) [Effects:] 200% Increase in Wind Chakra control. 300% Increase in power of Wind Chakra nature. [CP cost : 18/sec.] At that moment Daichi received another system message. [You have mastered the two steps of all 5 chakra natures. The level of the 5 nature affinities has reached 90. You have received the New title ''Master of the Elements''.] [New Title: Master of the Elements.] [This title increases your chance of successfully creating Ninjutsu.] [When CP reaches below 2000, all ninjutsu CP costs will be halved without any reduction in their effects.] [Increase the level up speed of all Ninjutsu.] Daichi read the new title effects and was impressed. ''Wow. Master of the elements huh. I like the sound of that. Increasing my chance of creating Ninjutsu and the level up speed¡­ This is a very useful title indeed.'' Daichi looked at the skill list and his eyes went to the different chakra affinity skills. ''Wind, Water, Earth, Fire and Lightning. All of them have reached level 90. In the description, it says I can only merge different elements that have crossed level 90¡­ Hmm. So unless I start on the third step and increase the level of the skill to 91, I won''t be able to combine natures to create new ones.'' Daichi had a frown on his face as he looked at the skills. ''But is it really that simple? Or is there something else?'' Daichi decided to work on creating and expanding his ninjutsu arsenal next year. His mind was focused on completing the tasks for the current year quest. Opening the ongoing quest, he looked at the main conditions needed to complete this year. [Complete at least 1 Dungeon before the end of March next year.] [Master at least 2 advanced Nature transformation skills.] [Complete academic assignments before the final exam of this curriculum.] [Reach level 50 before the end of next March.] ''I''ve completed one of the conditions. And I''ll easily be able to finish my curriculum assignments by the end of the year. So my main task should be to reach level 50.'' Daichi opened the status page and looked at his level. Level : 48 (27145/61275) ''One dungeon might not be enough.'' At that moment Daichi thought about the one dungeon he hadn''t gone into yet. ''Penalty dungeon¡­ But that''s supposed to be a punishment dungeon. Landing in that place doesn''t mean the quest has failed. But will I be able to gain experience there? And moreover I have no idea what kind of place that''s going to be or the enemies I''ll face? So should I risk it?'' Thinking over it for a few minutes, Daichi made a decision. ''I''ll complete one key dungeon. And if it''s still not enough I''ll use the penalty dungeon.'' With his next move planned, Daichi left the training ground. ¡ª- Tsunade took Daichi to the two other villages situated in the Three Wolves Mountain Range and taught him the different medicines and herbs growing in and around the villages. At Tsunade''s request, Denjiru joined in teaching Daichi about the plants growing there. Even with Daichi''s exceptional memory, it took a long time for him to learn the different plants and the various methods needed to synthesize an antidote or poisons from the plants. Tsunade was amazed at Daichi''s ability to store a seemingly infinite amount of knowledge in his head. ''There are over 1000 herbs around these mountains and many of them need unique ways to be synthesized. Add in the different combinations of various herbs to create complicated medications, it''s a massive headache. And he was able to learn all of that in just several months even while training and concentrating on his other tasks. Even I remember only about half of all that. And it took me years and complete dedication to learn all that Information.'' By the end of December Daichi completed his medical training at the land of Medicine. He received a new notification when he completed the training. [Skill effects related to identifying herbs, creating antidotes and poisons, creating various pills and healing using medicines have increased to 100%] Several medical skills leveled up and reached the Max level at that moment and Daichi received around 3000exp. ¡ª- Daichi looked at the dungeon key in his hand. ''Here I go. My sixth dungeon.'' In a flash he disappeared from his spot. Author''s Note: I''ll complete the dungeon business in just 1 chapter and after that Daichi will return to the capital. And the long awaited graduation is coming. If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps. And if you are interested in reading ahead, then checkout my patreon site. I¡¯ve uploaded up to 30 additional chapters there. Link below. Check it out. https://www.patreon.com/MonkWithAPen