Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest

[Vesvius]

You shake your head to clear it. There's no time to waste with the combat tutorial! It's not like that's going anywhere! But Mr. Straw- and your phantom benefactor- could be getting further away with every passing second. You've got to get after them now!

You sprint back into the house as fast as your almost six-year old legs can go, stopping briefly at the breakfast table to shovel as much food into your mouth as possible in thirty seconds- you've got to keep your motives full after all. Mother watches you go with a mildly amused, mildly disgusted look on her face. "Daisuke! Chew!" she orders.

"There's no time!" you garble back in between mouthfuls. "I gotta find Mr. Straw!"

A look of surprise crosses her face. "Honey, I'll get you another one! Two! There's no need to panic."

"That's not it!" you protest. "That's my Mr. Straw! I don't want another! That one's mine!"

Mother protests a few more times as Tokei look on stoically from near the staircase, each weaker than the last. You finish your eating frenzy and rush over, hugging her around the ankles. "I gotta find him!" you answer, ignoring whatever she's saying. "I'll be home later! Love you!"

You turn and sprint for the door. Behind you, you hear Tokei shuffle after you. "No," Mother calls. "Let him go. Boys need to explore and do foolish things while they're young. It's how they learn to be men."

There's silence from Tokei. Finally, as you close the door behind you, you hear him say, "You indulge him too much Manami. You do remember-"

The door slides shut before you can hear whatever it is Mother is supposed to remember. The moment your home is closed off, you're already hauling ass around Mother's property, heading for the other side of the fenced-off backyard. If whoever took Mr. Straw didn't come in through the front door- and you have to assume Tokei would've noticed if they had- then they must have come over the fence. Which means there may be a trace of them.

You skid to a halt with such force that divots are driven in the soft loamy ground. There! Sitting on the ground, about half a yard away from your fence, a piece of straw! You run over to it. Eyes narrowed, you look around wildly for another trace. Your gaze lands on another golden piece sitting near the edge of the sparse woods that surround your home. You sprint for it.

From the spot of the next piece of straw you can see another clump dangling from a tree. Running over to that one doesn't show more straw, but there's a dragged path between two trees that could only come from Mr. Straw's base. From there, another trace. From there, another.

You follow the traces for a long time. There're too many of them for them to be anything but deliberate. Someone knew you would come and they wanted you to be able to follow them. Again: why? You really need to stop asking yourself that; not having an answer is starting to piss you off.

The sun is high in the sky before you run out of traces. They've led you to a clearing deep in the woods, a rare open spot in a forest that's been getting thicker as you've pressed deeper. You stop in the middle of it near the last trace- a scrap of torn burlap- with your hands on your legs, lungs burning. You've been pushing yourself hard and you're starting to feel it. But it'll be worth it if you can finally figure out who your secret trainer is.

As you pant and recover, you can the clearing. But you can't spot another bit of straw, trace of fabric, or sign of rough passage anywhere. But there has to be one. Something that'll show where Mr. Straw went. You rub your eyes and keep looking, cataloguing everything you see. Tree. Tree. Tree. Pile of leaves. Tree. Tree. Squirrel. Tree. Tree. Mr. Straw suspended by vines. Tree. Tree. Tree. Tree-

You stop and slowly turn back. Sure enough, there's Mr. Straw. He's hanging from the branches of an older tree, vines looping around his arms, legs, and base. On his stomach is a piece of paper. On the front of it it reads, in messy letters, 'grab me!'.

Well. You haven't come this far by ignoring cryptic instructions involving your training dummy! You head over to Mr. Straw and reach, straining on your tiptoes as you try and reach the note. But your trainer clearly knows how tall you are; the note is out of reach. Even if you put your whole body into jumping, your fingertips barely brush the note. If you want to grab it, you'll have to put more into it.

Maybe you need to let Mr. Straw down? That means you'll have to climb the tree and get untangle the vines. You decide to give it a shot and head over to the trunk. A hop and leap later, you're trying to shimmy up the tree. It's too wide for you to get your arms around; your only option is to try and scurry up it like a spider. It's an approach that's doomed to fail. You fall before you get two feet up.

Or maybe this is supposed to be another test? Maybe of Chakra Control? Running up a tree with Chakra is a basic test after all. But you've never used your chakra. You know you have it; you can feel it with every too sharp smell and every sensation heightened. But you haven't touched it! That kind of thing seems a little too dangerous to figure out on your own. And you'd guess your trainer knows that. If they know how tall you are, they know you haven't started experimenting with Chakra.

If it's a test, it's probably on something else. Honestly this whole thing gives you a vibe like a final exam. Like you've been studying the coursework for months, but here's where you really put it into action. You stop and think for a long moment. So what exactly have you been being taught that you can use here?

You know what you've been being taught; basic Taijutsu obviously. You'd have figured that out even if you didn't have a skill tracker to watch it for you. But how can you apply punching and kicking to grabbing a note off a hanging Mr. Straw?

...wait. When you think of Taijutsu, you keep thinking of the actual striking part of it. But that's not the most important part. No, the biggest part of Taijutsu is the footwork. Having a good base to start on is the foundation of all the rest of it, and it all comes back to having sure feet that you can use to stand on anything as you move into the blows.

So is there something here that can test your footwork?

Your eyes trace the ground and land on a heavy log. It's propped up against a tree deliberately. Another few large sticks lead up to it and way from it. The log itself leads to a small shelf worn into a tree from years of exposure. If you could get up there, you could shimmy along the shelf until you reached Mr. Straw. From there you would have to jump and turn in midair to get the note. It wouldn't be easy, but it'd be doable.

You sigh and reach down to take off your shoes. You're going to need bare feet if you want to do this right.

In the end it's even harder than you thought it would be. You fall half a dozen times when you're trying to scale the log and another four when you're trying to navigate the shelf. And that's not even counting the number of times you miss the note when you're plunging from midway up a twenty foot tall tree and crash into the ground- if you weren't sure you had chakra of some sort before, this would have convinced you. There's no other way to explain how you walked away from all those falls without breaking anything. But it doesn't matter how many times you fail. You only need to succeed once.

And succeed you do. Finally, you have the note clutched in your grass stained palm. You rip it open eagerly.

It reads: 'follow me!'

Follow me? Who are you supposed to follow-

Above you, you hear a sharp rustling noise for a fraction of a second before it's replaced by silence. Heart sinking, you slowly look up. Sure enough, Mr. Straw is gone. Again.

You let out a yell of frustration and follow the new path that's been torn in the ground.

That's how your afternoon passes. You track down Mr. Straw until you find him. Then you have to scheme a way to him, and the moment you lay a finger on him, he's pulled away from you. You swim deep into a river to get Mr. Straw. You chase Mr. Straw as he's being pulled on a long rope. You punch at Mr. Straw through a small opening only wide enough for a perfect fist. You throw conveniently placed balls at a large bird carrying Mr. Straw through the woods. Each time you find Mr. Straw, the tests get stranger and more absurd, each harder to solve than the last.

Until finally you are done.

The trail leads you to a large field deep in the heart of the forest. You can't see any more straw trails, so you can only assume another test is coming. But you stop and raise both hands, crossing them into an X. "No!" you bellow. "Enough! I am finished with these stupid tests! I won't do another! Give me back my dummy, tell me who you are, and go away!"

The still silence seems to be mocking you. You growl into it. "You think this is funny, don't you?! Stealing my favorite dummy! I worked hard with that dummy! I won't let you keep tearing him up for your weird little tests! Give him back! Right now!"

There's a rustle in the grass behind you. "Do you think you've earned it?"

You spin, hands raised in a defensive stance. The newcomer eyes it. "Impressive. You've taken well to my tutelage."

As he studies your stance, you study him. The newcomer is a large man, easily twice as tall as your three feet, and you can see clearly defined muscles beneath his dark robes. But those are the only details you can make out. The man is clad head to toe in dark colors with bandages wrapped around his face. To complete the effect, he's shrouded in a dark cowl and hood that swirl around him as he stands in place.

...have you been being trained by Konoha Batman?

Your phantom mentor lets you look at him for a long moment before he shifts back, setting one leg behind him and raising his hands in a carbon copy of your own stance. "You want your dummy back?" he growls in a raspy tone. "You wish to know who I am?"

"Then come! Come reveal my identity, Satomura Daisuke! If you can!"

What is your response? And if you choose to take his challenge, what is your plan?
[] Write-In

 

[Vesvius]

...you'll take this challenge. After all, this guy stole Mr. Straw! The least he can do is substitute in for him.

With a yell you charge in, hands raised to strike. But before you can attack your opponent does. Their hands lash out almost too fast for you to see. You take the blow on the ear and fall with a ringing in your head, pushed to the side by the sheer strength of it. You push yourself back to your feet and glare at your phantom mentor. They shakes their head mocking, wagging one finger back and forth as they go.

Right. This Mr. Straw fights back. And you haven't been able to work on blocking or dodging before with just a dummy.

Well. There's no time to learn like the present!

You rush back in with speed that surprises even you. Again the same blow lashes out, and again you take it on the side of the face. But this time you turn your head just enough that it catches you on the cheek instead of right on the ear. It still sends you sprawling, but the ringing doesn't get any worse. Progress!

This time when you push yourself up, you're ready for the blow. It strikes out at you and you raise your shoulder in a block. The fist glances off your muscle and you waste no time in retaliating with a strike of your own. Your jab finds nothing but cloak as the phantom mentor dodges slightly to the left.

Your head's on a swivel as you look for the next blow. But you don't need to look far. It's the same blow that comes for your ear- a looping left jab. Again you block and again you strike out- and again you miss. And then the same jab comes for you again.

As you block it automatically, your mind races. This is another test. Clearly this is another test. If this was anything else, he would be doing more than just one strike. So you're supposed to block it in a certain way, or maybe strike out in another way to hit them. You can't just keep doing the same thing over and over again if you want to pass.

So when the blow comes for you again you twist, spinning your body under the strike and coming up on the other side of the arm. Your arm snatches out like a cobra striking, catching the massive forearm of the phantom mentor and pinning it between your arm and your body. The shadow freezes as if caught by surprise and you waste no time in following up. You spin more, extending the arm, and slam down with your free arm in an angry elbow strike.

The point of your elbow crashes home in the joint of theirs. The arm collapses on reflex, dragging you closer to your opponent. Now you lash out, punching the shadow right in the face!

The sweet feeling of success pulses in your veins. You did it! You landed a blow! You-

Go sprawling as the shadow mentor's foot catches you in the side in a push kick, scraping you off their arm like you were gum on the bottom of their shoe.

Right. One hit does not a victory make. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You're going to have to do more than that if you want to unmask your trainer.

You push off and charge in again, and the same blow lashes out. You dodge, trap, elbow, punch, and when the foot comes you're ready for it. You check the kick and duck backwards, ready for more follow ups. They aren't long in coming.

The 'fight' goes on for an eternity. Every blow, you find, as an appropriate counter, and every counter proves the same reaction every time. If you miss one, you have to start over again from the very first jab.

Before long your body is moving automatically. Strike, step, duck, twist, all without input from your brain. The only thoughts you have time for in the haze of constant motion are your lessons. Strike solid blows. Keep your eyes peeled for differences. Make sure you have stable footwork.

And above all: do not give up. Do not surrender. You can do this!

Your lungs are burning and your heart is beating like a drumline before too long. Sweat pours down your body, stinging at your eyes and at the dozens of tiny cuts that have been opened in your skin. Your throat is dry, your knees weak, and you know that your hair is all sorts of fucked up. Mother is not going to be pleased about that last one.

But still. You can do this. No surrender.

You pick yourself back up after your latest failure and move. Trap the first punch. Strike at the elbow, strike at the face. Check the kick, dodge backwards. Low kick to the knee than hit it with a change-up, hitting the checking leg from the other side. Forearm smash to the midsection, slide to side to avoid the headbutt. Quick one two the exposed head, push down the upkick before it can fully form, rabbit punch to the abdomen.

The two of you aren't fighting anymore. You're dancing.

Until finally you get passed their spinning back elbow by ducking, trapping their leg with yours, and pulling them into a spin. Your fist is cocked back, ready to punch. But you've hit them from this position before- it's not the right answer. There's something else you can do here that- you sense- will bring this whole test to an end.

When you think about it like that, it's obvious.

Your fist lashes out like you're going to jab them right in the face. But at the last moment your fist opens and you grab onto the bandages wrapping their face .

The phantom mentor freezes as if they weren't expecting this and you take full advantage. You hook your fingers, driving them deep into the protective cloth. And then with all the strength left in your weary, burning, five-year old body, you pull.

The bandages tear and flutter away, caught by the breeze.

You stop.

You stare.

All thoughts of fighting further vanish from your mind. All your lessons are gone like dust in the breeze. Your determination flickers and vanishes as you stare at the true face of your phantom mentor.

And then you have to shield your eyes, because day makes it's triumphant return, conquering the evening that had settled over the forest clearing.

Such is the power of Maito Gai's smile.

Your eyes! They fucking burn!

You blink to clear them and stagger backwards. But your phantom mentor- but fucking Gai doesn't advance to follow up. Instead he plants his fists on his hips and throws his head backwards in a deep laugh that echoes through the forest. "Congratulations my young pupil!" he bellows to the world. "For you have succeeded in unmasking me! Allow me to introduce myself!"

"I! Am Maito Gai! And I am very pleased to meet you!"

…

How does he make his teeth do that?

Can you get him to teach you how to make your teeth do that?!

Gai drops his pose and extends his hand. "And you! You are Satomura Daisuke! It is a joy to finally meet you face to face!"

That snaps you out of your stupor. You limply reach out and accept his handshake. But instead of being polite, questions start to spill from your mouth. "Why are you here?" you ask. "Why have you been moving Mr. Straw around? Why did you kidna- steal Mr. Straw?! What's the point of all this? I have so many questions!"

Gai laughs loudly and proudly, still shaking your hand. "An inquiring mind! A good sign! And while you have many questions, I have many answers! So allow me to slake your endless curiosity!"

Somehow, you find yourself sitting down on a log with Mr. Straw at your side. You don't even think you moved- but Gai must have moved you. He plants himself down on your other side, flicking his wrist and producing a bottle of water from a pouch on his belt. He offers it to you. "Thirsty?"

You snatch it out of his hand before he can change his mind and pour it down your throat. You hadn't realized just how thirst you were before Gai had pulled out the water, but you're completely parched.The bottle is empty far too soon, and Gai has another in your hand before you can ask for on. "Proper hydration is vitally important before, during, and after any strenuous physical activity! Remember that in the future!"

You knew that, but still you find yourself filing away the words. After the second bottle, you're able to think about stuff besides wetting your throat. "You said you had answers for me?" you ask.

Gai nods. "I believe that all of your questions can be answered with a small story! So allow me to tell you!"

"I first became curious about you upon visiting my favorite store in all Konoha to replenish my supply of training dummies. I entered it like it was any other day only to find that their stock of the beginner's models- perfect for reinforcing the basics!- were bought out! Curious, I looked to find the source of the mysterious outage! And that was when I found you, Daisuke-kun, punching away at that dummy. Mr. Straw I believe you called him?"

You nod, and he continues. "I watched your training with a keen eye and I quickly became aware that you knew absolutely nothing about the art of Taijutsu! But still, you pushed yourself hard and worked with a will! And so to test your eye, I manipulated Mr. Straw into a new position- perfect for training certain types of blows. And you took to it with a will!"

"That was where I planned to end my interference with your training- but my curiosity continued to bite at me! So I asked several acquaintances to find out more about why you were training. A young child in the early bloom of their youth does not begin arduous training without reason. And I received my answer- to protect."

You stare at him nonplussed for a long moment, and he reaches out and claps you on your shoulder with a hand so heavy you can hear your bones creaking. "I learned that you sought to protect your Mother and your loved ones from whatever could come! And after I learned of your circumstances, your burning desire to protect spoke to me! I could not simply leave you to your own devices! Such a powerful urge to protect must be nurtured until it sprouts into a mighty oak, able to shelter all the young of the forest in it's branches!"

You filter out most of that automatically, but one part sticks in your mind. Your circumstances? You're missing something here. But you're not sure what, and you definitely don't want to ask Gai. At least not yet.

The two of you sit in silence for a moment as he drinks his own water. Once he finishes the third bottle he continues his story. "And so I stopped by your home daily- and I apologize for my rudeness in not introducing myself! But I would not risk showing myself and causing events to unfold prematurely! But what I could do was help! And so I watched your training for a small time every day. And what I saw impressed me greatly! Despite not knowing the simple basics weeks before, you somehow understood the moment you had a technique perfected, and you strove for that perfect blow every time! It was a marvel to watch!"

Right. You'd guess that making sure every hit made your hit counter rise would make your blows textbook.

"But we had reached a difficult chapter in your training! There is only so much you can do without a sparring partner! Someone to grow alongside with and someone to keep your muscle memory from forming into unfortunate patterns! And that is why I took Mr. Straw from you. With your attachment to your dummy, I knew you would chase after him. And I wanted to see your progress in more ways than just watching you strike a dummy, so I set tests and tasks in your way!"

"But now, Satomura Daisuke, we have reached a new phase in your training! A phase beyond punching dummies and dodging phantom blows! We have reached a phase…"

"... a phase that requires dedication."

You quirk your eyebrow at him, a gesture you've stolen from Mother with pride. "Oh?"

"You are mature for one so young!" Gai proudly proclaims. "So I will speak plainly. Honestly, one reason I was so circumspect in your tutelage, young Daisuke-kun, was that I could be greatly disciplined for training you!"

"Really?" you ask. "Why?"

He looks at you as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Because I am a Jonin of Konohagakure, and you are… not. You are not a shinobi of any kind, and you have expressed no interest in becoming one aside from your arduous training! Information security demands that no shinobi teach a non-shinobi even the most basic of techniques, from the simplest punch to the most complex jutsu! I have skirted this rule most expertly by not having direct contact with you before, but now we have reached a point where I can skirt it no longer!"

Well. You hadn't thought about it, but you guess that makes sense. A shinobi village, even one as open as Konoha seems to be, would doubtlessly be cagey about any of their techniques getting into the hands of an outsider. "Um… so what can I do if I want you to train me more?" you ask plaintively.

Gai beams. "It is simple, young Daisuke! Go home and inform your Mother that you do not wish to attend Hagakko like she currently has planned for you! Instead have her sign a declaration! Declare that you will join the Konohagakure Shinobi Academy! The moment the ink is dry on your formal declaration, you will be free to learn whatever you wish!"

"But know this! The path of a shinobi is a long and difficult one, full of tears and loss. And I shall not be there to guide you the entire way! Indeed, I shall not be there to guide you most of the way! I am still an active duty shinobi after all, and I cannot refuse missions to tutor you- nor can I take a formal apprentice so young. Nor would I if I could! Blossoms must be given reign to bloom outside of the confines of their trellis if they must gain their full beauty!"

"But I will continue as I have, and train you whenever possible! And I will even ease you through the boundaries that keep just anyone from joining the Academy! After all, such a passionate bloom of youth must be encouraged!"

Well… you think you got all that. Gai can only keep training you if you declare your intentions to become a Shinobi and sign an official document stating that. Do you agree to do that?
[] Yes. Becoming a Shinobi of Konoha?! That's the whole reason you're here! Of course!
[] No. Being a ninja means your life is not your own anymore- and you have other things you want to do than spy for your country.
[] Write-In (Must be approved)

 

[Vesvius]

You sit next to Gai for a long moment as you consider the options he's laid out in front of you. One long moment turns into two, and then several. Before you know it you're watching the sun fully set behind the horizon as you ponder your future.

Being a shinobi, a ninja, is not an easy life. You know that just from watching the anime; you can only guess at what they left out that you'll actually have to live through. Years of training. Enough pain for several lifetimes. You'll shed and cause enough tears to fill bathtubs. And that would just be in a period of quiet. You know how old you are- you won't be a ninja in a period of quiet.

If you were the same person you were before you were hit by a bus, you'd say no. You wouldn't just say no, you'd scream it and run. You would run as fast as you physically could until you got to the walls of Konoha and then you'd keep running. You might not ever stop.

Slowly, you turn your head to look at Gai. The boisterous man is sitting quietly and letting you think. He's carefully not looking at you. Instead he's staring off into the sunset, eyes narrowed as he takes in the last rays of the day. It's not what you would have expected from the Jonin.

And that makes you think. You're not the same person who was hit by a bus five years ago. You have a new Mother, new friends, a new life. And you have a new perspective.

You might not have safety as a ninja, but you'd be able to provide it to others. You might risk death, but you wouldn't be doing it alone. You might cry tears of blood, but someone will be there to help you clean them up.

Yeah. You could deal with that.

"I-" you start, voice froggy from disuse. Gai's eyes snap to you as you clear your throat. "I'll do it."

Gai doesn't respond. He waits patiently for you to continue. So you do. "I'll do it," you repeat, voice getting stronger. "Yeah. I'll join the Academy."

Your phantom mentor's eyes light up. "This is a most wonderful decision you have made, Daisuke-kun! I cannot wait to see what you blossom into! Under the proper guidance and tutelage there is no limit to what you can accomplish!"

He pops up and immediately reaches down to help you to your feet as well. You take it gratefully, ignoring the protest in your muscles. It's only once you've regained your balance that you stop to wonder exactly where you are. You chased Mr. Straw a long way, and you're not sure how far away home is. You told Mother you'd be back late but she'll still worry.

You look up at Gai and ask, and the response is another blinding smile that burns it's way into your retinas. "Worry not my young friend! Your home is only a mile to the east!"

You pause for a second. "Really? We only went a mile?" Sure, it's a long distance to go on such tiny legs- you can't wait for your growth spurt- but you'd have sworn you went at least triple that in your straw chase.

"We did not!" Gai answers, confusing you for a moment. When he sees the look on your face he continues. "Our glorious chase went nearly seven miles! But they were not linear! Indeed, we took a winding path that doubled and redoubled upon itself on many occasions! We are quite close to the location of our first encounter!"

As Gai chatters, he starts steering you in the proper direction with a hand on your shoulder. You stumble briefly but catch yourself. Gai pauses mid-word. "My apologies! I had not realized how weary you must be after a day of well-spent exertion! Would you like me to carry you home?"

You instinctively shake your head. "No thanks… sir?" When he doesn't object to the word, you continue. "But I want to be able to walk there myself."

This time, you're pretty sure the sparkle of his teeth could be seen from orbit. "Your determination humbles and inspires me! After I escort you home, I shall redouble my own training! I will hone my basics, much as you have been doing! I will run two complete circuits of the village without pause, and if I pause for any reason, I will follow it with one thousand strikes to a training dummy, and if-"

Absently, you tune out Gai's promises. You get the sense that you're going to be doing a lot of that. But what he just said does make you remember. One thousand strikes to a training dummy. You never finished your achievement. You're… forty one strikes short.

You shrug to yourself. You'll finish that up in the next few days. No point worrying about it now.

But as you ponder Mr. Straw, you're not paying attention to where you're walking. Your foot catches a tree root and you plunge, falling on your hands and knees on the forest floor. To your slight surprise, Gai doesn't move to catch you even though he's definitely fast enough. He just waits as you pick yourself back up and then continues chattering away as if nothing had happened.

You stare at his back for a long second before trudging after him. It's not like you were expecting him to help you up again, but-

"Root," Gai says absently, pointing down. You instinctively glance where he's pointing and see that your feet were about to snag another root. You step over it and offer him your thanks. "No thanks necessary my young friend! It is my privilege to help you grow!"

Huh.

Unless you're completely misreading Gai here, he's trying to tell you something. He's saying that he won't stop you from making mistakes- like tripping. And he won't shield you from the consequences of those mistakes- like the grass stains on your knees and palms. But he will help you avoid those mistakes in the future- like that second root.

"...and if I cannot convince two people to be my sparring partner for the evening, then I will split trees into planks to aid in construction with nothing but my hands for.."

...or you could just be reading entirely too much into Maito Gai. You're not sure. Either way works.

You navigate your way through the forest floor without tripping over any more roots, and Gai's subject material slowly starts to change. Instead of his own training plans, or the training plans he has for you, he starts talking more about the Academy. More specifically, what will have to be done to get into the Academy.

"The majority of it is simple paperwork- which, despite what a great deal of my colleagues think, is nothing to fear! And yours shall be simpler than most of theirs still! It shall take but a single form: the declaration of intent. It signifies that you desire to serve as a Shinobi of Konohagakure. It is one page and requires your signature and parental consent. I will assist you with that this very evening!"

You nod. Makes sense. "Alright. So if we get that filled out, when will I start at the Academy? And how long will I be in it before I graduate?"

"The Academy runs for seven years," Gai explains, volume dropping to something that's almost conversational. "During which you will be trained in the basics of all things that a Shinobi must know. It runs year round, with breaks for holidays and a small sabbatical mid summer! Each term begins in March, after the Equinox. So you have but a few short months before you embark on this next chapter!"

He's not wrong. It may not feel like it due to Konoha's more mild climate, but it's January now. Only two months before your training starts in earnest.

The two of you chat as you emerge from the woods and hit the dirt roads of the village once again. The topics meander around for awhile, ranging from what you should expect at the Academy to how Gai will fix up the damage he caused to Mr. Straw- and he will fix that. But eventually, as you near your home, you come back to your day in the forest. And there's a nagging question you want answered.

"Um, sir?" you ask. "I understood most of the lessons I was supposed to pick up from the tests back there, but there was one I wasn't sure about."

"Please! Ask away! Asking questions is the only way to have knowledge fill your mind!"

"...sure. But yeah. The only one I'm not sure of is the last test."

"The bird? That was a simple test of your accuracy and your determination! I-"

"No, not the bird. I wasn't sure about the very last test. The one where we sparred."

"Oh?"

"Yes sir. I mean, what the point of having me run through the same moves and counters so many times? Shouldn't I be working on different things so that I don't fall back on the same routine in an actual fight?"

"A most excellent insight! And indeed you would be correct in most cases. Relying on the same techniques and routines is a sure way to lose an important battle at an inopportune moment, and we will doubtlessly be training that in the future! But that test was not to evaluate your reflexes or the strength of your arm! It was to evaluate your critical thinking and your pattern recognition. And.."

"And what, sir?"

"And it was a lesson as well as a test. It was to teach you perhaps the most important lesson you shall ever learn from me! It was to teach you…"

Gai reaches down and ruffles your already messed hair. "It was to teach you that there is always a way to win. No matter how hopeless the task seems, how challenging the road before you looks, how dangerous the opponent who stands before you is, there is always a way to overcome it."

Your mentor stops you from moving forward and meets your eyes steadily. "Remember, Daisuke-kun. The battle is only truly lost if you despair and surrender. As long as you do not do that, you can overcome any obstacle!"

You offer Gai a shaky smile. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind, sir."

"Please do! And please call me Gai-sensei! You may not be my apprentice on paper, but even if I never teach you another thing again, I have aided in your tutelage in some small way! It would be a privilege for you to call me your teacher."

"Um, sure Gai-Sensei."

...is… is he crying? He's crying. And it doesn't look like he's going to stop any time soon.

Thankfully, he does stop, right when you get home. You push the door open and immediately meet your Mother's concerned eyes. She's sitting at the kitchen table, eyes trained on the doorway with a steaming cup of something in her hands. Behind her, Tokei is leaning against the wall in his customary position. Before either can say anything, you speak up. "I found Mr. Straw!" you call. "And you would not believe the day I've had."

Gai squeeze through the door behind you. "It has been a most wonderful day!" he proclaims. "And it shall only get better, for I now have the pleasure of introducing myself to two of the most important people in my young pupil's life!" He gently puts Mr. Straw down next to the umbrella stand that's currently holding Mother's parasol and Tokei's sword and moves towards them. "I am Maito Gai, and it is wonderous to meet the both of you!"

Mother's mouth moves soundlessly for a long moment. For his part, Tokei seems nonplussed, except for some slightly wider than usual eyes. But eventually Mother's courtly training takes over. "Please, Gai-san, be welcome in my home. May I fetch you something to drink?"

Which is how you wind up sitting at the table between Mother and Gai-sensei, both clutching earthenware mugs of dark tea. "And what brings us the joy of hosting you today?" Mother asks politely.

Gai pauses for a moment, but quickly launches into an explanation. He covers a lot more ground than you thought he would, starting back at when he discovered your desire to punch a dummy and carrying on through today. He phrases it a little differently than you would have though, emphasizing more how you were doing things instead of what you were doing.

Honestly, it's a smart approach. Mother starts off wary, and a little bit hostile to the strange looking man who invited himself into her home. But the more he talks, the more he compliments how well you were doing, and the more Mother seems to relax. With each mention of your 'natural talent', she gets a little bit happier. It's like she's just happy to have someone recognize your greatness.

By the time he produces the declaration, Mother is nodding along with everything Gai says. "It would be a shame to squander such god given gifts!" Gai enthuses. "And as a shinobi, it is my honor to encourage their growth. So upon completion of today's tests, I asked young Daisuke-kun if he would be interested in becoming a member of Konohagakure's ninja forces. And he seemed interested in the possibility."

Mother hesitates for a moment, glancing at you. "Is that even permissible?" she asks. "After all, Daisuke isn't a natural born citizen of the Land of Fire."

Gai waves off her concerns. "Indeed, but he has lived here long enough to be naturalized! And even if he were not, Konoha's shinobi forces encourage talent and desire above all else! It matters not where you were born or how long your family has resided within our walls! It only matters what one can do and how hard they are willing to work!"

"And," he says significantly, looking down at you again. "From what I have seen, Daisuke-kun is willing to work quite hard. Under proper instruction, the heights he can reach know no bounds!"

Mother glances at you as well. You see dozens of emotions in her eyes. There's concern, there's worry, there's fear. But overpowering them all is pride. Pride that you have a path before you to make something of yourself. Pride at your drive, pride at your dedication. Mother may be worried, but she's never looked so proud to be your mother before.

Unconsciously you lean in and clutch her in a tight hug, one she reciprocates instantly. "My Daisuke is meant for great things," Mother says to Gai over the top of your head. "And it seems this is something he's ready and willing to do. I will sign your form."

"Wonderful!" Gai answers. The declaration is in front of you with a thick pencil in moments. "On the line please!"

You and Mother both sign it, and Gai rises from his chair. "I shall deliver this to the Administrative Office immediately!" he declares. "And I shall return on the morrow with a training plan for you follow! Until then, Satomura-san, Daisuke-kun! I bid you a good evening!"

With that final word he leaves, gently closing the door behind him. You barely look up to see him go. You're too busy getting hugged. Mother isn't the most physically demonstrative parent in the world, but she gives the best hugs. You sit in it for a long time before she finally lets it go. She looks down at you with those pride filled eyes and opens her mouth to speak-

Before a heavy thud on the other side of the table interrupts her.

You glance over your shoulder. Tokei has moved from his position near the wall and planted his hands on the kitchen table. "What were you thinking Manami?" he hisses.

Mother puffs up and releases the hug. "I was thinking that this is the best path available to Daisuke!" she responds in kind. "When an opportunity to allow him to advance such as this arrives, one does not turn it down!"

A vein pulses in Tokei's forehead. "There was a plan," Tokei snarls. "You agreed to it. Daisuke would attend Hagekko and seek his fortune there! He-"

"What kind of fortune is at Hagekko?!" Mother snarls. "I did not like the plan when you told me about it, and I only agreed to it due to a lack of other options! But now that it's been averted, I am grateful that Daisuke shall not be going there! What kind of life would he be getting with a Hagekko education? The life of a merchant? The life of a road worker or a ditch digger? My son is worth more!"

"It is a good life!" Tokei rebuts. "An honest life. One worth living! And above all, it is a quiet life. One without renown and without fanfare. The life you agreed he would live!"

Something changes in both of their postures. Mother's back stiffens slightly, and Tokei… he doesn't move. But something about the way he's settling his weight sets off alarm bells in your mind. Mother rises from her chair so she can look Tokei in the eye- and pushes you behind her with one hand. A lance of fear pulses in your belly.

Mother's tone changes. "Yes, I did," she breathes, tone too steady to be normal. "I agreed that Daisuke would live a quiet life away from the court of Iron, and bring no renown to his name. But he will still do that! A ninja does not acquire personal glory! No one outside this village will know his name! I am still upholding our end of the bargain! And my son deserves-"

"Your son deserves nothing!" Tokei snarls. "As you well know! What could he deserve?! He is nothing but the bastard stain on my lord's honor that comes from taking a whore as a concubine!"

...what?

The fear fights with anger in your belly. No one fucking talks about your Mother like that! "I-"

Mother absently taps you with one hand. The message is clear: not now.

Tokei continues. "And now you've signed that whoreson into service with the shinobi of Konoha! You know what this means, correct? Now whenever the Daimyo of Fire desires to expand his reach, he will have a ready made puppet already pledged to him! And that… that is something that I cannot allow."

Tokei straightens. And the table flies across the room.

Steel gleams in his hand. A knife, one of the dozens he has secreted throughout the house.

Mother straightens and pushes you further behind her. "No."

Tokei shakes his head. "This must be done now, Manami. Daisuke cannot be a shinobi of Konoha when the blade falls. If that were to happen, war would erupt between Iron and Fire. For the sake of long term peace and prosperity, the deed must be done before that form is registered."

Mother stands stock still for a long moment. Finally, words escape her mouth. "He's a child," she breathes out. "I thought you above attempting to murder a child simply because he might prove 'inconvenient'."

A pained look crosses Tokei's face. "Indeed. This is a most dishonorable action. But it is one that must be done to save my lord. After it is done, I will atone. But that does not change the fact: it must. Be. Done."

Resolves crosses the samurai's face- and Mother pushes you back. "Go!" she hisses.

Tokei moves faster than you've ever seen, knife gleaming terribly in his hand. Mother pushes you back again, harder, sending you stumbling towards the door. She stands between you and Tokei like a wall before a bull. "I will not allow this!" she yells-

And goes flying with the smack of flesh on flesh.

Tokei lowers his hand. "Please remain down," he states, voice cold. "Imagawa-sama would grieve should anything happen to his Lily of the Mountain. But should you continue to hinder my task then I shall be forced to take action."

The way he hefts his knife leaves no doubt in your mind what that action would be.

But Mother doesn't respond to him. Instead, she looks at where you've frozen. "Go!"

The scene freezes- and text begins to scrawl in your ears.

"When you have reached the end of a stage, there will always be a challenge to complete before you clear it! Sometimes it is a challenge of wits or skill, but in most cases you will face an enemy stronger than any you've fought before! This enemy is called a 'Boss'! The boss for stage 'Land of Iron Bastard' Tokei of Iron has appeared!"

"Defeat this boss to complete the tutorial!"

And the world resumes normal speed.

What will you do?
[] If you run, Tokei will take it out on Mother before chasing you. You can't let that happen! You know some Taijutsu! You'll fight him head on!
[] You're the one he wants! Draw Tokei upstairs! There has to be something you can use to defeat him there!
[] Tokei is beyond you. He's a fully trained samurai and you're fucking five! You need to run! You need to run right now and call for help!
[] Write-In (Does *not* need approval, just this once. Let's see what you can think of.)

 

[Vesvius]

For a long moment, you're frozen. The only movement you can make is the heavy heaving of your chest as you struggle against sudden terror to breathe. How- what- why? The man carried you when you were nothing more than a baby, walked you around the village, and has been a constant presence in this life ever since the beginning. And now he wants you dead?!

...no. No. You won't let this happen. You won't be killed here. You still have so much left to do and you can't let it end like this! You won't let yourself die! But more importantly, you won't let Mother die! The two of you deserve so much more than to be cut down in a sneak attack!

Plans flash in your mind faster than you can comprehend them. Ideas ricochet through your synapses and without conscious input, you move.

You turn and dart for the door, sprinting as quickly as your weary muscles will go. Tomorrow, if you live, you'll feel this, but for right now adrenaline is kicking in and it's a hell of a drug. As you run, you call over your shoulder, "I'll get help!"

Behind you, there's a flurry of motion and another snarl of pain. You don't have to look to know that Mother is down again. Heavy footsteps begin to echo down the hallway before abruptly coming to a halt. You chance a glance to see that Tokei has made it to the mouth of the hall- and that Mother is holding onto his ankle like a woman possessed. You've never seen an expression like the one she's wearing now; like a demon from hell risen to slay their mortal enemy.

But she's not a demon, and she can't fight like one. Tokei's able to pull his ankle free from her grasp with almost no issue. He rears back to deliver a kick and your heart stops. From that ankle, he could break her neck! You've got to stop him.

And thankfully, you get the chance to do so before he delivers the kick. You reach out and grab his sword-

"A Samurai's soul is in my sword, Daisuke. It is not a toy. Never touch it."

-in your hand. You hoist it up high for him to see, the long blade scraping the side of the wall. "I've got your sword!" you call out, voice high and frightened. Before anyone can react you keep running, sliding through the open door as fast as you can. Behind you, you hear a roar of anger completely at odds with Tokei's grim detachment, and heavy footsteps start pounding on the soft wood of the hallway. You can only hope you managed to distract him before he could hurt Mother any further; stopping to check could be fatal.

You hit the dirt road in front of your house in a dead sprint, turning left instinctively. Towards that way lies the center square, which means the Hokage Tower and the heart of the village, which means higher security. If you can just draw a shinobi's attention before Tokei reaches you, you might be able to live through the night.

The sound of your front door exploding outwards announces Tokei's escape from your home. You add to the noise with a scream of your own. "Help! Help!" you call out, choking out the words through a too-dry throat. "I need help!" You can only hope that anyone that hears you doesn't think this is some kind of stupid game.

You don't get a chance to see if you're heard; Tokei's thundering footsteps are behind you in an instant. You feel more than see his hand reaching out for you and you move, trying to dodge like you did against Gai-sensei earlier today. But earlier today you weren't carrying a two-foot sword and you weren't being kept on your feet by sheer adrenaline. You overbalance and fall, tumbling forward.

"Daisuke," Tokei growls. "I know this is unfair. But still; meet your end with dignity. Perhaps you will have a better fate in the next life."

...you want to put off your next life as long as possible. Which is why your answer is to grope at the dirt path and spin, launching a cloud of dust into your attackers face.

Tokei, leaning in to remove the sword from your hands, takes it full in the eyes. He freezes for an instant, sputtering to clear his face of the dirt. But it only takes him a second to clear his eyes and ignore the rest. It's what you expected from a trained warrior like Tokei, and it's all you really need. You're outside of his reach by the time he's clear, running with everything you have.

Your arms pump wildly, your lungs burn. Thank god for Gai-sensei; without all your phantom training and your dedication punching Mr. Straw, you would have been caught long before now. But it's not going to be enough. Tokei's footsteps resume; he's going to catch you soon.

You wail and you yell as loud as you can. All around you you can hear grunts of protest from people who went to bed early and calls of alarm from people surprised by your volume, but no one comes out to check what's making the racket. Either there're no shinobi around or they don't hear anything out of the ordinary. With a sinking feeling, you get the sense that help isn't coming any time soon.

A shadow rises behind you, cast by the streetlight. Without thinking you can only move, dodging sharply to the left between two buildings. The shadow misses, Tokei's grasping arm smashing through the air you used to stand in a fraction of a second too late. But the blow did it's job; you're off the main path. You're in an alleyway now, and the only way out is blocked by a seething Samurai.

Tokei doesn't make a move towards you. Instead he extends his hand. "Give me the sword Daisuke, and I will end this quickly. Please. This is hard enough already."

"I'm sorry that killing me is so hard!" you spit back. You're still terrified, but the fear is a constant dull roar, allowing anger to make it's return. "Maybe next time you should build up to! Maybe slaughter a puppy first!"

Tokei's expression is hooded in the shadows. "I understand that this is difficult for you to understand," he grates out. "But there are some things more important than one person's life. The sanctity of the Land of Iron is one such thing."

He advances, and you back away. You need to stall for time. Maybe if you keep him talking, you can buy that time and someone will finally show up! "The sanctity of Iron? Why would killing me save that?!"

"I will tell you when we meet in the next life," is the response.

Fuck. Well, that plan's out.

Which leaves you with one idea. One horrible, terrible, never going to work idea. But it's all you have- and you will try everything before you just lie down and die.

"Fine!" you say. Proudly, you detect a note of your Mother's own snarl in your voice. "Take your stupid sword!" And you point it at him, tip first.

Tokei looks… old. And very, very tired. "I thank you," he intones. "I shall make this as quick as I can." He reaches out, grabs the sheath, and pulls-

And you pull back, unsheathing the blade.

You do not know how to use a sword. Tokei never let you do so much as touch his weapon before, and any attempt you made was always rebuffed. You don't know the simplest of slashes, the most basic of counters, or anything at all about manipulating the blade with chakra like a Samurai does.

But what you do know how to do is stick the pointy end into something you want to stop moving. And all you need is one clean shot.

The steel gleams. Tokei makes a noise of surprise. There's a terrible resistance-

And then it's over.

You don't know how long you stand there in a gory tableau, Tokei's body slumped over top of you, coating you with his lifeblood. It could be hours. It could be days. More likely, it's seconds before you hear a cry of alarm and the body jerks back. You flinch despite feeling the dead weight- could he know a technique to survive getting stabbed through the throat?- and dodge back.

But the body just sags as it's pulled from the steel, and you get a look at the people that removed it. There's two of them. Dark hair. Blue clothes. Angular features. Fans on their shoulder. These two have to be members of the Military Police.

Before they can say a word, before you realize what you're doing you stagger up, glaring at them both. "Where were you?!" you scream out, voice raw from overuse. "Where were you?! I… I-"

The sword in your hand moves as your hands shake, sending the steel lashing back and forth like the tail of an angry cat. The two Uchiha stay carefully out of range. "Son?" one asks. "Please. Put the sword down and we'll take care of-"

"Where were you?!" You yell out again hysterically. Your chest rises and falls as you gulp back sobs. Your shaking intensifies as the adrenaline starts to fade. "Where?! I called and I screamed and I called and-"

One of the police drops to a knee just outside sword reach. "It's okay, son," he says, voice carefully calm. "It'll all over. It'll be alright. Just keep your eyes on mine. Focus on my eyes and-"

His eyes flash red mid word.

And you're out like a light.
***
You spend an hour in police custody as they piece together exactly what happened, but you're not conscious for that. You only wake up when you're safely at the hospital. A day is spent there as they make sure you're physically alright- and then another day when someone from the police comes to give you a formal apology for their slow response time-apparently brought on by under staffing the upper class area you live in- and you nearly have to be put out again. But after those few days, you're allowed to go home with no issues.

Mother isn't that lucky. She survived, thank all that's holy, but she was never a fighter. The few blows Tokei gave her broke bones; she's going to be in the hospital for quite some time. You go to see her the moment you can; she's in good spirits, making the nurse's lives miserable, but otherwise seems unchanged from the experience. At least, she seems that way to anyone who doesn't know her.

You know better.

There's something in the way she hugs you. Something in the way her eyes slide towards you every few moments, even when she's talking to someone else, as if she's reassuring herself that you're still there.

The scars Tokei left may not be physical- mostly- but they're still there.

When you can't visit Mom, you stay home. Gai-sensei drops by every day, full of remorse and regret, but he keeps you busy. At least he does until he's given a mission and vanishes. Before he goes, he tells you that your declaration is accepted. You're going to be a ninja.

...hooray.

When he leaves, that leaves your house feeling cold and empty. No Mother. No Gai-sensei. No visitors. And no Tokei. Even though he rarely spoke and you were never close with him, the feeling of his absence is still impossible to describe. You keep expecting to glimpse him out of the corner of your eye, face pinched in disapproval, but he's never there.

The more you think about who's not there, the more you think about what just happened.

Tokei just tried to kill you. You barely survived and only managed to return the favor because of sheer luck. But still… he tried to kill you.

Why?

You spend days putting it all together. Rummaging through Tokei's belongings, going through Mother's correspondence, doing things you can only do when you're home alone. But by then end of it you think you have the complete picture.

Over the years, you've wondered about exactly who your parents are. You've had ideas but never anything concrete. Now you know.

Your father is Imagawa Toishi- the Daimyo of the Land of Iron. But your mother isn't his wife; she was his concubine. His favored one apparently. From the stories you put together, he saw her walking the streets of Inkuru and simply had to have her. They were happy together and Mother loved him deeply. So deeply that she simply had to bear his child.

And so she began to ignore her birth control- and you were born. And that's where the danger began, for you were born the day that Lady Imagawa announced her own first pregnancy. But you were the firstborn.

Another lord may have bashed your skull against a rock and put Mother to death immediately. But Imagawa would not. He loved Mother as well, and swore he would do her no harm. Instead she was banished, taking you with her. She was placed in the most secure location he could negotiate to live out the rest of her life in peace.

And as for you? You were to be allowed to live as well, so deep was the love between the Daimyo and Mother. But you could garner no recognition. You could hold no accolades, you could do nothing to make a name for yourself. If you were to do so, malcontents in Inkuru could use you as a puppet to unseat the rightful Daimyo. And worse, should you become a shinobi of Konoha, they could do the same, putting you in the seat before attempting to annex the Land of Iron itself.

And so, Tokei acted.

And so he died.

Now you're left in an empty house with nothing but your thoughts, your dummies, and Tokei's sword. The later was given to you by the police after they deemed you not a threat to yourself and others, and the second you touched it the game let out a fanfare and declared that you had 'defeated the boss and claimed your spoils'. For once, you couldn't care less. You're not in the mood.

You have nothing to do right now but train, and think. Think about the fears of Tokei and a far distant Daimyo.

Think about if you should make them come true.

What are your intentions regarding the Land of Iron?
[] [IRON] Nothing. You will do nothing about the Land of Iron. They're far away, and the best revenge is to forget about them entirely.
[] [IRON] You don't know. Everything is too confusing, moving too quickly right now. You'll tuck your thoughts about everything into a little corner of your mind and ignore them. For now.
[] [IRON] They made an assassin of the one you thought was your protector, drove you to kill a man, and hurt your Mother. You will see the entire country burn or be ground beneath your heel.
[] [IRON] Write-In ()

You were awarded Tokei's sword as loot for defeating him. What will you do with it?
[] [SWORD] You will use it.
[] [SWORD] You will get rid of it.
[] [SWORD] You will destroy it.
[] [SWORD] You will send it to his family.
[] [SWORD] Write-In ()

 

[Magnive]

I believe it involves entertaining me with fanwork.

Click to shrink...

Would the following qualify?

(Also, I'd like to preemptively apologize for some of the language used here, but this is how I think Tokei would think, in these circumstances.)

---

A Samurai's Honor

"Do you truly understand what's asked of you?"

Tokei has never liked Kanō Magoroku. The man had been granted a position at court by the previous Lord Imagawa after Kanō saved his brother from a bandit ambush, and in the years since then, the man had become more at ease with the battlefield of half-truths and flatteries than that of steel and blood.

Despite that, Tokei held a grudging respect for the man. Not enough to call him a Samurai - for as far as Tokei is aware, Kanō has not practiced with the sword for a decade or even sharpened it - but enough that when a page informed him that "Lord Kanō" wants to speak to him, he had stopped his preparations and come to Kanō's room.

For while Tokei would lay down his life to defend Lord Imagawa from any would-be assassin, he knows that such attackers are not the only ones threatening his Lord, nor are they necessarily the most dangerous. For despite their managing to keep the Shinobi out of their affairs for centuries, the Land of Iron is no stranger to coups, whether they be violent or velvet.

Such threats, instead, are handled by the former Samurai standing in front of him. While Kanō's hands have grown soft, more used to holding teacups than a sword, Tokei knows well that the now mildly chubby man could end his life without lifting a finger. Despite how difficult that is to imagine, as the man picks up a teakettle and gracefully poured two cups of tea, offering one cup to Tokei.

Rather than growling at Kanō's patronizing tone, Tokei takes the offered cup and inclines his head in thanks and acknowledgment of the question. "Yes, Lord Kanō. I am to protect the Lord's concubine and... her son," Tokei considers it a measure of his discipline that he managed to call the whore who had seduced his Lord and stained his honor by giving birth to his bastard child before his proper wife delivered him a son, "while she is in exile, and ensure that no harm befalls them." For no matter his personal opinion, Tokei is sworn to serve his Lord's wishes, and he has seen first-hand the love his Lord harbors for the whore.

He recognizes the look on Kanō's face, as one Tokei himself adopts whenever children flock to him, begging him to teach them his secret techniques. It is a look reserved for those who have not even begun to grasp at what is truly required to succeed at something.

And it is one that makes Tokei grit his teeth, even as Kanō sighs. Rather than speaking immediately, he takes a small sip from his cup, while Tokei pointedly ignores his own.

"That is what Lord Imagawa asked of you, in front of his concubine and the whole court," and based on Kanō's tone of voice, Tokei has no trouble deciphering that the man sees a hidden motivation behind it. "However, despite his love for Minami, it was hardly necessary for him to send you - one of his most loyal and capable Samurai - to guard her. After all, in Leaf, there is little that you could deal with that one of his less capable Samurai could not."

Kanō then shakes his head, sadness showing on his face. "No, my friend, the reason you were selected is that he knows that you will be able to protect his interests, even when doing so would stain your honor, and that you will not let the temptress subvert you." At those words, Tokei found himself straightening, even as his incomprehension showed on his face.

This time, when Kanō drinks from his cup, Tokei finds himself doing so as well, not realizing it until he holds the cup to his lips.

"So long as Daisuke lives, he may be a threat to Lord Imagawa's rightful heir. A faction wishing to displace the Lord's heir might be able to claim that as the firstborn, Daisuke should be the Lord's successor. Unfortunately, the Lord has refused to make sure that this does not happen. Instead, he is trusting you to ensure that this does not come to pass."

"You must ensure that Daisuke does not grow up to become a threat. He must live a quiet life. One without renown and without fanfare. One that ensures that words of his deeds never reaches Iron and that he grows up ignorant of his true lineage." Then, Kanō expression grows severe and his stare piercing, as the other man seems to measure Tokei's worth, giving a nod after several seconds of silent judgment, as if looking for flaws and finding none. "And if he deviates from that path, showing that he may one day be a threat to Lord Imagawa's heir... then you must make sure that never comes to fruition."

As Kanō says those words, he drops his now empty teacup, the expensive porcelain shattering into tiny pieces.

Tokei's eyes open wide and he lets out a shuddering breath. "You're asking me to potentially kill an innocent child." It's not a question. It's not even an accusation. Rather, it's a demand that Kanō looks him in the eyes and says it straight.

And the man does. He raises his eyes from the teacup - as if he had not dropped it on purpose - and looks straight at Tokei. "The succession must be secure. If Daisuke gathers fame and glory, he may threaten the sanctity of the entire Land of Iron. If he is on that road, you must kill him before he can become a threat to Lord Imagawa's children."

Then, he rises and goes to fetch another cup, easily avoiding the porcelain splinters on the floor, and returns to pour himself more tea. As minutes pass by, Kanō appears for all the world to be entirely content simply sitting and enjoying his tea, while Tokei agonizes over the man's words.

For while striking down a child would be dishonorable on its own, this is so much more. For this would be carrying out an assassination in the middle of Leaf. The Shinobi would not tolerate such an action being carried out within their borders. And even if not for the fact that Shinobi would kill him soon after he killed the bastard child, should it come to pass, Tokei's honor would demand that he kill himself. For no matter how necessary it was, he knew how much grief it would cause his Lord. The only way for him to atone would be honorable seppuku.

With a deep sigh, Tokei inclines his head. "I shall do what is required to protect my Lord."

 

[Vesvius]

You can't dwell on this anymore. The more you think about it, the more you feel like the hurricane of emotions in your chest are going to rip you apart. There's the satisfaction of finally knowing where you came from and why you're where you are. There's the horror that still wakes you up at night when you think about the look of grim resignation on Tokei's face. There's the sheer betrayal you feel whenever you think about how your own father, a man you've met once for twenty seconds before you were old enough to see properly, may have had a role in signing your death warrant.

It's just too much. You… you just can't right now.

You don't make the conscious decision to do so, but every time something related to Iron comes up, you just kind of ignore it. You push all thoughts of your homeland, your father, your former protector to the side. You tuck them away in a little corner of your mind and leave them there like musty books in an attic. One day you'll come back to them, you're sure of that. But not now. You'll do your best to keep your mind off anything Iron related for a very long time.

...except for Tokei's sword. Because you're fucking using that thing.

The sword is a piece of art. The hilt is polished white wood bound in dark leather, the hints of color peeking through the wrapping drawing the eye like a window in a dark room. The crossguard is bronze and shaped like a miniscule sundial. The scabbard- more bright wood, matching the handle. The wood is decorated, burned with elaborate patterns and pictograms that you would guess tell the sword's history. It's a sharp contrast to the blade- pure steel, unmarred save for a small mark near the handle that looks like an infinity symbol laid over a hammer; the maker's mark, you presume.

You study it closely the day you come home from the hospital, and then more the next day and the day after. You never swing it; that feels somehow disrespectful. You don't know how to swing it after all, and this blade deserves more than to be swung around carelessly. Again. Swung around carelessly again, like it was when the police showed up and-

No, no, you're not dealing with that. You're not. You can't right now.

So you can't use it yet. But you will.

Instead of flailing wildly at anything in the name of practice, you focus on taking care of what you can do. A few last minute quests are dealt with, all tiny things that were bugging your quest log. Find this thing here. Return this lost item there. Play this instrument for this long. All minuscule things.

More Taijutsu training is done. You wail on Mr. Straw as productively as you can while Gai-sensei is gone, and then much more productively the next week, when he returns. But it's harder than it used to be; your hit counter is maxed out while he's gone. Strange. You don't remember checking that one off your list yet.

But sure enough, when you check your message backlog, it's there.

YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'MR. STRAW'! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!

Another quick glance at your Achievement list shows your reward: something called 'Summoning Technique: Mini Straw'. Of course, the game doesn't tell you how to use it. Maybe that'll come later, when you unlock your chakra?

But that's not the only Achievement that's unlocked since you last checked.

YOU HAVE ATTAINED THE ACHIEVEMENT 'UNSHEATHING THE BLADE! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!

You're not entirely sure what to think about that one. So you don't. You don't think about it at all. To the pile of thoughts about Iron with you, achievement!

Forgetting things is easy to do once Mother finally returns home from the hospital. She's still clearly not at one hundred percent, so you stick with her as much as you can. Mother seems happy to have you home and not out exploring like usual; the few times you go, she doesn't say anything, but you can see from the way her knuckles whiten on whatever she's holding that she doesn't like letting you out of her sight. Easier for everyone if you stay in sight.

Not that staying in sight means you're confined to the house. The moment she's sure that her face isn't horribly scarred from the incident, she's back to her stately walks around the village with just you and her parasol. On every walk you see quests and opportunities, but you manage to hold yourself back. Mother needs you right now. You'll be there for her. You'll walk with her. You'll hold her parasol while standing on tip toes while she does things she needs two hands for. You'll pointedly ignore people gossiping about her and you and the incident entirely.

And worst of all, you'll serve as her little dress up doll.

Eugh.

One of the few things that makes Mother seem like her old self is dressing you up in what she considers the most adorable clothes. You're given terrible outfit after terrible outfit to wear from the hands of weary sales attendants as Mother rides herd over them like the queen she holds herself to be. You're dressed like a monk, like a little choir boy, like a shepherd in overalls, and much much more.

Thankfully she doesn't actually buy any of those god awful outfits. If she had, you would have had to put your foot down. But you don't escape without clothes of your own. By the time your Mother seems bored of taking you to every clothing store in Konoha, you're clad in what seems like your new standard outfit: blank pants that end at the calf, a dark red short sleeve shirt, and a grey jacket with sleeves just a little too long. You're told you'll grow into it- which you accept, on the condition she gets you one with a hood. She gripes, saying it will mess up the way she likes to keep your hair, but you won't take no for an answer. Hoods are the best. In the end, you get your hood.

And so your days pass. A little bit of questing. A lot of training. A good amount of helping Mother regain her footing. Until finally, a month after the incident and two weeks after your sixth birthday, it's time.

It's time for your first day at the Academy.

Mother walks you there, letting you lead the way for once. As you walk she talks in a low voice, pitched only for your own ears to hear. "It isn't too late to change your mind, dearest. It will only take a word from you and we will turn around and head home."

You shake your head as you walk. "No," you mutter back in similar fashion. "I want this Mother. I need to be able to do… this." You wave your hands at the world around you, sleeves flapping in the March breeze. You're not sure exactly what you're gesturing at, but Mother seems to understand. She nods once and the topic isn't brought up again.

The Academy courtyard is full of students and their families. All around you are tearful goodbyes, some genuine, some comedically overwrought by shinobi parents who've been here themselves. On your left is a dark haired girl you don't recognize sharing a moment with her father. You hear him muttering his pride, bringing a pleased flush to her cheeks. On the other is a boy in a furry jacket that can only be Kiba proudly boasting of how great he's going to be to the amused chuckles of his frankly terrifying mother.

You turn back to your own Mother. You don't expect tears or jubilation from her; that's not your way. Instead she reaches down and strokes your cheek fondly. "This is your choice," she says fondly. "And I'm proud of you for making it. Never forget that my little gleam."

She reaches into a nearly invisible pocket in her dress. "And please. Take this." She produces a small item and passes it to you. You stare at it blankly. You know what this is- it's one of her fans. The one you call her 'gesturing' fan, because she uses it to point at people imperiously when she wants them to do something.

"My Father gave that to me on my first day of education," she says, answering your unspoken question. Her eyes go far away to a distant place as she speaks. "This isn't exactly the same, but it will do. May it treat you as well as it has treated me."

The memories vanish from her face and Mother gives you a small smirk. "Just don't hit anyone too hard with it. It could crack." The two of you share a small laugh before you embrace her knees once again.

A voice calls to the courtyard moments into your hug. "Excuse me!" it calls. "Could all new students please come over here! All first year students! Over here please!"

You look up at Mother. "Well, that's for me," you say. "See you at home, Mother!"

She doesn't say another word. She strokes your cheek one more time, smiles proudly again, and turns and strolls away, leaving you to follow a slightly younger looking Umino Iruka into the Academy proper, and then into the third floor classroom that's been set aside for your group.

You breathe out slowly. Alright. The Academy. This should be fun.

At least, the physical and mental parts of it. You're pretty sure you've got the former down, and learning the later is why you're here. The social part… well, you're not going to be in unfamiliar territory at least. Ino and Shikamaru are both in this class, as well as the rest of the people you remember from the show, and two dozen others besides.

But still. Getting through the social part of this whole thing is going to take some doing. And probably a plan.

How do you act while you're in the Academy? (In other words: pick Daisuke's personality!)
[] Cool and refined. You're going to play this whole thing cool.
[] Classy and imperious, just like Mother would do!
[] Boisterous and eager. Gai-sensei would be proud!
[] Gruff and hostile. You're not here to make friends, you're here to be a ninja.
[] Laid-back and loud mouthed. You're going to have a lot of fun here!
[] Studious and Brainy. You're going to learn all the things!
[] Clever and Sarcastic, You will play it smart but that doesn't mean you wont call out stupidity.
[] Serious and Hard Working. The sight of the Academy fills you with D E T E R M I N A T I O N
[] Gregarious and Friendly. You don't really have any friends, no better time to fix that!
[] Studious yet friendly, there's no need to be alone to be smart.
[] Bizzare and Focused. You constantly forget that other kids don't experience life as a video game, which makes your intense (and mildly obsessive) tendencies even more apparent.
[] Industrius and Mysterious (Rumormonger). Work hard, and ensure any truth about you is lost among all the lies.
[] Write-In (Please respect the established format)

 

[Vesvius]

For a moment you stop moving and step to the side, getting out of the way of the flood of excited new students. Once you know you're not about to be trampled you close your eyes and take another deep breath.

Calm. You need to be calm. Sure, everything here is new, and you're going to be learning how to kill people which is objectively terrifying, but it'll be much worse if you're not calm. What will you gain by showing your nerves to everyone? No, you can't be a scared little kid here. You need to hold yourself to a higher standard. You need to hold yourself to the highest standard.

You need to hold yourself to Mother's standard. Sure, Mother's a bit… grating to people who don't know her. But you'll say this: once they get to know her, they always wind up adoring her or fearing her too much to say otherwise. She rules over her tea ceremony meetings with as much authority as any queen over her court. It's really something to see a flock of women jump to do her bidding at the smallest suggestion.

You're not at that level- but yeah. There's no one better to pattern yourself after.

Plus, she just gave you her fan! What's the point of having a fan if you can't gesture at things with it!

You exhale once more and open your eyes. Head back, chin raised, shoulders squared, you casually stroll up the stairs to the sides of the rows of seating. It doesn't take long to find your seat; there are name tags in front of each chair arranged alphabetically. You're on the third row, fourth seat in out of nine. The seat on your left is empty; the person who's going to be sitting in it- Shinsato Ren, whoever that is- is either not here yet or milling about with a confused look on their face like a bunch of other people at the front of the room.

The seat on your right, however, is full of what looks like a pile of wrinkled clothes. You cock your head to the side and reach over, poking at it. The pile lets out a grumble of annoyance and swats at your finger. "Lemme alone," it grumbles. "We haven't started yet."

The corners of your mouth tremble as they fight a smile. Looks like Shikamaru hasn't changed that much.

Nara Shikamaru is- was?- probably one of the closest things you had to a friend outside of Mother when you were still getting your legs as Daisuke. He was an invaluable supply of repeating quests whenever you ran into him and Ino back at Three League Park, always dropping his toys and looking for shady places to nap. But eventually, he had just stopped coming. You had asked his mom about it once when you and Mother was on a walk and run into her at the grocery store.

Yoshino had chuckled and shaken her head. "The park was just 'too troublesome'," she had quoted. "He's got a few new places to nap now; if you're looking for him, try the hills near the edge of the forest." You had shrugged and moved on with your life; there were more important things to deal with. Like beating up Mr. Straw!

Since then you had seen Shikamaru a few times around. At first he'd been on his own, just slouching and ambling through the village, looking put out that his Mother had sent him outside to play. But lately, you'd seen him with the pudgy boy with cheek tattoos that you were sure was Chouji. They were friendly enough, and always said hi, but nothing had gotten any further.

But now you're desk buddies. Maybe that will change? If it is though it'll start with you. Every time you've seen Shikamaru since he figured out how to walk he's displayed a truly admirable level of laziness. There's not going to be any reaching out from that direction.

So that leaves it to you. You shrug minutely and poke him again. "Morning Shikamaru," you greet him. "Didn't you sleep at home?"

It looks like it costs him all the energy in the world, but he manages to raise his head to look at you. "Oh. Hey, Daisuke," he greets you. "I didn't know you would be here." You answer his unspoken question with a minute shrug and he pauses for a moment, as if considering asking an actual question. But he gives it up after a second of thought.

"I do sleep," he continues, answering your own curiosity. "But not as much as I'd like. And today, Mom got me up early for morning exercises." The last is said in the same tone you would use to say 'broccoli' or 'ants' or 'holes in Mr. Straw': complete disgust. "So I need every drop of rest I can get now. Do you mind?" You shrug and gesture back towards his desk. He drops down without another word and is snoring within seconds.

You can help but nod in appreciation. Now that's talent. Without anyone to talk to you turn your attention back to the front of the room. Students are still milling around as if they can't figure out where to go. You hold in a snort; how hard is it to figure it out? Your seats literally have your names on them!

Thankfully, Iruka-sensei is more patient than you are. He approaches each new cadet that seems lost in turn, asks them their name, and points them to where they're supposed to go. He manages to get a good half of them where they're supposed to go before he's joined by another teacher with longer white hair and a bandana tied around his head. Mizuki. Huh. You'd completely forgotten about him.

You're distracted from the arrival of your new sensei slash future traitor by another person coming along behind you. You watch them out of the corner of your eye. It's a small boy, puny even by six year old standards. The impression isn't helped by his clothes; a plain button down shirt, a stocking cap that covers his eyebrows, and baggy sweatpants rolled up to avoid tripping him. Clearly whoever got him his clothes assumed he'd grow into them. But he doesn't seem to be letting that bother him. His mouth is stretched in a massive grin and he waves energetically to everyone he sees.

That includes you. "Hi!" he greets you. "I'm Ren! I think I sit next to you?"

You give him a nod in greeting. No need to be rude off the bat. Mother's lesson number one: always remain polite unless it will cost you something. Then, be the opposite of polite. "Satomura Daisuke," you introduce yourself.

"It's nice to meet you Daisuke!" he chirps. "Let's be great ninja together and-" Ren stops, and slaps a pocket in his pants like it just insulted him. He does it again with a pocket on his shirt, and then his back pocket. You barely hold in a laugh as he goes through the universal dance of 'I've lost something'. He turns to you, sheepish resignation loud on his face.

"Um… I forgot my pencil… do you have an extra?"

You wait for a five count, just to let the awkward situation sink in, and reach into the satchel you and Mother put together last night. A pencil is produced, and you hand it to him. But when he goes to take it, you don't let go. He looks at you questioningly, and you meet his gaze. "Yo will not chew it. You will not break it. And when class is done for the day, you will return it."

Ren laughs awkwardly. "Um… and what happens if I do any of that?"

"You won't."

"I… won't?" he parrots. "But uh, what if I do? Accidentally?"

"You. Won't," you repeat.

"Umm… okay," Ren accepts. "I won't!" With that in place, you let go of the pencil and Ren turns towards his other side, which is occupied by a girl with long, scraggly hair that droops around her face like something out of a horror movie. "Hi!" he greets her. "I'm Ren! And I forgot my notebook! Do you have an extra?"

You miss the girl's answer as you turn your attention away from the kid who came to class with no actual school supplies and look to the front of the room. Mizuki is shepherding the last straggler- a girl with long purple hair cut at a sharp angle- to her seat in the front row. Once she's seated, Iruka-sensei strides to the front of the room. He pauses for a long moment, and with a visible swallow that you're fairly certain very few people notice, raises his voice.

"May I have your attention!" he calls, interrupting the flurry of small conversations that had sprung up with everyone sitting down. "May I have your attention please!"

Everyone quiets down and the room is filled with an almost tense expectation. Iruka-sensei seems to shrink under it for a second before puffing back up, and it dawns on you that you're probably his first class ever. He looks a little younger than you remember on the show- he's maybe sixteen years old, tops. No wonder he seems a little nervous. But to his credit he masters his nerves and presses on.

"My name is Umino Iruka," he states into the expectation. "And I will be your sensei for the next seven years as you attend the Shinobi Academy. To my left is Toji Mizuki, and he will be serving as my assistant."

Mizuki waves idly from where he's sitting. "Good morning, class," he greets you.

Some of the class mumble back at him, and Iruka-sensei shakes his head. "No, that isn't how we introduce ourselves. When someone says good morning to you, you say good morning back. Now rise, and let's try that again."

The chairs beneath you scrape against the wooden floor as everyone stands up at Iruka-sensei's command. "Good morning, class," Mizuki says again, smile widening.

"Good morning Mizuki-sensei!" you all parrot back. It isn't in unison, but it seems to placate your teacher.

"Very good! Please sit back down. We will be starting every day like that. And-"

In mid-word, the door slams open. Iruka-sensei's head snaps to the side and his hand drops to his weapon pouch. But he doesn't draw. Instead he sighs as another student bolts into the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" the small bundle of energy that can only be Uzumaki Naruto almost yells. His voice echoes in room, causing more than one student to cover their ears in pain. "I was having breakfast and then I couldn't lock my apartment and then I needed a new key from the manager and then I-"

Iruka-sensei cuts him off with a raised hand. "It's alright, Naruto. But don't make a habit of it. Just go sit down."

"Thanks… scar guy!"

Instead of the ripples of laughter that you'd expect from a group of small children watching a fellow accidentally insult an authority figure, there's only a shocked silence. It's as if most of these kids just can't believe that Naruto had the balls to not only be late on the first day but also insult the teacher, and they're just horrified.

For his part, Iruka-sensei just looks like he's sucked a lemon, but he shows Naruto to his seat. Once the orange clad kid is deposited in his chair with a friendly greeting to his desk buddies, Iruka-sensei resumes his speech. He takes a second to get back into the flow of things, but it isn't too long before he's giving the speech you were sure you'd get. Konoha, great. You're helping the village, woo. Not an easy thing, but worthwhile and so on and so forth. It's good stuff, delivered well, but you can't find it in yourself to do anything in answer except look on with vague detachment. It's just so… expected.

Instead of paying it your full attention, you do a quick headcount of the students in this room. There's four levels of seating, each with nine students sitting behind a curved desk, with Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei at the bottom. So that means 36 students. More than you had expected, honestly. If everyone here graduates, that means 12 teams. You wouldn't have expected that many from one class.

Among your fellow students are more familiar faces. There are some you only know in passing, like Chouji, who's stuck up at the front of the room. There are those you're more familiar with, like Shikamaru beside you and Ino, who's sitting almost tucked away in the back corner. And then there are the rest of the Rookie Nine, who you only know from your foreknowledge.

But that's just scratching the top layer on people in this room both in quantity and strangeness. Sure, Kiba's furry coat and Shino's sunglasses in doors might seem odd, but they're nothing compared to a few of the other people in the room. There's a boy who looks years older than anyone else with dark skin and blonde dreadlocks pulled into ponytail down at the end of the first row. Then there's the girl on the other side of Ren, who looks like she's about to crawl out of your TV screen and try to eat you. A boy on the other side of her is chewing twine of all things, and in front of him is another girl dressed like a shrine maiden.

The one that really catches your attention is the boy sitting next to Naruto. He looks almost perfectly normal. Only thick glasses and a nose that looks like it's been crushed under the weight of said glasses set him apart from everyone else. What you notice though, is that he won't stay still. He drums his fingers on his desk, he plays with his pencil nervously, he chews loudly on his knuckle. Sometimes he does all of it at once. It's distracting as hell.

Once Iruka-sensei's speech ends, he moves to the center of his area again. "Now, it's time for introductions! Stating with you, Shino-kun, please stand and say your name for the class."

Singled out, Shino takes a second longer to speak that you'd expect, but he turns to the class and bows. "Aburame Shino," he states.

Chouji is next. Then the kid next to him, Izumi, then the girl next to him, Fuki. Each student introduces themselves to the class. Some do it loudly and proudly. Some stammer it out, worried by the pressure of everyone's eyes on them. One or two just seem annoyed to be here. Shikamaru has to be prodded three or four times before he finally gets up and says his name. A few go into more details. Some talk about how grateful they are to be in the Academy.

Naruto goes on a five minute speech on how they should just give him the Hokage's hat now because doing otherwise would be a waste of time that could be used to quote "Make this village even more totally awesome!" By the time he's done you're rubbing your temples to soothe away the burgeoning headache. A nice guy Naruto may be, but he's fucking loud.

For your part you just rise when it's your turn, state "Satomura Daisuke" and sit down. It's what you were asked to do. No more, no less. No need to drag this out any longer than it's already going.

Once the last person- Yoneda Unagi- goes, Iruka-sensei takes center stage once again. "It's wonderful to meet you all!" he says with a cheer that doesn't seem forced in the slightest. The man was truly born to be a kindergarten teacher. "You'll have time to get to know each other better later, during the lunch recess in a few hours. For now though, let's go over what we'll be doing today."

Pencils come up as Iruka-sensei starts to talk, and the scribbling of note taking fills the air. "Today we will be focusing on figuring out where of you stands. So after we're done here, I'll be giving you each a small short test." At the word 'test', half the room lets out peeps of fear, and Iruka-sensei forces back a smile. "It won't count towards your final marks so don't worry about that. It will just let myself and Mizuki-sensei know what each of you already knows. No need to bore you if you already know how what to do, right?"

A few people make noises of agreement and Iruka-sensei takes that as his cue to continue. "After that, we'll do a physical exam for the same reason. Then, lunch time. After that we'll come back here and really start lessons. Any questions?"

The words aren't even out of his mouth before questions start spilling out. He clears his throat to silence the room and, when that doesn't work, follows it up by slamming his hand on his desk. A crack of sound too loud to be natural echoes through the room. The collection of children freeze, stunned by the noise. Iruka-sensei chuckles to himself for a moment. It's like he can't believe that that worked. "If you have a question, please raise your hand and wait for me to call on you."

"What?!" someone calls too loudly. You glance around to see Ino wiggling a finger in her ear. "I can't hear you!"

Iruka-sensei pauses. "Maybe I overdid that a little," he mumbles to himself. After another moment's wait as everyone recovers their hearing, he repeats himself.

The first person called on is Sakura, down in the center of the front row. "Excuse me, Iruka-sensei?" she asks. "What will the test be on?"

Mizuki-sensei stands up, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I'll take that one of that's alright," he says. "After all, I made the test myself." When Iruka gives him a nod, Mizuki continues. "The test is honestly nothing to worry about. It just covers basic reading, writing, a little bit of history, and simple mathematics. Small things that you may have already learned at home. But if you miss any questions don't worry. We'll be covering all of the test questions later, alright?"

Sakura seems satisfied and sits back down. The next waving hand belongs to the kid at the start of your row. "Yes, Hideki-kun?" Iruka-sensei asks when he calls on him.

"Sir!" he belts out, voice nearly as loud as Naruto's during his introduction. "When are we going to learn jutsu, sir!"

"We won't be learning any jutsu until next year at the earliest," Iruka-sensei answers with a comforting smile on his face as the disappointed groans wash over him. "We have to give you a firm base before we move on to anything more advanced. And please, just call me Iruka-sensei."

More and more people ask questions, but you start to tune them out. Most of them are petty little things. How long is the lunch break, what are the punishments for being late, that kind of thing. But you tune back in as Iruka-sensei calls on someone sitting in the back row. "Yes, Arata-kun?"

You glance over your shoulder at the questioner- the guy who wouldn't stop fidgeting. He stands up quickly when called on. "Thank you sensei. I just wanted to know, um, if we had to sit in these seats every day."

Iruka frowns slightly, wrinkles in his forehead making him look a decade older. "For the time being, yes. Assigned seating lets us all remember who each other is while we're still getting to know each other. But next marking period we'll-"

"Can I move, Iruka-sensei?" Arata pleads. "I'll switch with anyone!"

"There's nothing wrong with your seat, Arata-kun," Iruka states. The frown lines are deeper now. "But next marking period you'll be allowed to sit with your friends as long-"

"Please sensei! I'll sit anywhere else. Anywhere!"

Now why is broken nose boy being such a whiner about this? If he has friends, he can talk with them later. But he sounds almost desperate to move anywhere else other than where he's sitting. You glance at his chair. Maybe it's a bad seat? No, he should still be able to see everything, and it's not like it squeaks. If it did, someone probably would've complained by now. During introductions, Hyosuke, who sits on one side of Arata, didn't sound like someone who dealt with annoyances well. And on the other is Naruto, who's looking like a kicked puppy for some reason- Oh.

Oooohh. That'd explain Arata's near desperation to move. He's seated next to the village pariah and wants no part of it. Iruka-sensei doesn't seem willing to put up with that though. He and Arata go back and forth, with each exchange finding Arata more desperate to move. It devolves into the boy just demanding to move over and over again. At this rate, it won't be long until you hear a 'when my Father hears about this!'

The argument is interrupted by a knocking sound echoing through the room. It's a steady beat that starts light and continues until everyone can't help but hear it. Iruka-sensei breaks off his words with Arata and cranes his neck, looking for the source of the sound. It doesn't take him to long to locate.

After all, you're not really trying to hide as you drum your fan steadily against your desk. The noise it makes belays your new item's small size as you tap it again and again against the hollow in your work station.

The room falls completely silent around you, and you stop your noise. Instead you spin in your seat and give Arata a look. It's a look that Mother has perfected; you call it the 'fuck off and die'. Yours isn't quite as advanced as hers, but it gets the point across. The boy blanches and drops down into his seat.

You spin back to Iruka-sensei. "Are we done wasting time now?" you ask. It's hard, but you manage to fight all the impatience out of your voice. For fucks sake, you're here in the academy! You want to be doing something! Not watching some little pissant freak out because he's sitting next to fucking Naruto of all people.

Iruka-sensei looks lost for words. Thankfully Mizuki-sensei is there to pick up the slack. "Unless there are any more questions, let's get started! Would someone like to pass out the tests for me?"

A girl in a full pink kimono pops up from her seat next to Sakura and glides over to Mizuki-sensei before anyone else can offer. The white haired man ruffles her hair, drawing a glare. "Thanks, Yui-chan! Make sure everyone gets a copy and then we'll begin."

Yui makes her way through the rows quickly, passing out a copy of the short test to everyone- as long as they thank her for it that is. She won't give anyone their test unless they say some variation of 'Thanks Yui', which you have to chuckle at. Manners are important after all.

Once everyone has the test, Iruka-sensei clears his throat. "Once you're done, please hand in your test up front and make your way to the courtyard! You have forty five minutes, starting… now!"

The test itself is definitely one of the simplest things you've ever seen. It starts, just like Mizuki-sensei said, with basic reading comprehension, a short answer session, and a few math problems, all of which you breeze through with no issue at all. It isn't until you reach the history section that you have to actually start thinking. You know some of the broader strokes, like how many Hokages there have been and how long the village has been formed, but the specifics escape you. How should you know what the battle between Konoha and Kiri that ended the later's involvement in the second Shinobi World War is called? You're six!

Sakura is the first one out the door, followed closely by Yui, and then by Ren- who returns a slightly chewed pencil to you. You're going to end him later. Arata is after him, but he seems more desperate to get away from Naruto than actually finished. Then a whole bunch more people whose names you don't know, with Ino and Sasuke in the middle of them. Finally you finish. You weren't first, but you still finished before a respectable half the class.

With the test completed you make your way out of the classroom, down the stairs, and into the front courtyard. Mizuki-sensei is already sitting there, killing time by demonstrating a few kunai tricks for the people who finished before you. You join the crowd and wait, idly playing with your fan as time passes by.

As you watch Mizuki go, Ino sidles up next to you. "Hey, Daisuke!" she greets you cheerily. "I didn't know you wanted to be a ninja! Why are you here?"

Unlike Shikamaru, Ino isn't lazy enough to let her curiosity go unsated. But then again, you had expected that. Also unlike your other kinda sorta friend, Ino has still been a regular presence in your life over the last few years. Mother and her mom seemed to enjoy their conversations, and you were always dragged along to hold parasols and carry things for them. Ino was usually there too. Sometimes she was on pack mule duty with you. Sometimes she was adding to your load. You never complained either way; there was always XP in it for you.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. You just can't be bothered to figure it out right now.

She's still waiting for an answer to her question. You shrug at her. "I didn't at first," you say. "But things just kind of happened. And now I'm here."

Ino looks like she desperately wants to know what 'things' are, but she doesn't ask any further. She just nods and says, "It's great you're here! You can meet the rest of my friends!" She tucks your arm in hers and pulls you into a group of other girls. "Everyone, this is Daisuke! He's a friend of mine from the park! Daisuke, this is everyone! This is Kasumi, her Mom runs the grocery store, and this is Mariko, who's a cousin of mine three times removed, and this is Chisako, who's Mariko's friend! I hope you all get along!"

Your kinda maybe friend's pleas fall on deaf ears. Mariko, a blonde with a darker hair and a more muscular build than Ino gives you a look. "Ewww!" she says. "Boys! I hear you smell!"

Ino slaps her arm. "That's not nice!" she says with the authority of a child who knows exactly what nice is. "You have a brother, and he doesn't smell!"

"Yes he does! All boys smell!"

Thankfully you're saved from a long discussion on exactly who smells when Iruka-sensei comes out, dragging with him the last two people to finish the test; Naruto and Shikamaru to no one's surprise. With everyone present, Mizuki-sensei wastes no time in putting away his kunai and starting the physical part of the evaluation.

Just like the written test, it's simple. It starts with jogging laps around the courtyard until you're exhausted, after which the sensei's call you out. When you're done your jog, you go show if you can throw a punch on their training dummy- titled Mr. Wood to your display. Then it's push-ups, sit-ups, and everything else you'd expect from a introduction to calisthenics class.

But unlike the written test, you crush this one. You're one of the last few running before Mizuki-sensei just calls you off so they can move on with the test. You're one of the only ones who can throw a decent punch, and the only one who can that isn't at least a second generation Shinobi. And you're the only one who expected some kind of dirty trick from Mr. Wood- and your suspicion was rewarded when Mizuki-sensei threw a quick jab right after your punch. You have his arm trapped in moments; unlike the rest of the class, who thought the test was as straightforward as it seemed and got tagged.

Once you're done sweating, it's time for what most of the class has been waiting for: the lunch recess. And you're right there with the rest of them; getting evaluated is hungry work!

You head back up to the classroom and retrieve your lunch box. But once you have your food in your hand, you realize there's a decision that has to be made here. After all, you're surrounded by thirty five other new cadets that are all as awkward as you- er, thirty three. It looks like Naruto and Sasuke have both vanished. One is probably off stuffing his face at the ramen stand of course, and the other… you've got not idea. Maybe Sasuke goes home for lunch?

But you can always talk to them later. Right now you can make a friend by going to have lunch with them! Nothing makes friends like food after all!

Who do you choose to have lunch with on the first day of the Academy?
[] Shikamaru and Choji. Choji's a nice guy, and you already know Shikamaru. As far as friends go you could definitely do worse.
[] Ino and her followers. You old 'friend' is already setting herself up as Queen Bee of the Academy. You should get in on the ground floor.
[] Kiba. The dog boy is eating like someone is going to take it from him, and he's already recovered from the physical testing. Hanging out with him should be fun!
[] Sakura. The quiet girl is sitting on her own in a corner of the classroom, reading a book. You think you've read that one at home before. It's a conversation starter!
[] Kairi and Ren. The spooky girl is glaring ceaselessly at the boy who ruined your pencil. You've gotta get in on that.
[] Yui. The very proper girl is eating very primly at her own desk. She seems to have some sort of class. That kind of thing should be encouraged.
[] Write-In (A complete list of options can be found in the Main Menu. If you have any questions about any of the OCs, please tag me.)

 

[Kkutlord]

Hmm... I decided to try a "What-If" where Daisuke hyper-specialized in Acrobatics, Swim, and Disguise. Genjutsu as well.

Spoiler: The Eternal Drowning Man

In this world, there are all kinds of stories- Of walking disasters envisaged as beasts, of 'mere' mortals who can command the elements, or bloodlines that defy the notion of evolution.

Yet few stories are told of the 'boring' individuals, that they have to be truly remarkable to go down in history. Usually, these would be rulers or those who stood their own against more interesting beings.

The Eternal Drowning Man, however, is a modern myth- No one seems to know where they came from, what village they're aligned with, or even who they are. All that is known about the 'The Eternal Drowning Man'...

Is that he always gets his target, always drowned even in the driest places imaginable... "Seriously, are you trying to tell a ghost story? The Drowning Man isn't real, you idiot."

The one who spoke, an older man with greying hair and one milky eye scowls at the younger man with him. On both of them, the trademark head-protectors of Shinobi. Yet...

Theirs are scratched out, and hanging by their sides are the sheathes of Samurai- displayed like trophies. The younger man, with black hair and two blue eyes, scowls in return.

"Oh come on, sensei! There are far stranger tales than the Drowning Man!" The older man 'tsks' at his student, shifting his arms into a lazy position against his chest.

"Exactly, yet no one has stepped forward claiming the Drowning Man is one of theirs. There's no missing-nin who even approaches their description. Even for Shinobi, the Drowning Man should not be such an unknown."

The student simply frowns and looks away, while his master gently pokes at the dying fire. Then, both missing-nin still, detecting someone nearby. The fire silently being put out, the master wordlessly orders his student to remain here.

Flashing outside and perching on top of a nearby tree, the older ninja clutches his left arm- He's too old and wounded for this nonsense anymore, a Sage he is not.

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, the old ninja performs a Genjutsu breaking technique- And the illusion of the waterside being further away shatters, revealing its true closeness.

"Hmph, arrogant punks, acting like we don't know the stories. Now where are you..." His eyes flashing before narrowing, in a mere instance the tree he was staring at explodes as several explosive kunai strike it.

Watching the burning body wordlessly scream and flail, the older ninja shifts position and waits- Scanning for more missing nin hunters. This goes on for some time, to the point the older ninja silently calls for his student.

The younger ninja wordlessly appearing next to him, they both try to hide their Genjutsu breaking from the other- And both are satisfied, convinced of who the other is.

Turning their attention to the burned body, the master wordlessly commands his student to wait and remain alert. The older nin himself flashes over to the corpse, to study who they were and claim whatever he could.

… Wait. Feeling the cooked flesh, the older nin tries to hide his confusion. "Is this... straw?" Indeed, as he smelled and felt the 'corpse', the old ninja turns to his student in a panic- To warn him someone is using extremely powerful Genjutsu.

Unfortunately, he didn't get to do it the way he wanted, what with being impossibly-pulled underground. The older nin, though, could tell someone has him in a full body lock.

Struggling and desperately trying to come up with a solution, the older nin couldn't see anything despite his other senses telling him he's clearly underwater.

For his part, the older nin struggled valiantly- alas, Taijutsu and the physical arts in general were never his specialty. Indeed, whoever this nin-hunter was, they were incredibly dexterous and strong to both immobilize him and deprive him of handseals at the same time.

Finally, as he gave one last defiant try, the man could of swore he heard a voice- "May you avoid such a fate in the next life". Then, his world turned black, as his body sunk limply to the bottom.

----

From one of several water-filled holes, emerges a young man with head-protector in hand. Adding it to the second by his waist, he stretches out his limbs and back for several seconds.

Sighing, he begins wringing out his uniform some, as he approaches the burned and exploded training dummy. Crouching down and wincing at the damage, the young man mutters to himself.

"Geez, old man was too close. Hmm, maybe if I train up healing, I could...?" Shaking his head slightly with a disgusted look on his face, the man picks up the straw dummy.

"No, I'll just improve Disguise and Genjutsu further. Could work for faking my death, I suppose..." Thus, as the young man finishes up his business, he leaves without a trace...

And the Eternal Drowning Man adds two more to his list, serving to fuel his legend. One day, perhaps, he will even be whispered as a supernatural entity outright.

Regarding Daisuke's "foreignness and killed-a-dude-ness", I should of clarified that as possibly working against him. Exoticness I understand, and this is a bunch of wannabe ninjas- Either they're impressed or freaked out.

 

[Kkutlord]

There's another one I wanna try writing already, inspired by Daisuke's little self-debate near the end of "Eternal Drowning Man".

Spoiler: Corpse Puppeteer Daisuke

The life of a missing-nin is hard, though usually that's fair. There are those who make a career out of hunting missing-nin, usually just for profit or nationalistic pride.

Akira Matou had a promising future as a Shinobi, of being a physical-specialist. Even with his difficulty using Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, Akira just rerouted his Charka training to things like Charka Flow and doubling down on basic techniques like Charka Walking.

However, one day, Akira was assigned a seduction & assassination mission. It should of been simple: Seduce his Daimyo's mistress somewhere secluded, and eliminate her as the Daimyo's wife ordered.

Instead, Akira couldn't bring himself to kill the sweet young woman, intending to reveal the Lady's plot to his Daimyo to save both their lives. Yet, as Akira caught and eliminated a would-be assassin whilst she slept...

He realized far too late it was the Daimyo's wife herself, taking matters into her own hands. His fate sealed, the young man ran away with the young mistress, seeking a place to hide.

Yet even years down the line, a Daimyo assassin is not simply forgotten about, even if they did not kill the Daimyo. Indeed, tales twist and mutate, to provide incentive to eliminate such threats.

----

Shukufuku: It was a quiet kind of village, the sort of place nobody important would ever come from. Indeed, it is exactly the kind of place one with Shinobi training would easily thrive, being the most dangerous thing around.

There are days that Akira would disappear, or lurk within his bedroom for hours. Yet his daughter Hikari thought nothing strange of this, nor his wife Sayuri.

Of course, there would be whisperings, of faint rumors that the kindly and helpful Akira might be a former ninja. The white-haired man would just smile, and laugh it off mild-manneredly- Him, a ninja? Please, he'd be lucky to learn a single Jutsu in his life.

Yet rumors are all one needs, to determine whether they have the right target... For you see, in a place like this, merchants and travelers draw all kinds of attention.

Indeed, there's nothing too peculiar when some minor nobleling looks faintly disgusted at the surroundings, being flanked by two masked bodyguards. Rare, certainly, but those arrogant 'have to see the world and all my future domain' types tend to leave quickly.

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly Akira's domain, as the nobleling 'accidentally' bumped into him and began demanding that Akira make amends. It would be so easy to pop the brat's head, but no.

Here, Akira is just a simple peasant, with a loving wife and daughter. So, keeping himself composed, Akira agreed to follow the nobleling back to his carriage to hand over his ryo to provide for the nobleling's 'medical treatment'.

There's never anything important out in Shukufuku, only the occasional bandit or feral animal. Indeed, despite doing his best to stay in shape and grow, Akira simply had few reasons nor opportunities to train for suspicious activity.

To his credit, Akira did catch on at the last minute, and narrowly avoiding being bisected by the two armored brutes with the nobleling. Akira didn't care much for the brat's spiel, about how 'filthy peasants like you' had to learn their place.

He couldn't just run, to let this brat take his anger out on the village. Glancing back meaningfully, Akira sighed, and resigned himself to fate once more. His fists clenching tight, in the blink of an eye he pulled out a kunai-

And brought one of the brutes to a knee, having sliced through their ankle. Hmph, weird... No scream? Definitely not shinobi, but still remarkable. Were these guys bred as muscle brutes for idiot nobles?

Whatever... Leaping back from the strike the uninjured bodyguard unleashed, Akira narrows his eyes as a plan came together. It was basic, but he doubted these idiots understood Clone Jutsu.

Illusory double sent forth, with kunai wielded, the bodyguard brute predictably tried to cleave it in two- And then Akira came landing down on his blade, balanced perfectly, and slashed as throat-blood sprayed his face.

Leaping away as the corpse fell down, Akira ducked hastily as the remaining bodyguard tried striking him. Right, no getting in close like this... Prying the blade from the still-warm body, Akira hopped back as he held the blade up.

Channeling Wind Charka through it, the blade doubles in length- And Akira brings it down easily, severing the man's sword arm and causing it to fly. Shrinking the blade, Akira points it threateningly at the noble- And freezes.

The little brat looks smug, like he wanted this. "Is that all you can do? I thought Shinobi knew more than that. Hmm, perhaps I should show you?" Show? Show what?

The little brat just nodding his head as if Akira spoke, the missing-nin tries to repress a snarl- And then, the two brutes jerk, like puppets who just had strings attached.

!! Barely dodging as the throat-slashed brute darts pass Akira, he looks back for a moment to see the brute's flesh struggling to hold itself together. What the...? Looking back at the nobleling, the little brat looks like he wants to cackle.

So, mommy and daddy paid for their baby boy to receive Charka training? Where did he even learn such a gruesome technique? Doesn't matter, looks like the little brat just lost his 'having hands' privileges.

Darting forwards only to dash out of the way as the armless brute lunges at him, Akira sneers as the two brutes work to maneuver him away from the nobleling.

Dash in, leap off one to the other, slice off their heads, and... Still going. Seriously, who is this brat!? Fine, reduce them to shredded meat, maybe the pigs will love it.

Except... Those headless corpse puppets just go faster, not letting Akira charge up his blade and cleave them from afar. Tsk, fine... It was a technique Akira had to develop on his own, but...

"Wind Release, Akira-Style!" The winds swirling around Akira, one of the headless corpses tried to rush Akira in his 'vulnerable' state- Only to be shredded apart, creating a bloody mist to circle around Akira.

Yet even though he barely begun, it was clear Akira couldn't keep this up for long. Fine, he didn't need much time anyways... Darting forwards impossibly fast, Akira simply held out a hand and jumped-

Casually cleaving the second corpse puppet into two, shredded masses. Yet as Akira landed, he had to end the technique- Already he was struggling not to pant, with all kinds of nicks none of the bodyguards inflicted covering his body.

Looking back at the little brat, the nobleling finally looked horrified at pissing off the wrong person. Good. Stepping up to him, Akira tried to remain threatening to look at- Luckily for him, the nobleling has a low threshold.

"Now, while you still have life, get. Out." !? Coughing, Akira sees a blade piercing both him and the now lifeless brat. Wait, that blade, is-is that bone? "So, what did you think, nice work? I'm still perfecting it all, but I'm really glad you went for the arm."

Turning his head back, Akira's eyes widen as he sees who it is- the little brat, dressed just like before, but now pulling something out. !! Leaf, a Leaf Ninja!?

The younger shinobi fastens his forehead protector with just one hand, giving a professional smile like they're just talking about weather. "See, I really needed to field test this, but I needed something low-stakes yet challenging anyways. So sorry about this, but it was gonna be someone right? Better now than years later, with some more ruthless bastard going after your family too."

No, no, he can't die here! His hands, that brat isn't trying to secure them at all! Time for his other secret technique... "Wind Clone: Detonation!" Feeling his back splash with the Leaf ninja's body, Akira winces.

Looking at the puppet copy, Akira spits at it, before muttering "You stupid-" Ka-boom!

----

Looking at the flaming wreckage, the young shinobi looks very unhappy. Sure, he got to field-test his corpse puppets and many of their tricks, like the Forced Gates and Puppet Explosion...

Yet he just widowed and orphaned in one explosion, to eliminate a man he was strongly suspecting intended to do nothing. This... This was a test, but of what Daisuke wasn't sure.

Sigh... Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, the young shinobi mutters to himself. "Well, make a few tweaks and... I can find out. Alright, how much is intact?"

With bisected brute trailing along and a few recoverable pieces safely stored, everything else was fully destroyed. Thus, did rumors begin to spread, of the "Corpse Puppeteer of Konoha".

@Vesvius: I didn't really know what land to have Akira come from, and originally I didn't intend to have the village be Shukufuku. Regarding my 30 XP from before, I do indeed want to spend it now- 20 to bring Constitution to Above-Average and 10 to nearly make Acrobatics Practiced. If I get anything for this, then 10 of that for Acrobatics as well.

[X] Ino and her followers. You old 'friend' is already setting herself up as Queen Bee of the Academy. You should get in on the ground floor.

Mainly because I'm curious to see if Ino would end up crushing on Daisuke instead of Sasuke.

 

[Expecting Me]

Alright a little something I've been working on the last couple of days...

Spoiler: Daisuke (age 6)

As you can see I went a little anime with the hair color.