Story 15 (Rin accepts a particular position of authority)
AoMythology
AoM, Destroyer of Worlds
- Location
- Greece
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I don't own the song referenced in the chapter (Bad to the Bone). Nor do I own the 'Naruto' manga and related media. Nor do I own Fate/stay Night or its related media.
-----
"You want me to what?!" You tell Tekka-san, stunned.
Haru says, "I have already told you, Rin-sama. You were and are the only option for Clan Head, especially now that you've proven your mettle in the field of politics."
"But, but-" you say, still finding it hard to wrap your mind around the idea that you are going to lead a clan of over forty people. Being Second Owner didn't prepare you for this!
Tekka-san says respectfully, "Rin-sama; you are not only the only choice, you are a good choice all told. You would still attend the Academy to attain an official rank, and Clan Heads are not extremely busy," calling you '-sama' for the first time.
You can't offer a rebuttal to that - words have failed you, which is a very rare phenomenon for you.
The official Uchiha Clan Head position has been offered to you; if you accept, you start your duties in five months, on your eighth birthday. You decide to accept. Your extended family in their time of need have asked for your leadership. What else could and will you do, but accept?
You tell Haru and Tekka-san, "it would be my honor; I will be the next Head of the Clan."
Haru smiles at you brightly, giving you a glimpse at what she was like before all this situation. Then, she hugs you tightly, making you let out an 'oof!'.
She lets go of you immediately, apologizing for her rash action and her 'impertinence'. You reassure her that you aren't angry at her, or offended.
Tekka-san nods at you, his expression less tight than usual. You nod back, acknowledging him.
Haru also asks you how high your talent for Water Release is.
"I'm good at using all the elements," you tell her, "though I haven't tried anything beyond the basics in Water and Lightning yet. Why?"
Haru looks impressed. She offers to tutor you in the element of Water.
"I might just take you up on that," you tell her, smiling awkwardly at what is essentially your fangirl.
The resulting smile takes away your breath for a moment.
-----
You decide to spend time with Itachi-san, to train and otherwise - even if he's a manipulative bastard, he did save your life indirectly by teaching you Izanami and giving you that extra eye.
The first thing he tells you he wants to teach you is a B ranked clone jutsu, the Kage Bunshin no jutsu (Shadow Clone jutsu).
He explains that it is non-elemental, nor is it Yin Release or Yang Release. It doesn't even need skill in shape manipulation. What it needs is the capability to put a little of yourself into them -including an even split of your Chakra- and a relatively high Chakra reserve.
He describes the talent needed for it as similar to what is needed for Medical Ninjutsu, not in terms of Yang Release or such, but the ability to share your Chakra; the Shadow Clone is most like the Chakra Transfer Technique, according to Itachi.
You try to get it; really, you do. Unfortunately, you can only do it with trial and error. This jutsu takes a lot of Chakra, so you need over a week of trying to accomplish it to make only one stable clone, and after all that effort, you are near Chakra exhaustion. Itachi-san is off doing something else while you are training, but you go find him when you manage it.
You find him in a park, speaking to an old woman. She seems to be threatening him, so you decide to break them up. You say, "hey, Itachi-san! I was just looking for you!" Very loudly, with seeming perkiness, ignoring your fatigue.
The old woman turns to look at you, opening her half-closed eyes, and her expression freezes you. It contains so much rage that it almost scares you.
Almost. You have faced down Herakles as a Berserker, after all. You keep your eyes on hers until she turns away.
When she's left, you ask Itachi-san who she is.
Itachi-san replies with, "she is council member Koharu. A most unpleasant person, with Danzo political leanings."
"I see," you say, contemplative, "is she angry at me because of my role in Danzo's incarceration?"
"It is possible," Itachi says, "but I find it more likely that something else set her off. In your negotiations with the representatives of Konoha, was somebody there who did not belong?"
You tell him about Kurama Unkai, and how even the Jounin Commander made sure to keep him on a leash.
Itachi-san sighs. He then says, "a mole for her, then. Whatever happened during those negotiations must have been what angered her."
You snort, feeling more rested already, saying, "that's one way to put it."
It's not just the money. It took you a while to realize (and some help from Tekka-san), but your thoroughness in stopping discrimination against the Uchiha means that even laws from the time of the Second Hokage have been, or are on the way to being repealed. The Uchiha clan no longer has to worry about not getting any missions unless there is nobody else available, and larger clans tend to get a greater leeway on choosing their missions.
In short, your clan is finally getting the privileges other clans have enjoyed for decades, Police force or not.
Itachi-san doesn't pry. Instead, he changes the subject, saying, "so, did you get the Shadow Clone?"
You tell him that you did.
"Impressive," he tells you, his expression not changing, "it took me twelve days, when I was eleven*, to manage that jutsu - not nine days like you. Of course, I also did not have your Chakra reserves; it might be because of that."
You hum noncommittally. Other than the Chakra expenditure, it's a very simple jutsu. Even Naruto shouldn't have much trouble with it, considering he has about as much Chakra as you do, possibly more. When the two of you reach the training ground, Itachi tells you he will help you improve the Housenka Tsumabeni this time. You ask him for a soldier pill, which he hands you after reminding you of the rules for using them safely.
Itachi's manual dexterity is incredible enough that his own Housenka Tsumabeni is still usable, though greatly weakened, with being used one-handed. He also has already mostly adjusted to having only one arm, though he sometimes loses his balance or makes strange motions, which he has to compensate for.
You put your all into training the jutsu, improving yourself in the process, during the three weeks that you try it.
Itachi-san is totally impressed with your progress!
Strangely enough, he is the one who broaches the topic of what he did the previous time you two trained together. At some point, he suddenly says, "Rin, about what I did with the eye and-"
"Don't," you say softly, "I've decided to erase that from my mind. Just know that you saved my life and maybe my sanity with what you did, and leave it at that. A bit of short-term trauma was worth it."
He looks at you carefully, probably gauging how sincere you are, and then smiles (more of a lilt of the edges of the lips, really), which is a rare thing for him. He says, "still-"
"All is forgiven, Itachi-san. I won't even ask what that other thing was - I have my suspicions anyway," you say, mildly annoyed by his persistence.
He simply nods. Smart guy. Still, you have more to say to him.
You know that Shisui is a sensitive topic for Itachi, but you can't help your need to know. So, you say, "Itachi-san. Haru told me that Danzo killed nii-chan, but not much in the way of details. Do you know how it happened?" Feeling your own Chakra twist in grief again.
Itachi nods and looks at you intently.
You don't know what he's looking for, but you do your best not to show any outward signs of your anguish. You are impatient, but manage to keep your mouth shut until he speaks. Barely.
Itachi says, his face expressionless in a different way than usual, "Hokage-sama has also told me his side of the story, and what he pieced together; Shisui sent a Shadow Clone to him, while the original Shisui met with me. From what I know, Danzo was after Shisui's eyes, which possessed a special ability that the man coveted. Danzo himself, along with an exiled Yamanaka by the name of Fuu, distracted him enough that a former Aburame by the name of Torune, the one you killed when he shielded Danzo, touched him, poisoning him with a deadly insect."
"…Shisui managed to get away, of course, even like that - Danzo alone would never be able to best him. He talked to me, made me swear that I would make sure you'd survive. Then, he eliminated his body so that his eyes wouldn't fall into the wrong hands," Itachi finished, looking more numb than expressionless.
Itachi looks like he needs a hug; you aren't one for such physical gestures, but you swallow your apprehension and hug him. He stiffens at first, but relaxes into the hug and hugs you back eventually.
You feel yourself tearing up, but instead of Shisui, your mind keeps going back to the Aburame you accidentally killed. You took revenge for Shisui by killing him, and to be a magus, or a shinobi, means that you walk with death; you and that boy both were shinobi. So why are you so torn up over killing the guy!? Is it that he can't have been more than thirteen - maybe even eleven at worst?
Itachi, bless his soul, doesn't try to talk you through your first kill. He keeps his arm around you and simply asks, "first kill?" And leaves it at that.
You feel nauseous, but don't end up throwing up. You go to sleep early tonight, though.
The final thing you ask to train with him the next day is your situational awareness and observation skill. You tell him how you've tried to train those on your own, with mixed results.
Itachi-san tells you he's surprised you want to learn such a thing and that most ninjas your age, in-training or otherwise, prefer the flashy jutsu.
"I'm not most, Itachi-san," you tell him confidently. ('Not cockily?' Says a voice in your mind that sounds a lot like Archer.)
"True," he tells you, and is that the ghost of another smile on his face?
The first part of the training is similar to what you've tried on your own, except more refined. Each time, Itachi-san has you memorize a scene, then asks you questions about the details - without your Sharingan.
For the combined Chakra Sensory-Sharingan-intuition part of your skill-set, he has gotten the idea of enhancing rocks with badly-controlled Water-element Chakra Flow and having Shadow Clones lob them at you, mostly (but not purely) from blind spots.
Water Element Chakra Flow is used to control projectiles after they've been launched, so it serves the dual purpose of alerting you to the rocks and making it more of a task to track them, paradoxically. Those clones gradually lower the level of Chakra they put into the rocks, also refining it better, and suppress their own Chakra more skillfully, making it harder to keep up with them.
Itachi-san is especially good at teaching this stuff, despite being only thirteen years old; you progress very quickly, especially when he makes you use the skills in a simulated combat situation, in which his Shadow Clones behave like enemy combatants (mostly).
In the meanwhile, you meet up with Naruto - it isn't hard to track him down with your sensing skill. He's on top of the Hokage Rock; to be exact, on the head of the Fourth Hokage.
As soon as he sees you, he shouts, "Rin!" And tackle-hugs you.
He says something about the people at the hospital not letting him visit you, and how worried he was, and how he didn't find you at the Academy, and how Iruka-sensei wouldn't tell him much… all that in one breath.
You return the hug awkwardly.
When Naruto's motor-mouth tendencies stop affecting him (for the time being), you say, "as you can see, I'm fine, Naruto. Sorry I didn't come find you sooner," softly.
When you two part from the hug, Naruto's eyes are suspiciously wet. So, of course, you tease him.
He says, "something got in my eye - that's all!" Indignantly.
"With those goggles of yours, there's no way something could get in your eyes. Ba~ka," you reply, making your tone deliberately obnoxious.
Naruto pouts and tells you that he is offended, and only serious 'repair-nations' will satisfy him.
"Reparations, Naruto," you tell him, "now, shall we go for Ramen at Ichiraku? The first three bowls are my treat!"
Naruto acts as if the magic words have been said and that is, in a way, true.
At Ichiraku's, the man who runs the stand -as well as his thirteen-year-old daughter- greet Naruto enthusiastically.
Teuchi-san also tells you, "it's great to see you - we haven't seen you in a while, Rin," kindly.
"It's good to see you too, Teuchi-san," you tell him politely, "unfortunately, I was hospitalized with Chakra exhaustion."
When the two of you have finished your ramen (with Naruto reaching five bowls!), you go and do some after-meal exercise, starting off lightly and steadily increasing the strain. You show Naruto a lot of tricks to improve more quickly and steadily, and try to get stronger yourself.
After you and Naruto say your farewells, you decide to train further.
You have already memorized all the scrolls that caught your eye at the library, but memorization doesn't mean comprehension. So, you decide to learn Genjutsu first in a training ground.
It was one of your brother's most favored ninja disciplines, and despite Genjutsu being connected to mind control, you decide to grit your teeth and learn the damn jutsu - to honor Shisui, if nothing else.
Illusion Art - Tomb of the Living is deceptively simple, and a surprisingly hard to learn jutsu. It also is pretty useless against most shinobi unless it's layered with another Genjutsu, and starts out very mild in effect (but escalates like crazy), according to the scroll. If combined well, though, it's one of the most dangerous jutsu in existence.
…Or it could be the author of the scroll's ego talking. What kind of alias is 'Age of Mythology' anyway?** It reminds you of the Age of Gods back in your previous world. Speaking of which, are there gods here? Well, that's a question for later.
…Either way, changing someone's perception of time is not very subtle on its own, but layered with another Genjutsu, you can think of at least one subtle way to keep the target trapped. Unfortunately, you need three tomoe in a Sharingan to cast Genjutsu without hand-seals.
The hand-seals are Tiger, Rat and Monkey. You practice Tomb of the Living until you've gotten it well enough to immobilize a Shadow Clone if said clone deliberately takes more than six seconds to dispel it (which is pathetic, but you'll get it down better eventually).
You also practice Narakumi no jutsu (Hell Viewing jutsu) and Kokoni Arazu (False Surroundings) on your Shadow Clones. After the first time you use the Hell Viewing on a clone, you refrain from trying that again - it's too traumatizing to risk.
As for the False Surroundings, you improve that a lot over the next two weeks; same with Tomb of the Living. Your clones now have to wait 'only' five seconds before the jutsu renders them unable to dispel it.
Itachi's genjutsu are no longer able to affect the original you; only your own genjutsu, cast be your clones work on you. Your Shadow Clones are less resistant, but are nonetheless highly resistant.
The only other scroll's contents you have the time to practice is Mikoto's.
'How to become a Lightning God' is not really a beginner's book, but you find yourself eventually understanding the concepts in it thanks to other books from the jutsu library you've memorized and are now analyzing, as well as what your grandmother taught you.
It takes you close to a month, but you manage to not only improve your Lightning manipulation, and progress to the stage of splitting a waterfall by piercing it without electrifying it (with Haru providing the waterfall and you making the wall of earth from which it falls), improving your control over the vibration aspect of Lightning; you also learn a new jutsu or two.
Your mother is getting out of hospital today, so you go there and wheel her home. Silence ensues between the two of you.
Mama breaks the silence suddenly, saying, "are you mad at me, Rin?"
What?! Where did this come from? You ask your mother why she thinks that, and her reply takes you aback.
Mama says, "well, I reached Suiho too damn late to do anything - I didn't even manage to kill that masked fucker, even though I blew him to smithereens!" Obviously disappointed with herself, not even bothering to censor her words.
You reassure her that she couldn't have done anything more to save your father against that foe, but you suddenly pause and say, "wait, you blew him up?"
Mama tells you yes and describes how the fight went. "…I think I heard the name of a deity near the end; it was-"
Your head shoots up and you say, "Izanagi?!"
Just how many have access to that accursed jutsu?!
"You know what he did?" Your mother asks you.
You nod, and are on the verge of telling her about it when it occurs to you that it's a secret. So, you only give her the bare-bones version. You tell her it's an Uchiha forbidden jutsu that can save someone from death, and that Danzo employed it in your fight.
Mama falls silent. After a few moments, she says, "so, Shimura Danzo could use it too? And you fucking fought the man?!"
"I got backup soon enough, Mama," you tell her calmly, "besides, I doubt Danzo is anywhere as dangerous as the masked man."
"Still," Mama says, "you shouldn't have put yourself at risk like that."
"I AM training to be a ninja, Mama," you reply, still speaking calmly.
"True, but fighting someone who's a contender for S-class isn't for someone your age," she tells you seriously.
"Nobody else was available," you say softly, "I couldn't just let Sasuke die."
Your mother nods in understanding, but says, "just make sure to always return home alive; I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you too," barely loud enough for you to hear.
"Oh Mama," you say and hug her tightly (but carefully). By this point, the two of you have reached the new house that has been allocated for you.
You go visit your cousin Sasuke the very next day, and he seems to be adjusting well enough to you. But that's on the surface - who knows what might be lurking beneath.
"Sasuke," you greet him neutrally.
"Rin," he tells you coolly, "what do you want?"
"I came to see you," you tell him, not very surprised by the mild hostility.
"You came to check on one of your subjects, you mean," he tells you, not looking you in the eye.
"What?" You say, a bit surprised by his choice of words.
"Why did the clan do that to Dad?!" Sasuke says, shaking, "he has always given his all to being the clan head… why!?"
You let Sasuke rant until he runs out of steam. Silent tears are running out of his eyes. It hits you that Sasuke has just lost his mother, AND had the whole Clan Head mess dropped on him, so you refrain from snapping at him.
You simply put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder - he doesn't immediately shrug it off, fortunately. To cheer him up, you decide to teach him something; maybe he'd like the chance to show you up? You are going to bank on him having even half of the late Mikoto's talent for the Lightning Element. After all, according to Grandma-
Arkidi stabbing Fugaku, then moving on to Nanako; damn it. DAMN IT!
You shake your head, trying to dislodge the memory and telling Sasuke you are fine. Anyway, according to your late grandmother, Affinities are passed on from mother to son and from father to daughter more often than not.
You decide to frame it as a kind-of challenge. You say, "oi, Sasuke, how would you like a competition between the two of us?"
He looks up, looking at you with obvious suspicion. He says, "what kind of competition?"
You tell him that it took you twenty-three days or so to shrink a leaf, which is the first exercise for Lightning Element manipulation without hand-seals. "Can you do that faster than me?" You say.
Sasuke says, "so you want me to try beating you… in your primary element?" Still suspicious of you.
"All the elements are pretty much my primary element," you tell him, "besides, I have a hunch you'll be really good at it."
Sasuke's eyes light up a bit, but he says, "what's in it for me?"
"You mean apart from learning a second element, which is supposed to be something chuunin and Tokubetsu do in preparation for promotion to Jounin?" You tell Sasuke, pausing for a few seconds. Seeing that you have his full attention, you continue by telling him you will teach him a C-ranked Lightning Release jutsu, 'Electromagnetic Murder', if he can beat your time.
Sasuke nods enthusiastically and is about to leave to find some, well, leaves, but you stop him and give him a few tips on handling the Lightning Element, mainly safety instructions. He pretends not to care, but you can tell he has taken your warnings seriously.
Exactly fifteen days later, he drags you to a training field and shows you that he has managed to shrink the leaf.
He looks at you smugly, but you simply congratulate him on beating you, and you take it as a victory that he looks a bit annoyed at not having riled you up. "A promise is a promise," you tell Sasuke, "so, are you ready for learning Electromagnetic Murder?"
Sasuke blinks a few times and says, "right now?"
"Why not?" You reply, smirking, "now is as good a time as any," and ignoring Fugaku's Chakra as if he weren't there, while Sasuke is completely unaware thanks to his father's stealth skills.
Sasuke nods and pays careful attention as you show him the hand-seals, as well as a passable rendition of the jutsu.
Before you have the chance to tell him the hand-seals, Sasuke starts the sequence. He does them correctly, too, damn it. How are you supposed to show your brilliance when you are surrounded by other prodigies?
"Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)," Sasuke whispers, aiming his jutsu at the nearest boulder.
It's a slight difference, but you can tell that Sasuke's attempt at the jutsu is more stable than yours, though noticeably weaker, from the range at which he manages to strike that boulder and the feel of the Chakra. He has also only finished the first exercise of elemental re-composition. He isn't even panting much, despite not having been fully rested! Just how good is he at the Lightning Element?
You hear someone slowly clapping, and are unsurprised to see a healthy -or mostly healthy- Fugaku nearby; though he also seems deeply fatigued, and not just physically.
Sasuke turns to look at him, his expression similar to a child who got caught with his hands on the cookie jar.
Fugaku is visibly impressed; this is more emotion than you have ever seen from him, you think.
You leave father and son to their conversation and leave, despite your desire to speak to Fugaku.
-----
"It's your fault, you know, Rin. You abandoned me just to chase after revenge; now I can't walk," Mama says in a matter-of-fact tone.
You flinch, but Mama isn't finished.
She says, "I could have ended up like Aoi, you know. And who's to say I won't anyway? After all, the brain is a delicate thing."
You shiver; you haven't heard Mama say such things before. Could it be a genjutsu, or maybe-
You end up in your new bed, covered in cold sweat. That answers your question.
You look at your bedside clock, still shivering, and it's too damn early and way too cold; it's late November, after all. Still, it's around the time Ino usually wakes up to prepare for the Academy, earlier than most.
You leave a note for your mother after getting dressed and start on the way for a particular flower shop. You can tell that everyone inside is awake with your sensory capabilities. So, you signal Ino's father with your Chakra.
A few minutes later, he reaches the side entrance, where you are waiting. He lifts an eyebrow, but makes no comment on the black circles around your eyes.
"Ino will be out in a minute," the man says, unaffected by the cold.
You nod.
Inoichi-san speaks to you about various things. While you start out answering by way of nods and head-shakes, he manages to get you talking in no time.
The subject reaches sensor-ninjas at some point, and he gives you a few tips on how to remain aware of everything without getting distracted, and how to hide from other sensors.
Soon enough, Ino gets out of her home and reaches you. Inoichi-san leaves discreetly, and Ino fusses over you.
"Let's get you inside to cover those hideous panda-eyes. You're coming with me to the Academy today!" Ino declares, with a force of personality that reminds you of yourself.
Well, yourself when you are well-rested ('and not depressed', an Archer-like voice says in your mind. Well, screw you too, brain).
Ino expertly puts some make-up on you (and how did an eight-year-old get so good at applying make-up?!), and you put up a token protest, but still end up following her to the Academy. She also lends you a few blunted kunai and shuriken, since you only carry real ones with you nowadays.
The two of you are early, and only Shikamaru and Sasuke are around. Sasuke is studying one of the Academy's texts and Shikamaru is taking a nap.
You decide not to bother either of them - needling Shikamaru while he is trying to sleep is hilarious, according to Ino, but you just don't feel like it.
Eventually, the classroom fills partway (being too large for the number of students); the way the classroom -or rather lecture hall- is set up reminds you of a university, or maybe the Clock Tower.
Recently, some memories you had lost have returned. You believe you've had more, but you have remembered exactly what Kirei -no, the fake priest Kotomine- did to make you hate him; you also have recovered a lot of missing memories between the Fifth Holy Grail War and starting your apprenticeship with Zelretch, and from the Clock Tower during said apprenticeship.
You remember pining after Shirou, who was oblivious and pined after Saber, in turn. (That idiot!) You remember showing up Edelfelt by learning how to open a portal to a parallel world without help from a Kaleidostick or Jewel Sword first, and the relationship between the two of you turning into more of a friendly rivalry than anything… somehow.
When you snap out of your daydreams, Iruka has already arrived and is taking roll-call. He pauses at your name, but gives no other indication he is surprised.
The material the lessons are covering today is made up of things you know, so you give the answer a couple of times (the correct one!) when Iruka quizzes the class.
Eventually, the time to spar comes up, and you are put up against Hyuuga Hinata. The girl seems reluctant to fight, so you-
[]Encourage her
[]Berate her
[]"Do you have a little brother/sister? Imagine I'm an enemy nin trying to kill/abduct them, and you are the only thing between me and them"
After the Academy's classes end (luckily, it's a Saturday, so it's only a half-day), you go to your new house, after Ino gives you a hug and bids you farewell.
You offer to cook lunch, but your mother insists that she's not a complete invalid and fixes something herself, though you do help a bit.
"I didn't know you knew how to cook," Mama says, her eyes wide open in surprise at how efficient you are in the kitchen.
"Grandma had showed me a few things," you say, bending the truth.
Your grandmother DID show you a few things about cooking… once or twice, at most. Your expertise in the kitchen doesn't come from that. You ARE a bit rusty in that skill, though.
Once you have eaten, you decide to train. To be exact, you decide to make full use of Hollow-san's offer to teach you the medical arts, so you bid your mother farewell and head for the orphanage.
When you reach the place, there is nobody around except the woman you are here for.
"You came!" Hollow-san says, a smile on her face.
"I did," you reply, "now shall we find a better place for this?"
The older woman remains silent for a bit, then bids you to follow her. After a few minutes, during which you are wary of a potential ambush and use your sensor skill to make sure you are safe (still not trusting the woman fully), you reach a forest clearing.
You decide to clear the air between the two of you, so you say, "Hollow-san, I have a question, but it will probably sound strange."
Hollow-san simply says, "go ahead."
"Are- are you dead? As in, a ghost or something like that?" You say seriously.
Hollow-san regards you with an emotion you can't identify. Then, she says, "you are direct. I like that. Yes, apparently, the Pure World won't accept me for some unfathomable reason."
"The Pure World?" You ask, curious over this term. You have heard it, and the term existed in your old world too, but she is speaking as if it's a real, tangible thing.
She laughs for a bit, though her laughter is tinged with bitterness. She says, "I nearly forgot how young you are."
Then, she goes on to explain this world's afterlife to you.
So, there is only one afterlife, and everyone goes there, without exception apart from Hollow-san apparently? This lines up with your suspicion that you're in a different multiverse.
You did suspect that Hollow-san might have been a ghost, but you didn't seriously believe it.
…Wait, what was that about the Pure World not accepting her?
"Hollow-san," you say, trembling a bit, "could it be something about your physiology or soul that kept you out of the Pure World?"
"I don't know. It could be," Hollow-san replies, brows furrowed.
Does that mean that you will never see Shisui again? If her Magic Circuits are the reason Hollow-san was kept out of the afterlife, then you are going to be stuck as a ghost… unless, of course, you make sure that you survive, and that you get a body back by using the Second Magic if you die and are stuck in the living world as a ghost. Still, no loved ones in the afterlife…?
"Anyway," you say, snapping out of your thoughts, "shall we start the lesson?"
"I thought you would never ask," Hollow-san says and quizzes you on your medical knowledge. Then, she starts teaching you about first aid and human anatomy, continuing where your grandmother had left off. It's not yet time to learn medical ninjutsu, though Hollow-san does promise that she will teach you a diagnostic jutsu and Yang Release next time if you do really well.
You are motivated be that, so you put all your heart and soul into learning what she's teaching you. Fortunately, Hollow-san has a trick where she can go solid for enough time to simulate wounds on herself, so she is the 'patient' you practice on. (Though you do wonder briefly why she didn't use it to talk to her children, you are too focused to linger on the thought long.)
You start practicing in early afternoon; when you stop, it's- wait, is that the sun rising!? Shit, your mother will kill you!
"I've got to go; thank you for the lesson, Hollow-san!" You tell the older woman, and bow formally, then run off.
Your mother is fortunately asleep when you reach your house. Maybe she knew you were fine - she is a sensor-type too, after all. You lie down in your bed, but you are unable to fall asleep; too excited for that. Maybe you should invest in a sleep genjutsu? Perhaps you will ask someone for such a thing - you remember Hollow-san saying during your lesson with her that she has some skill in genjutsu that causes sleep….
You wake up in early afternoon - you didn't even realize you had fallen asleep! You can hear knocking on the door, and shower and get dressed quickly (or as quickly as you can in your 'morning zombie' condition).
When you enter the living room, your mother along with a man with an ageless (though definitely not handsome) face is there. He is very, very tall and has long white hair.
Before you can realize what you are saying, you say, "good morning Mama; who's this ugly stranger?"
The tall stranger laughs, and your mother glares at you.
Then, the stranger introduces himself by saying, "little lady, it is I, the great Sage of Mount Myoboku! The one who can make rich women beg; good women steal; old women blush and young girls squeal with his words only!"
…Did he just steal the lyrics from that rock song, Bad to the Bone? Does it even exist here? Damn that Luvia, for getting it stuck in your head!
You say, "lame!" Giving him a thumb down.
He exaggeratedly hangs his head… and a small cloud is hanging over his head.
Your eyes sharpen; this can't have been a genjutsu - you are all but immune. It's either Water or Fire manipulation without hand-seals. This is a high-level ninja - and now that you think of it, he does fit the description of Jiraiya of the Sannin.
You had been fooled, partially because your passive sensory reported him as genin-level at most. You make a one-handed hand-seal, and-
You are flooded with power. This person has refined and very dense Chakra, and while sensor-types aren't very good at judging Chakra reserves, this man is most likely at least Kage-level in his reserves.
You look at the man in surprise, and see a serious expression on his face. He says, "you are a lot more perceptive than I gave you credit for, little lady."
You are fully awake now. You say, "Jiraiya-sama. What brings you to little old me?"
He smiles slightly, as if you had passed a test of some kind, and says, "well, I think you will be a great help for this mission - Naruto was right."
"Mission?" You and your mother both echo.
Mama says, "Jiraiya-sama, isn't she a bit too young for a mission with you?"
Jiraiya says, "relax. It's not something very dangerous or glamorous. I simply want to go retrieve Tsunade to persuade her to become the Godaime Hokage."
"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," your mother says, sighing.
"Don't worry, if she comes with, Naruto will also be there, and a chuunin or Jounin of her choice to round out the numbers," Jiraiya says, smiling again.
"So, Naruto was your first choice, and I'm HIS choice, Jiraiya-sama?" You tell Jiraiya, brow furrowed.
"Ah, don't sweat the small details, little lady," Jiraiya says, waving your words off, "so, do you accept?"
"My name is Rin," you tell him grumpily. Then, you-
[]Go on the mission
+There is still over a month until your eighth birthday; you still have time until you become clan head - you will still have to appoint proxies for the clan head position, though
+Naruto won't follow Jiraiya without you
+You can gain experience on a real mission!
-[]Pick someone to take with you on the mission (Write-in)
+If it's somebody from the Uchiha clan, you won't be able to appoint that person as a proxy
[]Say no to Jiraiya
+Jiraiya probably becomes the Fifth Hokage, or maybe Kakashi
+No medic-nin to heal your mother and get a prosthetic for Itachi
+You won't have to leave your clan alone in their time of need
Who will be your proxy as clan head? Regardless of your answer to Jiraiya, you need to appoint someone (Up to 3 people) to represent you as clan head.
[]Korin
[]Itachi
[]Fugaku
[]Haru
[]Tekka
[]Teyaki
[W] Plan Clanhead and honoring Shisui
-[W] Accept
-[W] Social
--[W] Itachi
--[W] Mama
--[W] Sasuke
--[W] Naruto
--[W] Ino
-[W] Training
--[W] Read Scroll - How to become a Lightning God, by Mikoto
--[W] Read Scroll - Illusion Art - Tomb of the Living
--[W] new Jutsu with Itachi
--[W] Housenka Tsumabeni with Itachi
--[W] Omni-science with Itachi
--[W] Medical Ninjutsu with Hollow
I didn't expect the Clan Head vote to be nearly unanimous.
Yes, it lives!
-[W] Accept
-[W] Social
--[W] Itachi
--[W] Mama
--[W] Sasuke
--[W] Naruto
--[W] Ino
-[W] Training
--[W] Read Scroll - How to become a Lightning God, by Mikoto
--[W] Read Scroll - Illusion Art - Tomb of the Living
--[W] new Jutsu with Itachi
--[W] Housenka Tsumabeni with Itachi
--[W] Omni-science with Itachi
--[W] Medical Ninjutsu with Hollow
I didn't expect the Clan Head vote to be nearly unanimous.
Yes, it lives!
-----
"You want me to what?!" You tell Tekka-san, stunned.
Haru says, "I have already told you, Rin-sama. You were and are the only option for Clan Head, especially now that you've proven your mettle in the field of politics."
"But, but-" you say, still finding it hard to wrap your mind around the idea that you are going to lead a clan of over forty people. Being Second Owner didn't prepare you for this!
Tekka-san says respectfully, "Rin-sama; you are not only the only choice, you are a good choice all told. You would still attend the Academy to attain an official rank, and Clan Heads are not extremely busy," calling you '-sama' for the first time.
You can't offer a rebuttal to that - words have failed you, which is a very rare phenomenon for you.
The official Uchiha Clan Head position has been offered to you; if you accept, you start your duties in five months, on your eighth birthday. You decide to accept. Your extended family in their time of need have asked for your leadership. What else could and will you do, but accept?
You tell Haru and Tekka-san, "it would be my honor; I will be the next Head of the Clan."
Haru smiles at you brightly, giving you a glimpse at what she was like before all this situation. Then, she hugs you tightly, making you let out an 'oof!'.
She lets go of you immediately, apologizing for her rash action and her 'impertinence'. You reassure her that you aren't angry at her, or offended.
Tekka-san nods at you, his expression less tight than usual. You nod back, acknowledging him.
Haru rep. has gone up greatly! A++ -> S
Have gotten Trait 'Spring Tide'
+Your Water element training progresses greatly faster
+Your Fire element training progresses slightly-mildly more slowly
Tekka rep. has gone up! B+ -> A
Have gotten Trait 'Spring Tide'
+Your Water element training progresses greatly faster
+Your Fire element training progresses slightly-mildly more slowly
Tekka rep. has gone up! B+ -> A
Haru also asks you how high your talent for Water Release is.
"I'm good at using all the elements," you tell her, "though I haven't tried anything beyond the basics in Water and Lightning yet. Why?"
Haru looks impressed. She offers to tutor you in the element of Water.
"I might just take you up on that," you tell her, smiling awkwardly at what is essentially your fangirl.
The resulting smile takes away your breath for a moment.
-----
You decide to spend time with Itachi-san, to train and otherwise - even if he's a manipulative bastard, he did save your life indirectly by teaching you Izanami and giving you that extra eye.
The first thing he tells you he wants to teach you is a B ranked clone jutsu, the Kage Bunshin no jutsu (Shadow Clone jutsu).
He explains that it is non-elemental, nor is it Yin Release or Yang Release. It doesn't even need skill in shape manipulation. What it needs is the capability to put a little of yourself into them -including an even split of your Chakra- and a relatively high Chakra reserve.
He describes the talent needed for it as similar to what is needed for Medical Ninjutsu, not in terms of Yang Release or such, but the ability to share your Chakra; the Shadow Clone is most like the Chakra Transfer Technique, according to Itachi.
You try to get it; really, you do. Unfortunately, you can only do it with trial and error. This jutsu takes a lot of Chakra, so you need over a week of trying to accomplish it to make only one stable clone, and after all that effort, you are near Chakra exhaustion. Itachi-san is off doing something else while you are training, but you go find him when you manage it.
Shadow Clone jutsu has been learned at E
Skill 'Ninshu' has been learned at F
Chakra has gone up! C+ (1 of 4) -> C+ (2 of 4)
Skill 'Ninshu' has been learned at F
Chakra has gone up! C+ (1 of 4) -> C+ (2 of 4)
You find him in a park, speaking to an old woman. She seems to be threatening him, so you decide to break them up. You say, "hey, Itachi-san! I was just looking for you!" Very loudly, with seeming perkiness, ignoring your fatigue.
The old woman turns to look at you, opening her half-closed eyes, and her expression freezes you. It contains so much rage that it almost scares you.
Almost. You have faced down Herakles as a Berserker, after all. You keep your eyes on hers until she turns away.
When she's left, you ask Itachi-san who she is.
Itachi-san replies with, "she is council member Koharu. A most unpleasant person, with Danzo political leanings."
"I see," you say, contemplative, "is she angry at me because of my role in Danzo's incarceration?"
"It is possible," Itachi says, "but I find it more likely that something else set her off. In your negotiations with the representatives of Konoha, was somebody there who did not belong?"
You tell him about Kurama Unkai, and how even the Jounin Commander made sure to keep him on a leash.
Itachi-san sighs. He then says, "a mole for her, then. Whatever happened during those negotiations must have been what angered her."
You snort, feeling more rested already, saying, "that's one way to put it."
It's not just the money. It took you a while to realize (and some help from Tekka-san), but your thoroughness in stopping discrimination against the Uchiha means that even laws from the time of the Second Hokage have been, or are on the way to being repealed. The Uchiha clan no longer has to worry about not getting any missions unless there is nobody else available, and larger clans tend to get a greater leeway on choosing their missions.
In short, your clan is finally getting the privileges other clans have enjoyed for decades, Police force or not.
Itachi-san doesn't pry. Instead, he changes the subject, saying, "so, did you get the Shadow Clone?"
You tell him that you did.
"Impressive," he tells you, his expression not changing, "it took me twelve days, when I was eleven*, to manage that jutsu - not nine days like you. Of course, I also did not have your Chakra reserves; it might be because of that."
You hum noncommittally. Other than the Chakra expenditure, it's a very simple jutsu. Even Naruto shouldn't have much trouble with it, considering he has about as much Chakra as you do, possibly more. When the two of you reach the training ground, Itachi tells you he will help you improve the Housenka Tsumabeni this time. You ask him for a soldier pill, which he hands you after reminding you of the rules for using them safely.
Itachi's manual dexterity is incredible enough that his own Housenka Tsumabeni is still usable, though greatly weakened, with being used one-handed. He also has already mostly adjusted to having only one arm, though he sometimes loses his balance or makes strange motions, which he has to compensate for.
You put your all into training the jutsu, improving yourself in the process, during the three weeks that you try it.
Itachi-san is totally impressed with your progress!
Strangely enough, he is the one who broaches the topic of what he did the previous time you two trained together. At some point, he suddenly says, "Rin, about what I did with the eye and-"
"Don't," you say softly, "I've decided to erase that from my mind. Just know that you saved my life and maybe my sanity with what you did, and leave it at that. A bit of short-term trauma was worth it."
He looks at you carefully, probably gauging how sincere you are, and then smiles (more of a lilt of the edges of the lips, really), which is a rare thing for him. He says, "still-"
"All is forgiven, Itachi-san. I won't even ask what that other thing was - I have my suspicions anyway," you say, mildly annoyed by his persistence.
He simply nods. Smart guy. Still, you have more to say to him.
You know that Shisui is a sensitive topic for Itachi, but you can't help your need to know. So, you say, "Itachi-san. Haru told me that Danzo killed nii-chan, but not much in the way of details. Do you know how it happened?" Feeling your own Chakra twist in grief again.
Itachi nods and looks at you intently.
You don't know what he's looking for, but you do your best not to show any outward signs of your anguish. You are impatient, but manage to keep your mouth shut until he speaks. Barely.
Itachi says, his face expressionless in a different way than usual, "Hokage-sama has also told me his side of the story, and what he pieced together; Shisui sent a Shadow Clone to him, while the original Shisui met with me. From what I know, Danzo was after Shisui's eyes, which possessed a special ability that the man coveted. Danzo himself, along with an exiled Yamanaka by the name of Fuu, distracted him enough that a former Aburame by the name of Torune, the one you killed when he shielded Danzo, touched him, poisoning him with a deadly insect."
"…Shisui managed to get away, of course, even like that - Danzo alone would never be able to best him. He talked to me, made me swear that I would make sure you'd survive. Then, he eliminated his body so that his eyes wouldn't fall into the wrong hands," Itachi finished, looking more numb than expressionless.
Itachi looks like he needs a hug; you aren't one for such physical gestures, but you swallow your apprehension and hug him. He stiffens at first, but relaxes into the hug and hugs you back eventually.
You feel yourself tearing up, but instead of Shisui, your mind keeps going back to the Aburame you accidentally killed. You took revenge for Shisui by killing him, and to be a magus, or a shinobi, means that you walk with death; you and that boy both were shinobi. So why are you so torn up over killing the guy!? Is it that he can't have been more than thirteen - maybe even eleven at worst?
Itachi, bless his soul, doesn't try to talk you through your first kill. He keeps his arm around you and simply asks, "first kill?" And leaves it at that.
You feel nauseous, but don't end up throwing up. You go to sleep early tonight, though.
Have gotten Skill 'Shape Manipulation' at F-
Skill 'Elemental Mastery: Fire' has gone up! C+ -> B-
Your Chakra Control has gone up! B- -> B- (2/6)
Dexterity&Flexibility has gone up! B -> B (2/7)
Projectile Throwing has gone up! C+ -> B-
Housenka Tsumabeni jutsu has gone up! F -> F+
Reputation with Itachi has gone up greatly! C -> B
Skill 'Elemental Mastery: Fire' has gone up! C+ -> B-
Your Chakra Control has gone up! B- -> B- (2/6)
Dexterity&Flexibility has gone up! B -> B (2/7)
Projectile Throwing has gone up! C+ -> B-
Housenka Tsumabeni jutsu has gone up! F -> F+
Reputation with Itachi has gone up greatly! C -> B
The final thing you ask to train with him the next day is your situational awareness and observation skill. You tell him how you've tried to train those on your own, with mixed results.
Itachi-san tells you he's surprised you want to learn such a thing and that most ninjas your age, in-training or otherwise, prefer the flashy jutsu.
"I'm not most, Itachi-san," you tell him confidently. ('Not cockily?' Says a voice in your mind that sounds a lot like Archer.)
"True," he tells you, and is that the ghost of another smile on his face?
The first part of the training is similar to what you've tried on your own, except more refined. Each time, Itachi-san has you memorize a scene, then asks you questions about the details - without your Sharingan.
For the combined Chakra Sensory-Sharingan-intuition part of your skill-set, he has gotten the idea of enhancing rocks with badly-controlled Water-element Chakra Flow and having Shadow Clones lob them at you, mostly (but not purely) from blind spots.
Water Element Chakra Flow is used to control projectiles after they've been launched, so it serves the dual purpose of alerting you to the rocks and making it more of a task to track them, paradoxically. Those clones gradually lower the level of Chakra they put into the rocks, also refining it better, and suppress their own Chakra more skillfully, making it harder to keep up with them.
Itachi-san is especially good at teaching this stuff, despite being only thirteen years old; you progress very quickly, especially when he makes you use the skills in a simulated combat situation, in which his Shadow Clones behave like enemy combatants (mostly).
Intelligence goes up! A++ (5/14) -> A++ (7/14)
Skill "Omni-Science" goes up greatly! F -> E-
Mind's Eye of the Kagura goes up! A -> A (1/3)
Eye of the Mind (False) goes up! D -> D (1/3)
Skill "Omni-Science" goes up greatly! F -> E-
Mind's Eye of the Kagura goes up! A -> A (1/3)
Eye of the Mind (False) goes up! D -> D (1/3)
In the meanwhile, you meet up with Naruto - it isn't hard to track him down with your sensing skill. He's on top of the Hokage Rock; to be exact, on the head of the Fourth Hokage.
As soon as he sees you, he shouts, "Rin!" And tackle-hugs you.
He says something about the people at the hospital not letting him visit you, and how worried he was, and how he didn't find you at the Academy, and how Iruka-sensei wouldn't tell him much… all that in one breath.
You return the hug awkwardly.
When Naruto's motor-mouth tendencies stop affecting him (for the time being), you say, "as you can see, I'm fine, Naruto. Sorry I didn't come find you sooner," softly.
When you two part from the hug, Naruto's eyes are suspiciously wet. So, of course, you tease him.
He says, "something got in my eye - that's all!" Indignantly.
"With those goggles of yours, there's no way something could get in your eyes. Ba~ka," you reply, making your tone deliberately obnoxious.
Naruto pouts and tells you that he is offended, and only serious 'repair-nations' will satisfy him.
"Reparations, Naruto," you tell him, "now, shall we go for Ramen at Ichiraku? The first three bowls are my treat!"
Naruto acts as if the magic words have been said and that is, in a way, true.
At Ichiraku's, the man who runs the stand -as well as his thirteen-year-old daughter- greet Naruto enthusiastically.
Teuchi-san also tells you, "it's great to see you - we haven't seen you in a while, Rin," kindly.
"It's good to see you too, Teuchi-san," you tell him politely, "unfortunately, I was hospitalized with Chakra exhaustion."
When the two of you have finished your ramen (with Naruto reaching five bowls!), you go and do some after-meal exercise, starting off lightly and steadily increasing the strain. You show Naruto a lot of tricks to improve more quickly and steadily, and try to get stronger yourself.
Dexterity&Flexibility has gone up! B (2/7) -> B (3/7)
Strength has gone up! D -> D (1/3)
Rep. Naruto has gone up! C+ -> B
Strength has gone up! D -> D (1/3)
Rep. Naruto has gone up! C+ -> B
After you and Naruto say your farewells, you decide to train further.
You have already memorized all the scrolls that caught your eye at the library, but memorization doesn't mean comprehension. So, you decide to learn Genjutsu first in a training ground.
It was one of your brother's most favored ninja disciplines, and despite Genjutsu being connected to mind control, you decide to grit your teeth and learn the damn jutsu - to honor Shisui, if nothing else.
Illusion Art - Tomb of the Living is deceptively simple, and a surprisingly hard to learn jutsu. It also is pretty useless against most shinobi unless it's layered with another Genjutsu, and starts out very mild in effect (but escalates like crazy), according to the scroll. If combined well, though, it's one of the most dangerous jutsu in existence.
…Or it could be the author of the scroll's ego talking. What kind of alias is 'Age of Mythology' anyway?** It reminds you of the Age of Gods back in your previous world. Speaking of which, are there gods here? Well, that's a question for later.
…Either way, changing someone's perception of time is not very subtle on its own, but layered with another Genjutsu, you can think of at least one subtle way to keep the target trapped. Unfortunately, you need three tomoe in a Sharingan to cast Genjutsu without hand-seals.
The hand-seals are Tiger, Rat and Monkey. You practice Tomb of the Living until you've gotten it well enough to immobilize a Shadow Clone if said clone deliberately takes more than six seconds to dispel it (which is pathetic, but you'll get it down better eventually).
You also practice Narakumi no jutsu (Hell Viewing jutsu) and Kokoni Arazu (False Surroundings) on your Shadow Clones. After the first time you use the Hell Viewing on a clone, you refrain from trying that again - it's too traumatizing to risk.
As for the False Surroundings, you improve that a lot over the next two weeks; same with Tomb of the Living. Your clones now have to wait 'only' five seconds before the jutsu renders them unable to dispel it.
Itachi's genjutsu are no longer able to affect the original you; only your own genjutsu, cast be your clones work on you. Your Shadow Clones are less resistant, but are nonetheless highly resistant.
Stat Genjutsu has gone up! B -> B (2/5)
Stat Chakra Control has gone up! B- (2/6) -> B- (3/6)
Skill 'Genjutsu - Kai!' has gone up! A (4/5) -> A+ (2/6)
Skill 'Tomb of the Living jutsu' has been learned at E-
Skill 'Hell Viewing jutsu' has been learned at F
Skill 'False Surroundings jutsu' has been learned at E
Skill 'Hand-seals' has gone up! D+ -> C
Stat Chakra Control has gone up! B- (2/6) -> B- (3/6)
Skill 'Genjutsu - Kai!' has gone up! A (4/5) -> A+ (2/6)
Skill 'Tomb of the Living jutsu' has been learned at E-
Skill 'Hell Viewing jutsu' has been learned at F
Skill 'False Surroundings jutsu' has been learned at E
Skill 'Hand-seals' has gone up! D+ -> C
The only other scroll's contents you have the time to practice is Mikoto's.
'How to become a Lightning God' is not really a beginner's book, but you find yourself eventually understanding the concepts in it thanks to other books from the jutsu library you've memorized and are now analyzing, as well as what your grandmother taught you.
It takes you close to a month, but you manage to not only improve your Lightning manipulation, and progress to the stage of splitting a waterfall by piercing it without electrifying it (with Haru providing the waterfall and you making the wall of earth from which it falls), improving your control over the vibration aspect of Lightning; you also learn a new jutsu or two.
Elemental Mastery: Lightning has gone up! D- -> C
Raiton - Jibashi (Lightning Release - Electromagnetic Murder) has been learned at E-
Chakra Flow: Flying Swallow (Lightning) has been learned at E
You are at step 1 of (?) for learning Hell Stab and Raiton Chakra Mode
Raiton - Jibashi (Lightning Release - Electromagnetic Murder) has been learned at E-
Chakra Flow: Flying Swallow (Lightning) has been learned at E
You are at step 1 of (?) for learning Hell Stab and Raiton Chakra Mode
Your mother is getting out of hospital today, so you go there and wheel her home. Silence ensues between the two of you.
Mama breaks the silence suddenly, saying, "are you mad at me, Rin?"
What?! Where did this come from? You ask your mother why she thinks that, and her reply takes you aback.
Mama says, "well, I reached Suiho too damn late to do anything - I didn't even manage to kill that masked fucker, even though I blew him to smithereens!" Obviously disappointed with herself, not even bothering to censor her words.
You reassure her that she couldn't have done anything more to save your father against that foe, but you suddenly pause and say, "wait, you blew him up?"
Mama tells you yes and describes how the fight went. "…I think I heard the name of a deity near the end; it was-"
Your head shoots up and you say, "Izanagi?!"
Just how many have access to that accursed jutsu?!
"You know what he did?" Your mother asks you.
You nod, and are on the verge of telling her about it when it occurs to you that it's a secret. So, you only give her the bare-bones version. You tell her it's an Uchiha forbidden jutsu that can save someone from death, and that Danzo employed it in your fight.
Mama falls silent. After a few moments, she says, "so, Shimura Danzo could use it too? And you fucking fought the man?!"
"I got backup soon enough, Mama," you tell her calmly, "besides, I doubt Danzo is anywhere as dangerous as the masked man."
"Still," Mama says, "you shouldn't have put yourself at risk like that."
"I AM training to be a ninja, Mama," you reply, still speaking calmly.
"True, but fighting someone who's a contender for S-class isn't for someone your age," she tells you seriously.
"Nobody else was available," you say softly, "I couldn't just let Sasuke die."
Your mother nods in understanding, but says, "just make sure to always return home alive; I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost you too," barely loud enough for you to hear.
"Oh Mama," you say and hug her tightly (but carefully). By this point, the two of you have reached the new house that has been allocated for you.
Korin reputation has gone up! A+ -> A++
You go visit your cousin Sasuke the very next day, and he seems to be adjusting well enough to you. But that's on the surface - who knows what might be lurking beneath.
"Sasuke," you greet him neutrally.
"Rin," he tells you coolly, "what do you want?"
"I came to see you," you tell him, not very surprised by the mild hostility.
"You came to check on one of your subjects, you mean," he tells you, not looking you in the eye.
"What?" You say, a bit surprised by his choice of words.
"Why did the clan do that to Dad?!" Sasuke says, shaking, "he has always given his all to being the clan head… why!?"
You let Sasuke rant until he runs out of steam. Silent tears are running out of his eyes. It hits you that Sasuke has just lost his mother, AND had the whole Clan Head mess dropped on him, so you refrain from snapping at him.
You simply put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder - he doesn't immediately shrug it off, fortunately. To cheer him up, you decide to teach him something; maybe he'd like the chance to show you up? You are going to bank on him having even half of the late Mikoto's talent for the Lightning Element. After all, according to Grandma-
Arkidi stabbing Fugaku, then moving on to Nanako; damn it. DAMN IT!
You shake your head, trying to dislodge the memory and telling Sasuke you are fine. Anyway, according to your late grandmother, Affinities are passed on from mother to son and from father to daughter more often than not.
You decide to frame it as a kind-of challenge. You say, "oi, Sasuke, how would you like a competition between the two of us?"
He looks up, looking at you with obvious suspicion. He says, "what kind of competition?"
You tell him that it took you twenty-three days or so to shrink a leaf, which is the first exercise for Lightning Element manipulation without hand-seals. "Can you do that faster than me?" You say.
Sasuke says, "so you want me to try beating you… in your primary element?" Still suspicious of you.
"All the elements are pretty much my primary element," you tell him, "besides, I have a hunch you'll be really good at it."
Sasuke's eyes light up a bit, but he says, "what's in it for me?"
"You mean apart from learning a second element, which is supposed to be something chuunin and Tokubetsu do in preparation for promotion to Jounin?" You tell Sasuke, pausing for a few seconds. Seeing that you have his full attention, you continue by telling him you will teach him a C-ranked Lightning Release jutsu, 'Electromagnetic Murder', if he can beat your time.
Sasuke nods enthusiastically and is about to leave to find some, well, leaves, but you stop him and give him a few tips on handling the Lightning Element, mainly safety instructions. He pretends not to care, but you can tell he has taken your warnings seriously.
Exactly fifteen days later, he drags you to a training field and shows you that he has managed to shrink the leaf.
He looks at you smugly, but you simply congratulate him on beating you, and you take it as a victory that he looks a bit annoyed at not having riled you up. "A promise is a promise," you tell Sasuke, "so, are you ready for learning Electromagnetic Murder?"
Sasuke blinks a few times and says, "right now?"
"Why not?" You reply, smirking, "now is as good a time as any," and ignoring Fugaku's Chakra as if he weren't there, while Sasuke is completely unaware thanks to his father's stealth skills.
Sasuke nods and pays careful attention as you show him the hand-seals, as well as a passable rendition of the jutsu.
Before you have the chance to tell him the hand-seals, Sasuke starts the sequence. He does them correctly, too, damn it. How are you supposed to show your brilliance when you are surrounded by other prodigies?
"Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)," Sasuke whispers, aiming his jutsu at the nearest boulder.
It's a slight difference, but you can tell that Sasuke's attempt at the jutsu is more stable than yours, though noticeably weaker, from the range at which he manages to strike that boulder and the feel of the Chakra. He has also only finished the first exercise of elemental re-composition. He isn't even panting much, despite not having been fully rested! Just how good is he at the Lightning Element?
You hear someone slowly clapping, and are unsurprised to see a healthy -or mostly healthy- Fugaku nearby; though he also seems deeply fatigued, and not just physically.
Sasuke turns to look at him, his expression similar to a child who got caught with his hands on the cookie jar.
Fugaku is visibly impressed; this is more emotion than you have ever seen from him, you think.
You leave father and son to their conversation and leave, despite your desire to speak to Fugaku.
Sasuke reputation has gone up greatly! D- -> D+
-----
"It's your fault, you know, Rin. You abandoned me just to chase after revenge; now I can't walk," Mama says in a matter-of-fact tone.
You flinch, but Mama isn't finished.
She says, "I could have ended up like Aoi, you know. And who's to say I won't anyway? After all, the brain is a delicate thing."
You shiver; you haven't heard Mama say such things before. Could it be a genjutsu, or maybe-
You end up in your new bed, covered in cold sweat. That answers your question.
You look at your bedside clock, still shivering, and it's too damn early and way too cold; it's late November, after all. Still, it's around the time Ino usually wakes up to prepare for the Academy, earlier than most.
You leave a note for your mother after getting dressed and start on the way for a particular flower shop. You can tell that everyone inside is awake with your sensory capabilities. So, you signal Ino's father with your Chakra.
A few minutes later, he reaches the side entrance, where you are waiting. He lifts an eyebrow, but makes no comment on the black circles around your eyes.
"Ino will be out in a minute," the man says, unaffected by the cold.
You nod.
Inoichi-san speaks to you about various things. While you start out answering by way of nods and head-shakes, he manages to get you talking in no time.
The subject reaches sensor-ninjas at some point, and he gives you a few tips on how to remain aware of everything without getting distracted, and how to hide from other sensors.
Soon enough, Ino gets out of her home and reaches you. Inoichi-san leaves discreetly, and Ino fusses over you.
"Let's get you inside to cover those hideous panda-eyes. You're coming with me to the Academy today!" Ino declares, with a force of personality that reminds you of yourself.
Well, yourself when you are well-rested ('and not depressed', an Archer-like voice says in your mind. Well, screw you too, brain).
Ino expertly puts some make-up on you (and how did an eight-year-old get so good at applying make-up?!), and you put up a token protest, but still end up following her to the Academy. She also lends you a few blunted kunai and shuriken, since you only carry real ones with you nowadays.
The two of you are early, and only Shikamaru and Sasuke are around. Sasuke is studying one of the Academy's texts and Shikamaru is taking a nap.
You decide not to bother either of them - needling Shikamaru while he is trying to sleep is hilarious, according to Ino, but you just don't feel like it.
Eventually, the classroom fills partway (being too large for the number of students); the way the classroom -or rather lecture hall- is set up reminds you of a university, or maybe the Clock Tower.
Recently, some memories you had lost have returned. You believe you've had more, but you have remembered exactly what Kirei -no, the fake priest Kotomine- did to make you hate him; you also have recovered a lot of missing memories between the Fifth Holy Grail War and starting your apprenticeship with Zelretch, and from the Clock Tower during said apprenticeship.
You remember pining after Shirou, who was oblivious and pined after Saber, in turn. (That idiot!) You remember showing up Edelfelt by learning how to open a portal to a parallel world without help from a Kaleidostick or Jewel Sword first, and the relationship between the two of you turning into more of a friendly rivalry than anything… somehow.
When you snap out of your daydreams, Iruka has already arrived and is taking roll-call. He pauses at your name, but gives no other indication he is surprised.
The material the lessons are covering today is made up of things you know, so you give the answer a couple of times (the correct one!) when Iruka quizzes the class.
Eventually, the time to spar comes up, and you are put up against Hyuuga Hinata. The girl seems reluctant to fight, so you-
[]Encourage her
[]Berate her
[]"Do you have a little brother/sister? Imagine I'm an enemy nin trying to kill/abduct them, and you are the only thing between me and them"
Thanks to Inoichi's tips….
Mind's Eye of the Kagura goes up! A (1/3) -> A (2/3)
Stealth goes up! D+ -> C-
Your mental health and stability improves thanks to Ino's support!
Mind's Eye of the Kagura goes up! A (1/3) -> A (2/3)
Stealth goes up! D+ -> C-
Your mental health and stability improves thanks to Ino's support!
After the Academy's classes end (luckily, it's a Saturday, so it's only a half-day), you go to your new house, after Ino gives you a hug and bids you farewell.
You offer to cook lunch, but your mother insists that she's not a complete invalid and fixes something herself, though you do help a bit.
"I didn't know you knew how to cook," Mama says, her eyes wide open in surprise at how efficient you are in the kitchen.
"Grandma had showed me a few things," you say, bending the truth.
Your grandmother DID show you a few things about cooking… once or twice, at most. Your expertise in the kitchen doesn't come from that. You ARE a bit rusty in that skill, though.
Once you have eaten, you decide to train. To be exact, you decide to make full use of Hollow-san's offer to teach you the medical arts, so you bid your mother farewell and head for the orphanage.
When you reach the place, there is nobody around except the woman you are here for.
"You came!" Hollow-san says, a smile on her face.
"I did," you reply, "now shall we find a better place for this?"
The older woman remains silent for a bit, then bids you to follow her. After a few minutes, during which you are wary of a potential ambush and use your sensor skill to make sure you are safe (still not trusting the woman fully), you reach a forest clearing.
You decide to clear the air between the two of you, so you say, "Hollow-san, I have a question, but it will probably sound strange."
Hollow-san simply says, "go ahead."
"Are- are you dead? As in, a ghost or something like that?" You say seriously.
Hollow-san regards you with an emotion you can't identify. Then, she says, "you are direct. I like that. Yes, apparently, the Pure World won't accept me for some unfathomable reason."
"The Pure World?" You ask, curious over this term. You have heard it, and the term existed in your old world too, but she is speaking as if it's a real, tangible thing.
She laughs for a bit, though her laughter is tinged with bitterness. She says, "I nearly forgot how young you are."
Then, she goes on to explain this world's afterlife to you.
So, there is only one afterlife, and everyone goes there, without exception apart from Hollow-san apparently? This lines up with your suspicion that you're in a different multiverse.
You did suspect that Hollow-san might have been a ghost, but you didn't seriously believe it.
…Wait, what was that about the Pure World not accepting her?
"Hollow-san," you say, trembling a bit, "could it be something about your physiology or soul that kept you out of the Pure World?"
"I don't know. It could be," Hollow-san replies, brows furrowed.
Does that mean that you will never see Shisui again? If her Magic Circuits are the reason Hollow-san was kept out of the afterlife, then you are going to be stuck as a ghost… unless, of course, you make sure that you survive, and that you get a body back by using the Second Magic if you die and are stuck in the living world as a ghost. Still, no loved ones in the afterlife…?
"Anyway," you say, snapping out of your thoughts, "shall we start the lesson?"
"I thought you would never ask," Hollow-san says and quizzes you on your medical knowledge. Then, she starts teaching you about first aid and human anatomy, continuing where your grandmother had left off. It's not yet time to learn medical ninjutsu, though Hollow-san does promise that she will teach you a diagnostic jutsu and Yang Release next time if you do really well.
You are motivated be that, so you put all your heart and soul into learning what she's teaching you. Fortunately, Hollow-san has a trick where she can go solid for enough time to simulate wounds on herself, so she is the 'patient' you practice on. (Though you do wonder briefly why she didn't use it to talk to her children, you are too focused to linger on the thought long.)
You start practicing in early afternoon; when you stop, it's- wait, is that the sun rising!? Shit, your mother will kill you!
Tutor bonus: Second best in the world, Hollow's Trait: Super Teacher activates
You are very motivated!
First Aid has gone up Beyond Colossally! D+ -> B
Anatomy has gone up colossally! C- -> B
Reputation with Hollow has gone up! E- -> E
You are very motivated!
First Aid has gone up Beyond Colossally! D+ -> B
Anatomy has gone up colossally! C- -> B
Reputation with Hollow has gone up! E- -> E
"I've got to go; thank you for the lesson, Hollow-san!" You tell the older woman, and bow formally, then run off.
Your mother is fortunately asleep when you reach your house. Maybe she knew you were fine - she is a sensor-type too, after all. You lie down in your bed, but you are unable to fall asleep; too excited for that. Maybe you should invest in a sleep genjutsu? Perhaps you will ask someone for such a thing - you remember Hollow-san saying during your lesson with her that she has some skill in genjutsu that causes sleep….
You wake up in early afternoon - you didn't even realize you had fallen asleep! You can hear knocking on the door, and shower and get dressed quickly (or as quickly as you can in your 'morning zombie' condition).
When you enter the living room, your mother along with a man with an ageless (though definitely not handsome) face is there. He is very, very tall and has long white hair.
Before you can realize what you are saying, you say, "good morning Mama; who's this ugly stranger?"
The tall stranger laughs, and your mother glares at you.
Then, the stranger introduces himself by saying, "little lady, it is I, the great Sage of Mount Myoboku! The one who can make rich women beg; good women steal; old women blush and young girls squeal with his words only!"
…Did he just steal the lyrics from that rock song, Bad to the Bone? Does it even exist here? Damn that Luvia, for getting it stuck in your head!
You say, "lame!" Giving him a thumb down.
He exaggeratedly hangs his head… and a small cloud is hanging over his head.
Your eyes sharpen; this can't have been a genjutsu - you are all but immune. It's either Water or Fire manipulation without hand-seals. This is a high-level ninja - and now that you think of it, he does fit the description of Jiraiya of the Sannin.
You had been fooled, partially because your passive sensory reported him as genin-level at most. You make a one-handed hand-seal, and-
You are flooded with power. This person has refined and very dense Chakra, and while sensor-types aren't very good at judging Chakra reserves, this man is most likely at least Kage-level in his reserves.
You look at the man in surprise, and see a serious expression on his face. He says, "you are a lot more perceptive than I gave you credit for, little lady."
You are fully awake now. You say, "Jiraiya-sama. What brings you to little old me?"
He smiles slightly, as if you had passed a test of some kind, and says, "well, I think you will be a great help for this mission - Naruto was right."
"Mission?" You and your mother both echo.
Mama says, "Jiraiya-sama, isn't she a bit too young for a mission with you?"
Jiraiya says, "relax. It's not something very dangerous or glamorous. I simply want to go retrieve Tsunade to persuade her to become the Godaime Hokage."
"That doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," your mother says, sighing.
"Don't worry, if she comes with, Naruto will also be there, and a chuunin or Jounin of her choice to round out the numbers," Jiraiya says, smiling again.
"So, Naruto was your first choice, and I'm HIS choice, Jiraiya-sama?" You tell Jiraiya, brow furrowed.
"Ah, don't sweat the small details, little lady," Jiraiya says, waving your words off, "so, do you accept?"
"My name is Rin," you tell him grumpily. Then, you-
[]Go on the mission
+There is still over a month until your eighth birthday; you still have time until you become clan head - you will still have to appoint proxies for the clan head position, though
+Naruto won't follow Jiraiya without you
+You can gain experience on a real mission!
-[]Pick someone to take with you on the mission (Write-in)
+If it's somebody from the Uchiha clan, you won't be able to appoint that person as a proxy
[]Say no to Jiraiya
+Jiraiya probably becomes the Fifth Hokage, or maybe Kakashi
+No medic-nin to heal your mother and get a prosthetic for Itachi
+You won't have to leave your clan alone in their time of need
Who will be your proxy as clan head? Regardless of your answer to Jiraiya, you need to appoint someone (Up to 3 people) to represent you as clan head.
[]Korin
[]Itachi
[]Fugaku
[]Haru
[]Tekka
[]Teyaki
*In the anime (not manga), Itachi knew the Shadow Clone as an Academy Student. Here, it was the Water Clone.
**Yes, Tomb of the Living is my own original jutsu.
As for the Sasuke situation, I know better than to give SB/SV the opportunity to call Sasuke an emo in-story and/or slap him, so no voting there.
It's my birthday today; I'm 28 now. This is my birthday gift to my readers (a bit backwards, there, but whatever).
In canon, IIRC, Sasuke spent half of the chuunin exams break bedridden due to the sealing, so he had ~15 days to learn the first stage of Lightning manipulation (which took him 'quite a few days') AND get used to moving like Lee (and copy the Chidori with his Sharingan, though that probably didn't take long). So, head-canon is that it took him a bit over half of those 15 days (9 days?) to manage the Lightning exercise, and that the Sharingan couldn't help with something that lacks hand-seals at its then-current level of development. He took a lot longer here because he has much less Chakra at this point. (This statement sounds familiar. Did I say something like it before?)
**Yes, Tomb of the Living is my own original jutsu.
As for the Sasuke situation, I know better than to give SB/SV the opportunity to call Sasuke an emo in-story and/or slap him, so no voting there.
It's my birthday today; I'm 28 now. This is my birthday gift to my readers (a bit backwards, there, but whatever).
In canon, IIRC, Sasuke spent half of the chuunin exams break bedridden due to the sealing, so he had ~15 days to learn the first stage of Lightning manipulation (which took him 'quite a few days') AND get used to moving like Lee (and copy the Chidori with his Sharingan, though that probably didn't take long). So, head-canon is that it took him a bit over half of those 15 days (9 days?) to manage the Lightning exercise, and that the Sharingan couldn't help with something that lacks hand-seals at its then-current level of development. He took a lot longer here because he has much less Chakra at this point. (This statement sounds familiar. Did I say something like it before?)
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