Itachi collapsed into his bed, dropping all pretense of the Uchiha formality. His day hadn't...
Family Sacrifices (Gamer!Itachi)
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Chapter 1: Graduation
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
Itachi collapsed into his bed, dropping all pretense of the Uchiha formality. His day hadn't been stressful per se, but there had still been his clan to deal with. Today had been an important day after all. Itachi had been inducted into ANBU. Fugaku's position in Konoha meant that he had learned that Itachi had passed before the results had been officially released.
The graduation itself had been a formal affair, as expected. There weren't many people in attendance, just some of the more important people of the village. The real draining experience had been after the ceremony. Itachi had shaken hands with what seemed like an endless stream of Uchiha that had all offered their congratulations.
Then came the celebration, if it could be called that. The Uchiha's stiff formal method of going through life carried into joyous occasions. Everyone had been eager to talk to him about his accomplishment, and no one did anything crazy. "It is not befitting of an Uchiha," Fugaku had told Itachi many years ago. But none of it really mattered, as Itachi was now safe within his own room.
But more than just the people, there'd been something Itachi had been waiting to check ever since he'd gone through the official ceremony. There'd been a happy ding, informing him of something, as it always had. It was part of a strange power that he'd awakened one day from doing nothing in particular. He'd just woken up one day to see "<The Gamer>" floating above his head with the line "Lv 8 Itachi Uchiha" underneath it.
It had taken Itachi not very long at all to figure out this new power, and an even shorter amount of time after that to see that it had very real limits. When he'd started out, his basic stats had been fairly easy to raise through repeated use. If he were to try and raise them now, it'd takes about a week maybe of continuous dedicated training to gain one point, and with Itachi's new position, his time would be very precious.
But for now, he was content with seeing what he'd been awarded. He brought up the text box, which showed that he'd been awarded some XP for officially graduating, and that he'd been awarded a new trait. A few moments later Itachi had his trait menu pulled up before him:
Sure enough, there was a perfect recreation of his ANBU mask now among the rest of his traits. He was about to take a closer look when a voice called out to him.
"Nii-san!" It was Sasuke. Itachi closed the window with a thought and got up with a smile to greet his little brother. He was level three, which was respectable for someone his age.
"Sasuke, what's taken you so long?" Itachi asked. It was a question he was genuinely curious about. Given his younger brother's admiration of him, he was surprised he hadn't seen him earlier.
"Otou-san shooed me off while the adults were all talking to you." Sasuke pouted. "It's not fair!"
"That does sound like him. After all, a young child such as yourself running about is not befitting of the Uchiha clan." Itachi had tried his best to do an impression of Fugaku. Sasuke tried to hold back his laughter.
"So, can you help me train so I can be in ANBU like you Nii-san?" Sasuke was looking up at him, his eyes all but sparkling with admiration. Before Itachi could respond, another voice came into the conversation.
"Itachi, Sasuke, dinner!" Their mom called out to them.
"Coming Oka-san!" They said back. Sasuke gave another look at Itachi, who looked towards the dining room. Sasuke took the hint and walked out with Itachi following behind.
They took their places at the table. Fugaku was already seated, back straight, eyes straight ahead, and knees folded perfectly beneath him. To Itachi, his level was 3 question marks. It was the image of perfection that had come to be expected from the Uchiha. Itachi copied his father's posture as he sat down. Sasuke had to adjust himself after sitting to get that image of perfection.
"Itachi, today is a great day for the Uchiha." Fugaku stated. "With any luck you will prove to the rest of the village that we are better than the rest, and should do more than police work for Konoha."
"Yes, Otou-san. I understand." Any other conversation was cut short by Mikoto, who also had 3 question marks for a level, bringing out the food. They had a quick thanks and ate in silence. Eating without speaking was just another of the formalities of the Uchiha clan. Soon their plates were clean, and the table was cleared away.
"Come on, Nii-san, help me with my kunai training." Despite the lengthy interruption of dinner, Sasuke was not going to be distracted easily.
"I will help you, Sasuke." Fugaku said. But all Sasuke gave him was a pout and some whining.
"But Nii-san is better than you. And he still owes me from yesterday." Fugaku recoiled ever so slightly before smoothly recovering.
"That is true, but your brother must be very tired from today. Let him be for today. I'm sure he can go with you tomorrow."
"It's okay, I can take him for a little bit." Itachi cut in. Fugaku looked at him, but Itachi left with Sasuke in tow before anything more could be said.
Truth be told, Itachi wanted to get away from it all, even if it was only for an hour or two. Sasuke walked beside him happily. Itachi let his eyes wander, looking at all the people and their levels. Even if the shinobi and civilians didn't dress differently, the gaps in their levels were a dead give away. The highest level he'd ever seen among civilians was a 4, whereas most adult shinobi had their level in the twenties at least. Soon the pair reached the training ground.
"Have you been training often, Sasuke?" Itachi asked.
"Of course, Nii-san! I come out here every day, even when you don't come with me." Even though Sasuke was just a kid, Itachi still found that the comment stung more than he wanted to admit.
"All right then, show me what you've got." Itachi needed to see where he was at. It'd been too long since he'd last seen Sasuke throw shuriken and kunai. Becoming an ANBU took up a lot of time. Sasuke took up a position and began flinging kunai with pinpoint accuracy, except when it came to the last one. It was the one in the blind spot behind the boulder in the middle of the field.
Sasuke leapt up, throwing the first kunai, but he was still too young and couldn't get the height to throw the second one out yet. Itachi caught him before he hit the ground.
"Not bad, Sasuke, but it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer to get all of them." Itachi gave him a smile, just to let him know he was proud of him.
"It's not fair! You're older than me!" Sasuke shot back. Itachi had no rebuttal for that. Of course he knew that even if Sasuke was old enough, he wouldn't be able to pull it off quite yet. Itachi's Observe skill from his Gamer power had told him that Sasuke still had a number of levels before he'd be able to pull off that particular trick.
"Don't worry, you'll be older like me one day, and you'll be able to do it. You might even be able to do it better than me, even." Itachi was being sincere. He hoped that Sasuke would surpass him one day.
"You really think so? I'd better keep training then!" And with that, Sasuke redoubled his efforts. Itachi watched, making sure to point out his rare mistake while throwing. A few hours later, the sun began setting, and it was time for them to go home.
"I think that's enough for today, Sasuke." Itachi told him.
"All right. Thanks, Nii-san." he replied. But even at that, Itachi could tell something was up. So he just looked at him until he brought it up. "Can you show me your trick, before we go?"
"Of course, all you had to do was ask." Itachi picked up a handful of kunai. He took a deep breath, throwing himself into the air. He twisted around, flinging kunai after kunai. One, two, three, four, five, six hit successfully. He threw his penultimate one with his left hand, followed quickly by one from his right. The two collided in the air, and one was sent downward into the target in the blindspot. Itachi landed right where he had started.
"That was amazing, Nii-san!" It was always amazing. But Itachi couldn't help but feel a bit sad. He'd been able to do that trick since before he'd gotten his Gamer powers. Back then, each attempt was a success or failure, and he took a chance with every attempt. Now, his skills were dictated by levels. Once he reached a certain level for something, there was no more success or failure, only success.
"All right, let's go home now." Itachi said, bringing himself out of thought. Sasuke nodded, and the two of them began walking.
The graduation itself had been a formal affair, as expected. There weren't many people in attendance, just some of the more important people of the village. The real draining experience had been after the ceremony. Itachi had shaken hands with what seemed like an endless stream of Uchiha that had all offered their congratulations.
Then came the celebration, if it could be called that. The Uchiha's stiff formal method of going through life carried into joyous occasions. Everyone had been eager to talk to him about his accomplishment, and no one did anything crazy. "It is not befitting of an Uchiha," Fugaku had told Itachi many years ago. But none of it really mattered, as Itachi was now safe within his own room.
But more than just the people, there'd been something Itachi had been waiting to check ever since he'd gone through the official ceremony. There'd been a happy ding, informing him of something, as it always had. It was part of a strange power that he'd awakened one day from doing nothing in particular. He'd just woken up one day to see "<The Gamer>" floating above his head with the line "Lv 8 Itachi Uchiha" underneath it.
It had taken Itachi not very long at all to figure out this new power, and an even shorter amount of time after that to see that it had very real limits. When he'd started out, his basic stats had been fairly easy to raise through repeated use. If he were to try and raise them now, it'd takes about a week maybe of continuous dedicated training to gain one point, and with Itachi's new position, his time would be very precious.
But for now, he was content with seeing what he'd been awarded. He brought up the text box, which showed that he'd been awarded some XP for officially graduating, and that he'd been awarded a new trait. A few moments later Itachi had his trait menu pulled up before him:
From left to right, top to bottom: Gamer's Mind, Gamer's Body, Uchiha Heritage, ANBU Operative, Small Chakra Pool, Shinobi, Sharingan, Prodigy, Citizen of Konoha
Sure enough, there was a perfect recreation of his ANBU mask now among the rest of his traits. He was about to take a closer look when a voice called out to him.
"Nii-san!" It was Sasuke. Itachi closed the window with a thought and got up with a smile to greet his little brother. He was level three, which was respectable for someone his age.
"Sasuke, what's taken you so long?" Itachi asked. It was a question he was genuinely curious about. Given his younger brother's admiration of him, he was surprised he hadn't seen him earlier.
"Otou-san shooed me off while the adults were all talking to you." Sasuke pouted. "It's not fair!"
"That does sound like him. After all, a young child such as yourself running about is not befitting of the Uchiha clan." Itachi had tried his best to do an impression of Fugaku. Sasuke tried to hold back his laughter.
"So, can you help me train so I can be in ANBU like you Nii-san?" Sasuke was looking up at him, his eyes all but sparkling with admiration. Before Itachi could respond, another voice came into the conversation.
"Itachi, Sasuke, dinner!" Their mom called out to them.
"Coming Oka-san!" They said back. Sasuke gave another look at Itachi, who looked towards the dining room. Sasuke took the hint and walked out with Itachi following behind.
They took their places at the table. Fugaku was already seated, back straight, eyes straight ahead, and knees folded perfectly beneath him. To Itachi, his level was 3 question marks. It was the image of perfection that had come to be expected from the Uchiha. Itachi copied his father's posture as he sat down. Sasuke had to adjust himself after sitting to get that image of perfection.
"Itachi, today is a great day for the Uchiha." Fugaku stated. "With any luck you will prove to the rest of the village that we are better than the rest, and should do more than police work for Konoha."
"Yes, Otou-san. I understand." Any other conversation was cut short by Mikoto, who also had 3 question marks for a level, bringing out the food. They had a quick thanks and ate in silence. Eating without speaking was just another of the formalities of the Uchiha clan. Soon their plates were clean, and the table was cleared away.
"Come on, Nii-san, help me with my kunai training." Despite the lengthy interruption of dinner, Sasuke was not going to be distracted easily.
"I will help you, Sasuke." Fugaku said. But all Sasuke gave him was a pout and some whining.
"But Nii-san is better than you. And he still owes me from yesterday." Fugaku recoiled ever so slightly before smoothly recovering.
"That is true, but your brother must be very tired from today. Let him be for today. I'm sure he can go with you tomorrow."
"It's okay, I can take him for a little bit." Itachi cut in. Fugaku looked at him, but Itachi left with Sasuke in tow before anything more could be said.
Truth be told, Itachi wanted to get away from it all, even if it was only for an hour or two. Sasuke walked beside him happily. Itachi let his eyes wander, looking at all the people and their levels. Even if the shinobi and civilians didn't dress differently, the gaps in their levels were a dead give away. The highest level he'd ever seen among civilians was a 4, whereas most adult shinobi had their level in the twenties at least. Soon the pair reached the training ground.
"Have you been training often, Sasuke?" Itachi asked.
"Of course, Nii-san! I come out here every day, even when you don't come with me." Even though Sasuke was just a kid, Itachi still found that the comment stung more than he wanted to admit.
"All right then, show me what you've got." Itachi needed to see where he was at. It'd been too long since he'd last seen Sasuke throw shuriken and kunai. Becoming an ANBU took up a lot of time. Sasuke took up a position and began flinging kunai with pinpoint accuracy, except when it came to the last one. It was the one in the blind spot behind the boulder in the middle of the field.
Sasuke leapt up, throwing the first kunai, but he was still too young and couldn't get the height to throw the second one out yet. Itachi caught him before he hit the ground.
"Not bad, Sasuke, but it looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer to get all of them." Itachi gave him a smile, just to let him know he was proud of him.
"It's not fair! You're older than me!" Sasuke shot back. Itachi had no rebuttal for that. Of course he knew that even if Sasuke was old enough, he wouldn't be able to pull it off quite yet. Itachi's Observe skill from his Gamer power had told him that Sasuke still had a number of levels before he'd be able to pull off that particular trick.
"Don't worry, you'll be older like me one day, and you'll be able to do it. You might even be able to do it better than me, even." Itachi was being sincere. He hoped that Sasuke would surpass him one day.
"You really think so? I'd better keep training then!" And with that, Sasuke redoubled his efforts. Itachi watched, making sure to point out his rare mistake while throwing. A few hours later, the sun began setting, and it was time for them to go home.
"I think that's enough for today, Sasuke." Itachi told him.
"All right. Thanks, Nii-san." he replied. But even at that, Itachi could tell something was up. So he just looked at him until he brought it up. "Can you show me your trick, before we go?"
"Of course, all you had to do was ask." Itachi picked up a handful of kunai. He took a deep breath, throwing himself into the air. He twisted around, flinging kunai after kunai. One, two, three, four, five, six hit successfully. He threw his penultimate one with his left hand, followed quickly by one from his right. The two collided in the air, and one was sent downward into the target in the blindspot. Itachi landed right where he had started.
"That was amazing, Nii-san!" It was always amazing. But Itachi couldn't help but feel a bit sad. He'd been able to do that trick since before he'd gotten his Gamer powers. Back then, each attempt was a success or failure, and he took a chance with every attempt. Now, his skills were dictated by levels. Once he reached a certain level for something, there was no more success or failure, only success.
"All right, let's go home now." Itachi said, bringing himself out of thought. Sasuke nodded, and the two of them began walking.
Crossposting because I'm a fucking sell out and to possibly hint at a revival sometime soon. Serializing due to laziness.
Last edited:
CeramicMug
Everything you know is no longer true
- Location
- Lost
Random event, maybe where he gains a negative trait? Does he not have a trauma debuff, since trauma is required to have the Sharingan and it's evolutions, it outta have undesirable traits. Does Gamers Mind subvert that? I think it conflicts in the fact you need to feel deep emotions in order to gain the boon. How does Gamer's Mind work here? Is he in a blanket of calm? Do the emotions become muffled when they reach too high? Is he just immune to Genjutsu? With Gamer's Mind, I feel things should go off the railroad track. Danzo can't fool him if he has Gamer's Mind, will he get quests derailing him off a predetermined destiny, are there no dice rolls? There should be dice rolls if only because you cannot automatically succeed in social situations. The levels determining success thing should only do with body skills. Maybe he discovers that something other than grinding, maybe looking at what he does from new angles can deepen his understanding. See Randidly Ghosthound's mindset transformation. Does he have an item shop? Any crafting skills, will he be overpowered straight up canon way or will you have him diverge to explore the potential of being a Gamer? Will you set any hard limits on his new superpower?
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
So, the premise has been established. Most of it seemed so matter-of-fact to the point of boredom. But at least some of that seems intentional. I think you're trying to show Itachi's disenchantment too? Might not immediately hook in readers, though.
I guess the downsides of serialized fiction is that I can only judge based on the single snippet posted thus far. ^_^
On a minor note, the bbcode seems slightly borked. And when you do post the next snippet, adding threadmarks would be helpful for readers.
Edit: Oh wait, you've posted this elsewhere! I might have to go read that then. Admittedly, this may foil your plan to farm new likes over here on SV.
I guess the downsides of serialized fiction is that I can only judge based on the single snippet posted thus far. ^_^
On a minor note, the bbcode seems slightly borked. And when you do post the next snippet, adding threadmarks would be helpful for readers.
Edit: Oh wait, you've posted this elsewhere! I might have to go read that then. Admittedly, this may foil your plan to farm new likes over here on SV.
Last edited:
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
More or less equivalent to how it works in the manwha. Doesn't do much except stop him from losing his shit in a panicky situation. He's still very capable of experiencing the emotional burden necessary for the MS.
It pretty much does. It's just Itachi literally only spends his time training. It's all he's ever really done since he went to the battlefield when he was 4. He wants the strength to end conflict so he trains. He can fail the kunai trick, it's just at this point it's so ridiculously low it's almost impossible.
Fixed. Guess this is what happens when you rush.
It's on SB and fanfic, though both are really, really dead. Trying to build up hype mostly for myself to get through the latest chapter.
I believe that was the goal when I was writing this. It's a reflection of how Itachi feels, though it does pick up in a few chapters. Beginnings are hard.
And just to preemptively get this out of the way, I labeled it as "Gamer!Itachi" because despite it heavily being influenced by the gamer manwha, I decided it didn't really make a compelling story in the written word, so I've taken a few liberties with it, as will become apparent in about 2 chapters.
- Location
- United States
Did you mean Sasuke? Pretty sure you did.
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
I'm going to ignore the fact that when I originally posted this, this exact same thing was pointed out to me and I apparently never bothered to fix it on my google doc.
Chapter 2: First Day on the Job
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
Itachi's eyes snapped open as the light from the rising sun infiltrated his room. It was yet another side effect of his odd power. He slept a set number of hours, and was greeted with a floating message box that informed him that, "You have slept in a bed. HP and MP fully restored; all status effects removed." With practiced motions, he left his bed. He'd lost track of how long he'd had his power, but it still surprised him to feel so… normal in the mornings.
He called up his inventory, pulling out his new ANBU uniform from its slot, and placing his neatly folded pajamas within their respective slot. It wasn't necessary to fold them, as his inventory handled that for him, but he found some pleasure from it.
"Folding's level goes up by one." proclaimed a text box that appeared with a happy ding. Itachi gave a bemused smirk. Right as he'd predicted. He found it much more comforting to keep most of his belongings in his inventory, with the exception of the things that'd be easy to notice if they weren't there. He doubted that his family would be so brash as to search his room, but still.
After putting on his uniform and eating a light breakfast, Itachi headed out, pausing only to check up on Sasuke, who was tangled up in his bedding. He couldn't afford to be late though, and he slipped out the front door. A cheery voice called out to him.
"Hey, Itachi, I've been waiting!" There was only one person who'd be so remarkably Un-Uchiha-like. Shisui Uchiha, level 17. While the level difference was great, their stats were remarkably similar. Itachi had known the reason for a while, but kept it to himself. Shisui had confided in him, and it would be dishonorable to share that information so freely.
"Shisui, loud as ever." Itachi remarked. He just laughed.
"And you're still as proper as ever. Anyway, what's this about becoming an ANBU member?" Itachi could do very little to deny it. Even if Shisui had somehow missed the celebration of yesterday, Itachi was in full ANBU attire, with the mask clutched at his side.
"It was my father's wish. He'd said he'd hate to see such talent doing police work." It was best to appease Shisui when one was in a rush.
"Couldn't settle for just fieldwork, eh? So you go for ANBU and here you are." Shisui tussled Itachi's hair. "You've grown up so fast." It was no secret that Itachi was less than fond of that particular brand of affection showing. He removed Shisui's hand from his hair.
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me I need to be on my way." There was only so much Shisui you could handle while still maintaining the Uchiha facade.
"Well then, I'd hate to keep you from your work." Shisui said. "Remember to tell me all of the village's secrets when you come back." And with that, Shisui was off, presumably to go train. Itachi took a deep breath, and began walking towards the Hokage tower.
There was nothing particularly of note on his journey, although he did use Observe on a few things. He wasn't sure of what else he could learn with higher levels of it, but it didn't hurt to get some experience in whenever he could.
"Failed Test: A test from the academy marked with an "F," presumably discarded by a child who didn't want their parents to see it."
"Candy Wrapper: A wrapper from a popular candy. Appears to have come from the shop down the street. Why does it interest you?"
It was about what Itachi had expected. Whatever had given him his power delighted in inserting its own commentary into the text boxes. He got no happy ding, as expected. It'd take about another week before he got another level for Observe.
And as with most things done while Itachi's mind was elsewhere, he found himself at his destination in much less time than he'd expected. He placed his mask onto his face, and headed to the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, I come to you for my assignment." Itachi took to one knee, putting forth every effort into addressing the hokage in the proper manner. He had seen him enough times to know that his level was also three question marks. He'd yet to figure out what it meant though.
"Itachi Uchiha," Hiruzen responded, "I've been waiting for you to end up in my office." He was staring out the window, pipe in his mouth. It was hard for Itachi to peg what his tone was. He was speaking the truth, but Itachi couldn't help but notice there was something else in his voice.
"Lord Hokage?" he asked.
"Don't mind me," he said, turning his full attention to Itachi. "I've thought about it, and I've decided to assign you to work with Kakashi." Itachi's mask kept his slight shock from being revealed. He'd heard stories about Kakashi, particularly ones about the Third Shinobi War. "The team you'll be a part of reports directly to me. It is all I can do to extend my goodwill towards the Uchiha clan."
"I thank you on behalf of the Uchiha clan for your thoughtfulness." Itachi wasn't going to drop the formalities. This is how he addressed the Hokage now. "I hope that they see this as a step forward for both of us."
"Lord Hokage, I am ready for my new team member." A new voice joined the conversation. Itachi spared a glance over towards the owner of the voice. It was a member of ANBU wearing a distinctly dog-like mask; Hatake Kakashi, level 30. No doubt it was the result of his past.
"Right on time," Hiruzen smiled. "Itachi, Kakashi will be teaching you the basics today." If Kakashi had anything to say about the usage of his real name, he didn't bring it up. Itachi stood up and bowed towards him.
"I look forward to working with you, Kakashi." His posture and mannerisms came easily, mostly from the amount of time he'd used them within the Uchiha Clan.
"And I, too, Itachi." Kakashi returned the gesture. "Now let us depart, Lord Hokage is busy." Itachi nodded and the two left after addressing Hiruzen one last time.
"Today will be a basic patrol of the village. I have no doubt of your capabilities, but things are done by the book for a reason." Kakashi said once they were outside. "The main purpose is to evaluate your stealth performance. We are not to be seen. Are you ready?" Before Itachi responded, a text box appeared before him.
"Quest Alert
ANBU Evaluation: First Impression
Complete a basic patrol of Konoha, staying completely out of sight.
Completion Award: 3000 XP
More Quests as ANBU
Completion Failure: Increased doubt from ANBU members
Assigned to more training"
Itachi was familiar with quests, and pushed the Yes button that had accompanied it. 3000 XP was decent enough, and Itachi guessed it had to do with the importance of the quest that it was worth so much.
"All right then, let's get going." Kakashi replied before heading up to a vantage point. Itachi followed. He was not worried in the slightest. When he had first acquired his power, he'd spent a great deal of his spare time comparing himself to others statwise.
He'd started off with a decent Stealth level thanks to his background, and it'd only grown since then. He'd figured out that someone would need a detection mastery level of at least 40 to discover him, which was far beyond the average shinobi.
Kakashi lead and Itachi followed. He had been truthful in how basic it was. In the now very much alive marketplace of Konoha, they could've blended in with minimal effort among the crowd. Itachi couldn't help but feel the irony of the mission though. A patrol like this was exactly the type of work the police force did. He became an ANBU to escape that life, and yet it still insisted on being in his life anyways.
Itachi's thoughts were interrupted by Kakashi stopping and motioning to him. He caught up and was about to ask what the issue was when some yelling down below answered the question for him.
"I wouldn't call on the Uchiha if my life depended on it! I don't need them!" A man red in the face was yelling at someone, who looked only mildly more restrained. Another text box popped up.
"Quest Alert
Peace Keeper
Intervene and resolve the conflict in the marketplace.
Completion Award: 200 XP
Increased trust among civilians
Completion Failure: Increased distrust among civilians
Decreased reputation within ANBU."
Itachi poked the Yes button as before and headed towards the dispute. He knew that the XP was a general indicator of the difficulty, so this couldn't be anything more than a triviality. Kakashi sort of hung back, and Itachi guessed he was going to evaluate his performance in resolving the dispute.
"Greetings, sir, what is the problem you are experiencing with this man?" Itachi decided it was best to start with the man who had a tomato coloured face, but he only got more aggravated with the sudden interruption.
"I thought I said I didn't need the Uchiha to solve my problems!" He yelled.
"I am an ANBU operative, not a part of the police force." Itachi calmly replied. The man's face dropped a few shades of red at these words.
"Well if that's the case, could you inform that man that he needs to pay his bill for the food." It was a request, not a question.
"Hey, I've just forgotten my wallet at my house!" The other man interjected.
"I've heard that story too many times. How naive do you think I am?" The tomato-faced man snapped back. Itachi remained silent for several moments before responding.
"If that's the case, then my partner can watch him as he returns to his home. Don't worry, he wouldn't be able to run even if he wanted to." The man went into deep thought, trying to find some problem with the solution presented. He eventually conceded.
"Alright, I guess as long as I get my money, I'll be satisfied." And so it was. Itachi watched as Kakashi escorted the other man out of sight. About ten minutes later, they returned, and the shop owner was paid. The crowd that had gathered dispersed as Itachi and Kakashi left. Itachi got another ding and box telling him the quest had been completed, but dismissed it for now.
"It gets worse every day with people and the Uchiha." Kakashi said after they'd resumed their patrol. "I'm sorry about that." Itachi wasn't at all surprised by the turn of events. He'd heard a lot about it from his father.
"Not to worry. That was not going to get solved with the man's refusal to accept help from the Uchiha." Itachi replied. Kakashi looked at him for a moment, his face unreadable on account of the mask. Without another word, they resumed the patrol.
Nothing else of note occurred as they made their way around the village, and they were soon back in front of the Hokage tower. Kakashi gave Itachi a few remarks before dismissing him and leaving to go complete another mission. Itachi ignored the happy ding and text box from completing the quest.
Even though he knew he shouldn't be able to feel fatigue anymore, the day had still felt draining to him. It'd been a simple mission, and nothing new about Konoha had been presented to him. It was simple, he was just imagining things. And with that, Itachi headed towards the training grounds. He had no desire to talk to Fugaku just yet.
He called up his inventory, pulling out his new ANBU uniform from its slot, and placing his neatly folded pajamas within their respective slot. It wasn't necessary to fold them, as his inventory handled that for him, but he found some pleasure from it.
"Folding's level goes up by one." proclaimed a text box that appeared with a happy ding. Itachi gave a bemused smirk. Right as he'd predicted. He found it much more comforting to keep most of his belongings in his inventory, with the exception of the things that'd be easy to notice if they weren't there. He doubted that his family would be so brash as to search his room, but still.
After putting on his uniform and eating a light breakfast, Itachi headed out, pausing only to check up on Sasuke, who was tangled up in his bedding. He couldn't afford to be late though, and he slipped out the front door. A cheery voice called out to him.
"Hey, Itachi, I've been waiting!" There was only one person who'd be so remarkably Un-Uchiha-like. Shisui Uchiha, level 17. While the level difference was great, their stats were remarkably similar. Itachi had known the reason for a while, but kept it to himself. Shisui had confided in him, and it would be dishonorable to share that information so freely.
"Shisui, loud as ever." Itachi remarked. He just laughed.
"And you're still as proper as ever. Anyway, what's this about becoming an ANBU member?" Itachi could do very little to deny it. Even if Shisui had somehow missed the celebration of yesterday, Itachi was in full ANBU attire, with the mask clutched at his side.
"It was my father's wish. He'd said he'd hate to see such talent doing police work." It was best to appease Shisui when one was in a rush.
"Couldn't settle for just fieldwork, eh? So you go for ANBU and here you are." Shisui tussled Itachi's hair. "You've grown up so fast." It was no secret that Itachi was less than fond of that particular brand of affection showing. He removed Shisui's hand from his hair.
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me I need to be on my way." There was only so much Shisui you could handle while still maintaining the Uchiha facade.
"Well then, I'd hate to keep you from your work." Shisui said. "Remember to tell me all of the village's secrets when you come back." And with that, Shisui was off, presumably to go train. Itachi took a deep breath, and began walking towards the Hokage tower.
There was nothing particularly of note on his journey, although he did use Observe on a few things. He wasn't sure of what else he could learn with higher levels of it, but it didn't hurt to get some experience in whenever he could.
"Failed Test: A test from the academy marked with an "F," presumably discarded by a child who didn't want their parents to see it."
"Candy Wrapper: A wrapper from a popular candy. Appears to have come from the shop down the street. Why does it interest you?"
It was about what Itachi had expected. Whatever had given him his power delighted in inserting its own commentary into the text boxes. He got no happy ding, as expected. It'd take about another week before he got another level for Observe.
And as with most things done while Itachi's mind was elsewhere, he found himself at his destination in much less time than he'd expected. He placed his mask onto his face, and headed to the Hokage's office.
"Lord Hokage, I come to you for my assignment." Itachi took to one knee, putting forth every effort into addressing the hokage in the proper manner. He had seen him enough times to know that his level was also three question marks. He'd yet to figure out what it meant though.
"Itachi Uchiha," Hiruzen responded, "I've been waiting for you to end up in my office." He was staring out the window, pipe in his mouth. It was hard for Itachi to peg what his tone was. He was speaking the truth, but Itachi couldn't help but notice there was something else in his voice.
"Lord Hokage?" he asked.
"Don't mind me," he said, turning his full attention to Itachi. "I've thought about it, and I've decided to assign you to work with Kakashi." Itachi's mask kept his slight shock from being revealed. He'd heard stories about Kakashi, particularly ones about the Third Shinobi War. "The team you'll be a part of reports directly to me. It is all I can do to extend my goodwill towards the Uchiha clan."
"I thank you on behalf of the Uchiha clan for your thoughtfulness." Itachi wasn't going to drop the formalities. This is how he addressed the Hokage now. "I hope that they see this as a step forward for both of us."
"Lord Hokage, I am ready for my new team member." A new voice joined the conversation. Itachi spared a glance over towards the owner of the voice. It was a member of ANBU wearing a distinctly dog-like mask; Hatake Kakashi, level 30. No doubt it was the result of his past.
"Right on time," Hiruzen smiled. "Itachi, Kakashi will be teaching you the basics today." If Kakashi had anything to say about the usage of his real name, he didn't bring it up. Itachi stood up and bowed towards him.
"I look forward to working with you, Kakashi." His posture and mannerisms came easily, mostly from the amount of time he'd used them within the Uchiha Clan.
"And I, too, Itachi." Kakashi returned the gesture. "Now let us depart, Lord Hokage is busy." Itachi nodded and the two left after addressing Hiruzen one last time.
"Today will be a basic patrol of the village. I have no doubt of your capabilities, but things are done by the book for a reason." Kakashi said once they were outside. "The main purpose is to evaluate your stealth performance. We are not to be seen. Are you ready?" Before Itachi responded, a text box appeared before him.
"Quest Alert
ANBU Evaluation: First Impression
Complete a basic patrol of Konoha, staying completely out of sight.
Completion Award: 3000 XP
More Quests as ANBU
Completion Failure: Increased doubt from ANBU members
Assigned to more training"
Itachi was familiar with quests, and pushed the Yes button that had accompanied it. 3000 XP was decent enough, and Itachi guessed it had to do with the importance of the quest that it was worth so much.
"All right then, let's get going." Kakashi replied before heading up to a vantage point. Itachi followed. He was not worried in the slightest. When he had first acquired his power, he'd spent a great deal of his spare time comparing himself to others statwise.
He'd started off with a decent Stealth level thanks to his background, and it'd only grown since then. He'd figured out that someone would need a detection mastery level of at least 40 to discover him, which was far beyond the average shinobi.
Kakashi lead and Itachi followed. He had been truthful in how basic it was. In the now very much alive marketplace of Konoha, they could've blended in with minimal effort among the crowd. Itachi couldn't help but feel the irony of the mission though. A patrol like this was exactly the type of work the police force did. He became an ANBU to escape that life, and yet it still insisted on being in his life anyways.
Itachi's thoughts were interrupted by Kakashi stopping and motioning to him. He caught up and was about to ask what the issue was when some yelling down below answered the question for him.
"I wouldn't call on the Uchiha if my life depended on it! I don't need them!" A man red in the face was yelling at someone, who looked only mildly more restrained. Another text box popped up.
"Quest Alert
Peace Keeper
Intervene and resolve the conflict in the marketplace.
Completion Award: 200 XP
Increased trust among civilians
Completion Failure: Increased distrust among civilians
Decreased reputation within ANBU."
Itachi poked the Yes button as before and headed towards the dispute. He knew that the XP was a general indicator of the difficulty, so this couldn't be anything more than a triviality. Kakashi sort of hung back, and Itachi guessed he was going to evaluate his performance in resolving the dispute.
"Greetings, sir, what is the problem you are experiencing with this man?" Itachi decided it was best to start with the man who had a tomato coloured face, but he only got more aggravated with the sudden interruption.
"I thought I said I didn't need the Uchiha to solve my problems!" He yelled.
"I am an ANBU operative, not a part of the police force." Itachi calmly replied. The man's face dropped a few shades of red at these words.
"Well if that's the case, could you inform that man that he needs to pay his bill for the food." It was a request, not a question.
"Hey, I've just forgotten my wallet at my house!" The other man interjected.
"I've heard that story too many times. How naive do you think I am?" The tomato-faced man snapped back. Itachi remained silent for several moments before responding.
"If that's the case, then my partner can watch him as he returns to his home. Don't worry, he wouldn't be able to run even if he wanted to." The man went into deep thought, trying to find some problem with the solution presented. He eventually conceded.
"Alright, I guess as long as I get my money, I'll be satisfied." And so it was. Itachi watched as Kakashi escorted the other man out of sight. About ten minutes later, they returned, and the shop owner was paid. The crowd that had gathered dispersed as Itachi and Kakashi left. Itachi got another ding and box telling him the quest had been completed, but dismissed it for now.
"It gets worse every day with people and the Uchiha." Kakashi said after they'd resumed their patrol. "I'm sorry about that." Itachi wasn't at all surprised by the turn of events. He'd heard a lot about it from his father.
"Not to worry. That was not going to get solved with the man's refusal to accept help from the Uchiha." Itachi replied. Kakashi looked at him for a moment, his face unreadable on account of the mask. Without another word, they resumed the patrol.
Nothing else of note occurred as they made their way around the village, and they were soon back in front of the Hokage tower. Kakashi gave Itachi a few remarks before dismissing him and leaving to go complete another mission. Itachi ignored the happy ding and text box from completing the quest.
Even though he knew he shouldn't be able to feel fatigue anymore, the day had still felt draining to him. It'd been a simple mission, and nothing new about Konoha had been presented to him. It was simple, he was just imagining things. And with that, Itachi headed towards the training grounds. He had no desire to talk to Fugaku just yet.
By some miracle, this is actually pretty accurate to the ANBU life portrayed in Itachi shinden, as is Shisui's portrayal. Only the mission to be accepted was really overly exciting. Anyways, thoughts are always appreciated.
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Chapter 3: Izumi Uchiha
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
The mission had not taken that long, and there was plenty of time left in the day for Itachi, so decided to head back to his house. However, as he approached the Uchiha compound, a voice yelled at him.
"Itachi! Where have you been?" It was Izumi. Itachi knew he'd been forgetting something these past few weeks. His mind had been focused on the ANBU exams. Time began to slow down as a rather large text box appeared in front of Itachi. He braced himself mentally for what was to come.
"Itachi Uchiha… a man so focused on his goals that he's left his beloved to waste away without his love. His heart, now heavy with regret as he's realized the folly of his actions. Itachi just stands motionless, unsure of what he can say in his defense." It only took up a small part of the box.
"I'm sorry." Itachi said. Another paragraph slowly faded in beneath the first one.
"Izumi Uchiha, the girl who feels as if she has been forgotten by her beloved. She hears his apology and gives pause. He's been a selfish fool these past few weeks, but… but! She thinks back upon all the time she's spent with him. After a long moment, she responds."
"I'll accept your apology." Izumi said.
"Itachi let out an inaudible sigh of relief. His beloved was not going to leave him alone out in the street. A faint smile began to form upon his lips when his love said something that shook him to his core."
"But…" She continued.
"No.. not that dreaded word. There could be any number of things attached to this acceptance. But Itachi would not falter, for he couldn't let her leave his life. He took a deep breath, and braced himself for what was to come." The text box that took up a good portion of Itachi's vision was about half full now.
"We have to go on a date," she finished
"Itachi blushed furiously. There'd never been a doubt in his mind about Izumi. She'd been infatuated with him ever since the academy. But this, this was different for him. She'd never openly called their little visits to shops 'dates.' He had to accept, he had to rectify his mistake."
"Where shall we go?" Itachi asked of her.
"Tea and dango, at our favorite shop." She replied.
"And so it was the two began walking. Izumi reached out for Itachi's hand. He recoiled, unsure of what to do. She responded by snatching his hand using an inhuman speed. Itachi resigned himself to this, and relaxed. He looked at her.
He found it comforting that the two most important people in his life, Izumi and Sasuke, both had onyx eyes. But unlike Sasuke, Izumi was pretty. The way her mocha hair rested on her shoulders, the smile that was always on her face. Itachi was soothed by her very presence
They wandered. And wandered. And wandered. Eventually they came upon the shop that was the desire of Itachi's beloved. He pulled out the seat for her, letting her sit. He pushed her in before taking his place across from her…" Itachi dismissed the text box as soon as he could after the last paragraph faded in.
It was an oddity of Itachi's power. Whenever he interacted with Izumi, it abandoned its usual demeanor for… whatever this was. The series of text boxes that plagued his life seemed to have their own personality. At least, for anything that wasn't this. Itachi was vaguely reminded of a romance novel he'd once read whenever he had to put up with this.
DATE START!
Oh yeah, there was also this. Izumi and Itachi may not of called their little excursions dates, but apparently his power thought otherwise. Itachi didn't mind the numerous bars and such that appeared though, because at least now he didn't have to put up with the giant text box.
"Izumi, my absence warrants that I do something special." He told her.
"Oh?" she asked. A bar labeled Intrigue filled up a bit..
"I shall have a word with the chef. Today, you shall eat dango that I have made myself!" Itachi just barely stopped himself from covering his mouth. The earlier text had apparently gotten to him. He noted the Attraction bar had filled to nearly half, so it wasn't all bad.
"Itachi…" Izumi blushed harder than Itachi had earlier, but, Itachi was already halfway to the actual shop.
The shop owner had been quite understanding, and allowed him into the kitchen. Itachi took a deep breath and his eyes swirled into crimson. He'd need the Sharingan for what was to come. The dating display had changed into a display that consisted only of circles.
ROUND 1!
MIX!!
And so it began. Music from an unknown source drifted into Itachi's ear. The song started off slow, with some gentle string sounds. Itachi gently poked at the circles as they lit up. At the very least, with this method of cooking didn't require that Itachi actually measure out ingredients or even know what they were off the top of his head.
Then the percussion came in. The circles began to light up faster. A blue circle caught his eye, and snapped to it and he held it down. There were 10 circles before Itachi, one for each of his fingers. To anyone looking at him, it'd appear as if he were just mixing, thanks to his power. A large 50 COMBO! rolled through Itachi's vision. He ignored it.
The tempo increased. If anyone else was attempting this, they'd swiftly lose. It took a sharingan to match the speed of the game. Or maybe it was customized to every user? Itachi hadn't actually thought about that. The owner came in to investigate the noise, only to quietly back out when he saw the ferocity of Itachi's stirring. With one last punch from the instruments, the song was over. Itachi let out the breath he'd been holding.
174 COMBO!
PERFECT!!
Exactly as Itachi had hoped. This was a special occasion. What point was there to going through all this effort if he didn't make it perfect? He loosened up his fingers in preparation for the next round.
ROUND 2!
SHAPE!!
Before Itachi were a number of lumps of dough he knew to be perfectly portioned. A plucked instrument was the lead for this song. Within the first 30 seconds, he'd achieved a 50 combo. Itachi knew there were far more things within his vision that reacted to his performance, but he couldn't be distracted by them, or anything for that matter.
Left pinky, right index, left ring, right thumb, right middle… the game just continued. He was doing good by his definition of it. However, this was the easy part. He only had to worry about single circles at a time. The third and final round is what would really get to him.
Itachi monitored his breathing, ensuring even it kept pace with the rhythm. He enjoyed the music, wishing he didn't have to concentrate so much on the circles before him. Left pinky, right pinky, right middle, left middle, right thumb, left thumb, and done.
366 COMBO!
PERFECT!!
He willed the game to pause. This was it. Three minutes of hellishly difficult circle pressing. He took a moment to be thankful for his high DEX from all his training before unpausing the game.
FINAL ROUND!
BAKE!!
Itachi didn't even know what the last song sounded like. He had kicked up the power of his sharingan to slow the passage of time. The sound was too distorted to make any sense of it. But it didn't matter, for all of Itachi's focus was on the ten circles before him.
It had started off simple. Only one circle to press at a time. Then after about a minute, two circles to press at a time. This he could handle. His eyes were directed at the space between his hands. He both saw nothing beyond that space and everything within his field of vision.
This was what he lived for. But then the last part of the song kicked in. Now it was three circles. He'd been wrong, this is what he lived for. It was a true challenge. It wasn't succeed or fail like the rest of his life. This rode solely on the him that was in this moment. If they could, Itachi was sure his fingers would've cramped up by now.
Time resumed its normal flow. He'd done it. His hands fell from the interface. Yet it didn't disappear. Itachi looked at it with confusion, until he heard a single note play, the last note of the song. Despite his speed, there was nothing he could do to reach the circle as it lit and unlit in a fraction of a second. He was confronted by a message, as if the game was taunting him.
COMBO LOST!
Followed shortly by the usual ending text.
628 COMBO!
ALMOST PERFECT!!
A whirl of crimson, and his eyes had returned to normal. Before him were two plates of dango. He knew that they were near perfection. But they were only near. Itachi took a deep breath, and headed out the door. He ignored the odd looks from the staff as he left to rejoin with Izumi.
"Here is your dango." Itachi said flatly. He sat down in his chair, lamenting his one error. Perfection would allude him… for now. Izumi looked at him. "What?" he asked.
"Itachi, where's the tea?"
"Itachi! Where have you been?" It was Izumi. Itachi knew he'd been forgetting something these past few weeks. His mind had been focused on the ANBU exams. Time began to slow down as a rather large text box appeared in front of Itachi. He braced himself mentally for what was to come.
"Itachi Uchiha… a man so focused on his goals that he's left his beloved to waste away without his love. His heart, now heavy with regret as he's realized the folly of his actions. Itachi just stands motionless, unsure of what he can say in his defense." It only took up a small part of the box.
"I'm sorry." Itachi said. Another paragraph slowly faded in beneath the first one.
"Izumi Uchiha, the girl who feels as if she has been forgotten by her beloved. She hears his apology and gives pause. He's been a selfish fool these past few weeks, but… but! She thinks back upon all the time she's spent with him. After a long moment, she responds."
"I'll accept your apology." Izumi said.
"Itachi let out an inaudible sigh of relief. His beloved was not going to leave him alone out in the street. A faint smile began to form upon his lips when his love said something that shook him to his core."
"But…" She continued.
"No.. not that dreaded word. There could be any number of things attached to this acceptance. But Itachi would not falter, for he couldn't let her leave his life. He took a deep breath, and braced himself for what was to come." The text box that took up a good portion of Itachi's vision was about half full now.
"We have to go on a date," she finished
"Itachi blushed furiously. There'd never been a doubt in his mind about Izumi. She'd been infatuated with him ever since the academy. But this, this was different for him. She'd never openly called their little visits to shops 'dates.' He had to accept, he had to rectify his mistake."
"Where shall we go?" Itachi asked of her.
"Tea and dango, at our favorite shop." She replied.
"And so it was the two began walking. Izumi reached out for Itachi's hand. He recoiled, unsure of what to do. She responded by snatching his hand using an inhuman speed. Itachi resigned himself to this, and relaxed. He looked at her.
He found it comforting that the two most important people in his life, Izumi and Sasuke, both had onyx eyes. But unlike Sasuke, Izumi was pretty. The way her mocha hair rested on her shoulders, the smile that was always on her face. Itachi was soothed by her very presence
They wandered. And wandered. And wandered. Eventually they came upon the shop that was the desire of Itachi's beloved. He pulled out the seat for her, letting her sit. He pushed her in before taking his place across from her…" Itachi dismissed the text box as soon as he could after the last paragraph faded in.
It was an oddity of Itachi's power. Whenever he interacted with Izumi, it abandoned its usual demeanor for… whatever this was. The series of text boxes that plagued his life seemed to have their own personality. At least, for anything that wasn't this. Itachi was vaguely reminded of a romance novel he'd once read whenever he had to put up with this.
DATE START!
Oh yeah, there was also this. Izumi and Itachi may not of called their little excursions dates, but apparently his power thought otherwise. Itachi didn't mind the numerous bars and such that appeared though, because at least now he didn't have to put up with the giant text box.
"Izumi, my absence warrants that I do something special." He told her.
"Oh?" she asked. A bar labeled Intrigue filled up a bit..
"I shall have a word with the chef. Today, you shall eat dango that I have made myself!" Itachi just barely stopped himself from covering his mouth. The earlier text had apparently gotten to him. He noted the Attraction bar had filled to nearly half, so it wasn't all bad.
"Itachi…" Izumi blushed harder than Itachi had earlier, but, Itachi was already halfway to the actual shop.
The shop owner had been quite understanding, and allowed him into the kitchen. Itachi took a deep breath and his eyes swirled into crimson. He'd need the Sharingan for what was to come. The dating display had changed into a display that consisted only of circles.
ROUND 1!
MIX!!
And so it began. Music from an unknown source drifted into Itachi's ear. The song started off slow, with some gentle string sounds. Itachi gently poked at the circles as they lit up. At the very least, with this method of cooking didn't require that Itachi actually measure out ingredients or even know what they were off the top of his head.
Then the percussion came in. The circles began to light up faster. A blue circle caught his eye, and snapped to it and he held it down. There were 10 circles before Itachi, one for each of his fingers. To anyone looking at him, it'd appear as if he were just mixing, thanks to his power. A large 50 COMBO! rolled through Itachi's vision. He ignored it.
The tempo increased. If anyone else was attempting this, they'd swiftly lose. It took a sharingan to match the speed of the game. Or maybe it was customized to every user? Itachi hadn't actually thought about that. The owner came in to investigate the noise, only to quietly back out when he saw the ferocity of Itachi's stirring. With one last punch from the instruments, the song was over. Itachi let out the breath he'd been holding.
174 COMBO!
PERFECT!!
Exactly as Itachi had hoped. This was a special occasion. What point was there to going through all this effort if he didn't make it perfect? He loosened up his fingers in preparation for the next round.
ROUND 2!
SHAPE!!
Before Itachi were a number of lumps of dough he knew to be perfectly portioned. A plucked instrument was the lead for this song. Within the first 30 seconds, he'd achieved a 50 combo. Itachi knew there were far more things within his vision that reacted to his performance, but he couldn't be distracted by them, or anything for that matter.
Left pinky, right index, left ring, right thumb, right middle… the game just continued. He was doing good by his definition of it. However, this was the easy part. He only had to worry about single circles at a time. The third and final round is what would really get to him.
Itachi monitored his breathing, ensuring even it kept pace with the rhythm. He enjoyed the music, wishing he didn't have to concentrate so much on the circles before him. Left pinky, right pinky, right middle, left middle, right thumb, left thumb, and done.
366 COMBO!
PERFECT!!
He willed the game to pause. This was it. Three minutes of hellishly difficult circle pressing. He took a moment to be thankful for his high DEX from all his training before unpausing the game.
FINAL ROUND!
BAKE!!
Itachi didn't even know what the last song sounded like. He had kicked up the power of his sharingan to slow the passage of time. The sound was too distorted to make any sense of it. But it didn't matter, for all of Itachi's focus was on the ten circles before him.
It had started off simple. Only one circle to press at a time. Then after about a minute, two circles to press at a time. This he could handle. His eyes were directed at the space between his hands. He both saw nothing beyond that space and everything within his field of vision.
This was what he lived for. But then the last part of the song kicked in. Now it was three circles. He'd been wrong, this is what he lived for. It was a true challenge. It wasn't succeed or fail like the rest of his life. This rode solely on the him that was in this moment. If they could, Itachi was sure his fingers would've cramped up by now.
Time resumed its normal flow. He'd done it. His hands fell from the interface. Yet it didn't disappear. Itachi looked at it with confusion, until he heard a single note play, the last note of the song. Despite his speed, there was nothing he could do to reach the circle as it lit and unlit in a fraction of a second. He was confronted by a message, as if the game was taunting him.
COMBO LOST!
Followed shortly by the usual ending text.
628 COMBO!
ALMOST PERFECT!!
A whirl of crimson, and his eyes had returned to normal. Before him were two plates of dango. He knew that they were near perfection. But they were only near. Itachi took a deep breath, and headed out the door. He ignored the odd looks from the staff as he left to rejoin with Izumi.
"Here is your dango." Itachi said flatly. He sat down in his chair, lamenting his one error. Perfection would allude him… for now. Izumi looked at him. "What?" he asked.
"Itachi, where's the tea?"
So yeah... this is a thing. That's about all I can say
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- Location
- The Black Moon
This part really threw me off, to be honest. I can't see how Itachi being any more talented than he already was in canon would change how Sasuke reacts to his father offering to help him. IIRC, the thing he wanted most in canon at this time was that Fugaku would spend time with him. Fugaku was a very busy man, in addition to being a distant Japanese father type, and Itachi was already a miracle kid, so Sasuke always felt like he wasn't good enough.
I mean, when I was a kid, my dad was very frequently away, so I always thought it was cool when we got to do something, even if it was something I didn't like, and even though he and I don't really have anything in common.
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
This is actually what happened in canon though. I changed nothing.
- Location
- USA
If they ate in silence how could talking while eating be a formality? wouldn't that be not talking or being silent while eating?
What about the ninjas?
I think you meant: One, two, three, four, five, six. Six successful hits.
Also what is itachi's level?
if he was level 8 when he first got the gamer power and he no longer remembers how long he has had it shouldn't hes level have increased? even from doing normal every day things?
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Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
I'm fairly certain I meant that talking without eating. Fortunately this hadn't been pointed out prior. Thanks.
TL: Shinobi = Ninja. Pretty much how I've always referred to them.
It's a strange wording but I prefer the wording I have.
Just know it's actually fairly low for his stats. Itachi trains a lot and so has manually raised his stats a lot. The thing is that for this gamer fic I didn't really want there be much focus on Itachi's stats and stuff. Hence the absence of any real numbers. I wanted the focus to be more on the story.
- Location
- USA
you don't actually stat the ninjas level.
The highest level he'd ever seen among them was a 4. probably the civilians?
whereas most adults had their level in the twenties at least. Also the civilians?
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
What a spaghbol of a wording that I failed to parse.
- Location
- The Black Moon
Ah, is that so? My bad. It's been a while since I read Naruto.
- Location
- USA
Did what I wrote not make sense?
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
It was referring to what I had typed up in the chapter. Sorry that wasn't clear
- Location
- USA
No problem.
- Location
- South Carolina
Yeah Itachi, where is the tea? How she going to wash down that good Dango?
Chapter 4: Fallout
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
After all was said and done with Itachi's date, it was later than he had expected it to be. He had already dropped off Izumi at her house and was heading back towards his home. A long discussion was expected with Fugaku upon his arrival, something Itachi was still not looking forward to. Maybe if he was lucky, Shisui would stop him for another talk.
"There's the adorable lovebird!" Itachi sometimes wondered about Shisui. He always pulled stunts like this.. "Why wasn't I invited on your little excursion? You know how much I love dango." Maybe talking to Fugaku wouldn't be so bad.
"I apologize, Shisui. Izumi asked me out on a date, and it is considered poor form to invite other people." Itachi told him.
"So it was a date?" Shisui asked. "But aren't those 'not for someone of your age,' Itachi?" Shisui had an extraordinary memory, and yet he insisted on wasting it on information to use against Itachi..
"Shisui, that was a year ago when you asked me about it. Besides, it was Izumi who called it a date." Itachi explained. "There's a lot that can change in such a span of time." He resumed his walk back towards his house.
"Come on Itachi, why so serious?" Shisui whined, running to catch up to him. "You know I wouldn't ever want to get between you and Izumi. I mean, have you seen how cute you two are together?" Itachi did his best to avoid blushing, but he might as well have tried to hide the fact he was an Uchiha.
"You leave us alone!" Itachi yelled. He took a deep breath. "It isn't nice to pry into the affairs of others. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to my house."
"Oh no you don't, Itachi." Shisui cut him off. "You haven't revealed the village's secrets to me. There's got to be something interesting to share."
"There was nothing. It was just a basic mission, that is all." Itachi said. He liked being with Shisui, despite his teasing, but he only really wanted to talk with Fugaku on the matter.
Deception's level has increased by one.
Itachi was growing to despise the text box's sense of timing for such things. He flicked it away with a thought.
"Ah, alright then." Shisui said. He knew when enough was enough, and gave his goodbye. "Well, see you around then. Say hi to your parents and Sasuke for me!" He vanished, leaving Itachi alone to finish walking home.
He gave pause for a moment. He'd been a bit, preoccupied with accomplishing his goals, and it'd hurt his friendships. Izumi, of course, had come to him and told him straight out about his wrong, or at least, that's what the text boxes had told him.
But Shisui, Shisui was different. He was actually rather polite and would probably never bring it up with him. He felt bad that he'd chased him off so quickly. Perhaps he'd have to spar with him in his next span of free time.
Through addressing that your behaviour requires amendments, your Wisdom increases by one.
As Itachi had learned over the years, it never hurt to stop and think about things sometimes. His only regret in this case is that he didn't exactly have the time to make it up to Shisui today, nor did he even know where he went if he had the time.
But there was no use in trying to do something he couldn't. So Itachi just returned home. It didn't take him long, and his arrival was greeted by a happy Sasuke.
"Nii-San! You're home!" He ran up to Itachi, who picked him up.
"Sorry I'm late, Izumi wanted to spend some time with me." Itachi said.
"You should do a better job of keeping your girlfriend happy." Sasuke told him. Not him too… Itachi should really try to keep better tabs on who Sasuke talked to.
"Welcome home, Itachi. Your father isn't back from work yet," said Mikoto as she joined them. Itachi gave a small bow towards her as he put Sasuke down.
"Hello, Oka-san." he said. "I've returned from a successful day as an ANBU operative."
"Please, save that for your father." She scolded him. "But I'm glad your first day went well."
"Nii-san, Nii-san!" Their conversation was cut short by Sasuke tugging on Itachi's shirt. "Guess what happened today in the academy!"
"Hm…" Itachi mock thought aloud for a few moments.
Sasuke is unconvinced by your actions.
Itachi couldn't help it. There was very little he'd keep hidden from him willfully.
"Come on, I know you know." Sasuke said.
"Alright, Sasuke. Today was sparring day, wasn't it? Who did you win against?" Itachi asked, dropping his false ignorance.
"It was Naruto, the loud mouth kid who thinks he's so great. You should have seen him when he lost." Sasuke let the information pour out of him. Itachi frowned slightly.
"How well did he fight?" He asked.
"Well…" Sasuke thought for a moment. "He tried really hard, but he wasn't a match for me." He saw Itachi's disappointment and quickly added, "but he fought well. His passion was unmatched today." The shift in tone was indicative of Sasuke trying to act like Itachi when he was formal.
"That's good, Sasuke." Itachi told him. And fortunately for Itachi, Fugaku opened the door.
"I have returned from my long day at work-" He cut himself off when he saw Itachi. "Hello, I didn't expect you to be home this early, Itachi."
"Otou-san" Itachi greeted him before responding. "Today was an introductory mission. I was done early, but spent some time with Izumi before returning home."
"You are an Uchiha." Thinly veiled discontent plagued his voice. "Did they doubt your abilities?"
"No, Otou-san. It was a given that I would excel." It wasn't a lie exactly, which made Itachi a bit uneasy. He didn't know anything about Fugaku's stats, so there was a very real chance he'd see through it.
"So why did they give you such a trivial assignment?" He demanded.
"As my partner told me, it was standard procedure. I'm certain that tomorrow I will be assigned to something more appropriate for an Uchiha." Itachi said. His father took a few moments to process the information.
"What did they have you do?" He asked. Now came the part Itachi was dreading. The incident with the shop owner would come up, and Itachi was not looking forward to explaining it to Fugaku.
"We ran a short patrol of the village as an assessment of my stealth. I met their expectations with no issue." Itachi answered. He knew Fugaku's next question, but he was still going to try and delay the inevitable.
"Did anything happen during this assessment?" Itachi had guessed correctly. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"There was an incident with a person refusing to pay at a restaurant. We intervened." Itachi paused for a moment. "It would have fallen to the Police Force, but the owner was adamant in not contacting them."
"I see…" His father said. He thought for a great while before giving a follow up. "So the distrust of the Uchiha is spreading more amongst civilians, and it's making them more hesitant to contact us for help. I will have to get more patrols out to ensure we can still keep the peace. Thank you, Itachi."
"Otou-san?" Sasuke, who had been respectfully quiet, suddenly spoke up. "Why don't people like the Uchiha?" He asked. Mikoto's voice saved Fugaku from answering..
"Dinnertime! Who wants Teriyaki chicken and rice?" She asked.
"I do, Oka-san!" Sasuke said, his eyes wide in delight, and his question forgotten at the prospect of food. Itachi couldn't be sure, but Fugaku seemed to be relieved that the question was deflected.
Dinner was more or less a set affair. It was always the same. Itachi's mother would tell them dinner was ready, the table would be set, and they'd take their places. The food would be brought out, thanks would be given, and then they'd eat in silence.
Afterwards, the dishes for the meal would be cleaned by Itachi and Sasuke while Fugaku retired to his study to deal with work and Mikoto relaxed. This dinner was no different. It was characteristically Uchiha in how it was treated. Precise, and done in defined, well-established steps.
Itachi enjoyed doing the dishes, and like many other aspects of his life, his power reflected this. He'd accrued a large number of levels for his skill, Dish Cleaning.
Dish Cleaning's level goes up by one.
Right on time, as it always was when Itachi made predictions on when his next level up would come. He attributed it to his rather high Intelligence. It towered above the average person, in part thanks to his Prodigy trait.
Itachi's mind wandered to his new job. On the way home, he'd seen that he was only a few experience points from reaching the next level. He was excited to have more points to work with on his general stats, and he was grateful as he was already feeling his free time slip away from him, mostly because of his job.
But just like that, the dishes were done, and Sasuke excused himself. Itachi was glad that he had other things to do tonight. Between his job, being with Izumi, and talking to his father, there was nothing more that he wanted to do than go to bed right now.
Exhaustion had nothing to do with it. He couldn't get physically tired thanks to his power. But still, there was only so much activity Itachi could deal with in any given day. So it was he bid Sasuke and his mother and father good night. Itachi was grateful for their understanding, and went to his room, falling swiftly into a peaceful sleep.
"There's the adorable lovebird!" Itachi sometimes wondered about Shisui. He always pulled stunts like this.. "Why wasn't I invited on your little excursion? You know how much I love dango." Maybe talking to Fugaku wouldn't be so bad.
"I apologize, Shisui. Izumi asked me out on a date, and it is considered poor form to invite other people." Itachi told him.
"So it was a date?" Shisui asked. "But aren't those 'not for someone of your age,' Itachi?" Shisui had an extraordinary memory, and yet he insisted on wasting it on information to use against Itachi..
"Shisui, that was a year ago when you asked me about it. Besides, it was Izumi who called it a date." Itachi explained. "There's a lot that can change in such a span of time." He resumed his walk back towards his house.
"Come on Itachi, why so serious?" Shisui whined, running to catch up to him. "You know I wouldn't ever want to get between you and Izumi. I mean, have you seen how cute you two are together?" Itachi did his best to avoid blushing, but he might as well have tried to hide the fact he was an Uchiha.
"You leave us alone!" Itachi yelled. He took a deep breath. "It isn't nice to pry into the affairs of others. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to my house."
"Oh no you don't, Itachi." Shisui cut him off. "You haven't revealed the village's secrets to me. There's got to be something interesting to share."
"There was nothing. It was just a basic mission, that is all." Itachi said. He liked being with Shisui, despite his teasing, but he only really wanted to talk with Fugaku on the matter.
Deception's level has increased by one.
Itachi was growing to despise the text box's sense of timing for such things. He flicked it away with a thought.
"Ah, alright then." Shisui said. He knew when enough was enough, and gave his goodbye. "Well, see you around then. Say hi to your parents and Sasuke for me!" He vanished, leaving Itachi alone to finish walking home.
He gave pause for a moment. He'd been a bit, preoccupied with accomplishing his goals, and it'd hurt his friendships. Izumi, of course, had come to him and told him straight out about his wrong, or at least, that's what the text boxes had told him.
But Shisui, Shisui was different. He was actually rather polite and would probably never bring it up with him. He felt bad that he'd chased him off so quickly. Perhaps he'd have to spar with him in his next span of free time.
Through addressing that your behaviour requires amendments, your Wisdom increases by one.
As Itachi had learned over the years, it never hurt to stop and think about things sometimes. His only regret in this case is that he didn't exactly have the time to make it up to Shisui today, nor did he even know where he went if he had the time.
But there was no use in trying to do something he couldn't. So Itachi just returned home. It didn't take him long, and his arrival was greeted by a happy Sasuke.
"Nii-San! You're home!" He ran up to Itachi, who picked him up.
"Sorry I'm late, Izumi wanted to spend some time with me." Itachi said.
"You should do a better job of keeping your girlfriend happy." Sasuke told him. Not him too… Itachi should really try to keep better tabs on who Sasuke talked to.
"Welcome home, Itachi. Your father isn't back from work yet," said Mikoto as she joined them. Itachi gave a small bow towards her as he put Sasuke down.
"Hello, Oka-san." he said. "I've returned from a successful day as an ANBU operative."
"Please, save that for your father." She scolded him. "But I'm glad your first day went well."
"Nii-san, Nii-san!" Their conversation was cut short by Sasuke tugging on Itachi's shirt. "Guess what happened today in the academy!"
"Hm…" Itachi mock thought aloud for a few moments.
Sasuke is unconvinced by your actions.
Itachi couldn't help it. There was very little he'd keep hidden from him willfully.
"Come on, I know you know." Sasuke said.
"Alright, Sasuke. Today was sparring day, wasn't it? Who did you win against?" Itachi asked, dropping his false ignorance.
"It was Naruto, the loud mouth kid who thinks he's so great. You should have seen him when he lost." Sasuke let the information pour out of him. Itachi frowned slightly.
"How well did he fight?" He asked.
"Well…" Sasuke thought for a moment. "He tried really hard, but he wasn't a match for me." He saw Itachi's disappointment and quickly added, "but he fought well. His passion was unmatched today." The shift in tone was indicative of Sasuke trying to act like Itachi when he was formal.
"That's good, Sasuke." Itachi told him. And fortunately for Itachi, Fugaku opened the door.
"I have returned from my long day at work-" He cut himself off when he saw Itachi. "Hello, I didn't expect you to be home this early, Itachi."
"Otou-san" Itachi greeted him before responding. "Today was an introductory mission. I was done early, but spent some time with Izumi before returning home."
"You are an Uchiha." Thinly veiled discontent plagued his voice. "Did they doubt your abilities?"
"No, Otou-san. It was a given that I would excel." It wasn't a lie exactly, which made Itachi a bit uneasy. He didn't know anything about Fugaku's stats, so there was a very real chance he'd see through it.
"So why did they give you such a trivial assignment?" He demanded.
"As my partner told me, it was standard procedure. I'm certain that tomorrow I will be assigned to something more appropriate for an Uchiha." Itachi said. His father took a few moments to process the information.
"What did they have you do?" He asked. Now came the part Itachi was dreading. The incident with the shop owner would come up, and Itachi was not looking forward to explaining it to Fugaku.
"We ran a short patrol of the village as an assessment of my stealth. I met their expectations with no issue." Itachi answered. He knew Fugaku's next question, but he was still going to try and delay the inevitable.
"Did anything happen during this assessment?" Itachi had guessed correctly. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"There was an incident with a person refusing to pay at a restaurant. We intervened." Itachi paused for a moment. "It would have fallen to the Police Force, but the owner was adamant in not contacting them."
"I see…" His father said. He thought for a great while before giving a follow up. "So the distrust of the Uchiha is spreading more amongst civilians, and it's making them more hesitant to contact us for help. I will have to get more patrols out to ensure we can still keep the peace. Thank you, Itachi."
"Otou-san?" Sasuke, who had been respectfully quiet, suddenly spoke up. "Why don't people like the Uchiha?" He asked. Mikoto's voice saved Fugaku from answering..
"Dinnertime! Who wants Teriyaki chicken and rice?" She asked.
"I do, Oka-san!" Sasuke said, his eyes wide in delight, and his question forgotten at the prospect of food. Itachi couldn't be sure, but Fugaku seemed to be relieved that the question was deflected.
Dinner was more or less a set affair. It was always the same. Itachi's mother would tell them dinner was ready, the table would be set, and they'd take their places. The food would be brought out, thanks would be given, and then they'd eat in silence.
Afterwards, the dishes for the meal would be cleaned by Itachi and Sasuke while Fugaku retired to his study to deal with work and Mikoto relaxed. This dinner was no different. It was characteristically Uchiha in how it was treated. Precise, and done in defined, well-established steps.
Itachi enjoyed doing the dishes, and like many other aspects of his life, his power reflected this. He'd accrued a large number of levels for his skill, Dish Cleaning.
Dish Cleaning's level goes up by one.
Right on time, as it always was when Itachi made predictions on when his next level up would come. He attributed it to his rather high Intelligence. It towered above the average person, in part thanks to his Prodigy trait.
Itachi's mind wandered to his new job. On the way home, he'd seen that he was only a few experience points from reaching the next level. He was excited to have more points to work with on his general stats, and he was grateful as he was already feeling his free time slip away from him, mostly because of his job.
But just like that, the dishes were done, and Sasuke excused himself. Itachi was glad that he had other things to do tonight. Between his job, being with Izumi, and talking to his father, there was nothing more that he wanted to do than go to bed right now.
Exhaustion had nothing to do with it. He couldn't get physically tired thanks to his power. But still, there was only so much activity Itachi could deal with in any given day. So it was he bid Sasuke and his mother and father good night. Itachi was grateful for their understanding, and went to his room, falling swiftly into a peaceful sleep.
Kind of forgot I was supposed to be posting this...
Anyways, figure I might as well say this: If you're waiting for canon divergence, it's going to be a minute (as in 12 chapters). The massacre will still be happening, but it's also where the story goes off the rails. That is all.
Anyways, figure I might as well say this: If you're waiting for canon divergence, it's going to be a minute (as in 12 chapters). The massacre will still be happening, but it's also where the story goes off the rails. That is all.
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al103
Grumpy Russian Bear (SV edition)
- Location
- Russia, Krasnoyarsk
...
You may want to remove formatting. As in size formatting. It's unreadable in current state for me.
Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
It looks fine to me. Maybe it's on your end?
al103
Grumpy Russian Bear (SV edition)
- Location
- Russia, Krasnoyarsk
Well, duh! People have different browsers, browser settings and windows (if it's even windows) settings. Defaults exist for reason. And
Code:
[font=tahoma][size=3][color=rgb(204, 204, 204)]PS. For those that are on FlexWhite it's even worse because of text color. Just checked.
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Pixel the Square
Spoop town
- Location
- Somewhere not from here
Question, can you read it now? How about chapter 3?
al103
Grumpy Russian Bear (SV edition)
- Location
- Russia, Krasnoyarsk
Yes.
Problematic. (And now I have to think how the fuck I missed it, I remember ch2 contents, but not ch3 ones...)