A strange new life

Chapter 4: Konoha Crushcrushcrush

I didn’t wait until the next day to start my training and preparations. I hadn’t missed the between-the-lines talk about the council of elders being against me. I was pretty sure Danzo had wanted me for his house of horrors and that I was alive and safe and unmolested because the Third had gone soft. It also explained an old question I had - who tried to kidnap me for the second time? And who else other than the damn traitor Shimura fucking Danzo?

First thing I did was, surprise surprise, create a training schedule. Mornings were divided into two exercise periods: Physical and taijutsu. Afternoon another two different training focuses: Control and jutsu. Evening reserved for fuinjutsu research: I had to break the time-space code, I couldn't see any other way of interfering with that roof fight without it. Not to mention the seals inside my body.

Done with that, I slapped myself because I was being dumb, I forgot about the clone cheat. The schedule stayed, but instead of dividing days into periods, each clone would take one task to perform. I expanded on my training program, adding more sessions and more comprehensive exercises to shore up other points I gimped because I thought I would have only a few hours per day.

When I finished, I wanted to cry just a bit. I just condemned myself to grueling physical boot camp training hell while my clones worked on the fun stuff. But such was life.

I started immediately. My weight seals needed to be finished. I couldn’t create a new one every time I needed to up the intensity. It would take too much of my already limited time, and limit my training. I had an idea about what I missed with the whole design. With the new revelation of the will component, it wasn’t even difficult, even if it took hours, and three failed attempts.

The new seals… didn’t look great. The increased complexity demanded more space. I didn’t have time to refine the logic behind how it should work, because of that, I had to increase the surface area. It wasn’t bad, It just looked like leather bracers and a collar, moreso with all the squiggly lines that looked like decoration and stuff.

I guess the time had finally arrived. I was twelve, I already lived alone, I already dressed in all black: Goth phase was upon me.

I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the result, but redesigning to improve the presentation was pushed to after I wasn’t crushed for time. I put the collar and bracelets on, adjusted the weights, then went to sleep. Tomorrow I might add black lipstick and mascara as well, just to cement the goth looks.

The first days of a new training routine were always the worst. Morning started with running around. Normally running wasn’t difficult, but I had raised the weight of the seals. I could barely drag myself. Every step was torture, even keeping my body upright took effort. I saw old grandmas moving faster than me. But I could move, even if I had to pump my body full of chakra from time to time to keep up with the whole routine.

Finished with the morning warm up, it was physical exercise for explosive strength, speed and reflexes. I didn’t want to bulk up, even if I didn’t think I would. No ninja ever did unless they wanted it. Was there some sort of subconscious low-key chakra body manipulation to all of this? An interesting thing to consider. Not now, but later.

The day dragged on. 

Done with muscle conditioning, I sat to meditate on my taijutsu. Not those cultivation nerd time kind of meditations, even if I used the down period to circulate my chakra. What I really did was compare all of the fights I saw during the second phase of the exam, including Rock Lee’s fight, and place myself in their shoes. How would I react? Would my reaction work? Could I win with my style alone? What did I need to change? Then, after that, it was acclimatization to the new standards I decided.

I even did some shadowboxing. I wasn’t sure if it really worked, but who was I to doubt the wisdom of generations?

Afternoon was technical skills. I went back to the basics. I don’t know where I heard it, but there was a saying that if you want to master something, go back to the basics or something like that. Or a building can’t stand on a bad foundation. I don’t know. Anyway, I went back to the basics of Konoha’s martial style and Hyuga gentle fist. If I perfected and mastered the basics, everything else would also get better, right?

Evenings I did more muscle conditioning and endurance training, with a spot at the end of the day for relaxation. Which meant a hot bath and chakra circulation. The hot water soothing my whole aching body felt divine, even more with the chakra. I can see how someone could get addicted to this kind of routine. The only bad part was when I unpopped my clones at the end of the night. The combined exertion and information dump from the clones was enough to take me out the first night. I learned from that mistake. After that first night, I waited until I was already in bed and ready to sleep to unpop the clones. Win-win?

My new routine didn’t leave much time for myself. No visiting Secretary-chan, no gossiping with Sakura, no eating sweets with pretty Ino. I could endure it, it was only one month.

But as the old adage said, plans and enemies. Even if it wasn’t an enemy that derailed my plans, but Kakashi-sensei. It was the third day of my new routine. I just finished my taijutsu meditation and shambled up, feet and arms dragging with the weight of the seals. I had taken my stance when I noticed the approaching chakra.

One was familiar. After so many months, I could point out Kakashi-sensei’s chakra among a crowd if necessary. The other one was unfamiliar. It even had a unique texture. Like the smell or taste of wood, no idea why.

I turned around, let my arms fall. Too heavy to keep them up if I wasn’t using them. Sweat coated my whole body, and I was haggard, tired and grumpy. Kakashi-sensei walked into the training field with another ninja I had never seen before. Just a few centimeters shorter than sensei, but the man was leaner. He wore a helmet-like forehead protector that covered his cheeks, and the under-suit went up to the middle of his chin. The man’s irises were huge and totally black. I couldn’t even see where the iris ended and the pupil started.

“My, you’re training hard.” Kakashi gave me one of his eye crescent smiles. “And adopted a new fashion sense.” I just grunted. It was just the third day of training, but I was tired beyond compare. I didn’t have the energy to be annoyed or fangirl over stuff.

“I’ve been busy helping Sasuke train.” Kakashi started. I just looked on. “So I made sure to find an excellent teacher for you.” Kakashi gestured to the shinobi by his side. “This is Yamato.”

Yamato gave me a small wave.

Oh, I recognized the man now. One of Orochimaru’s surviving experiments. I should have recognized those eyes. I grunted again. Nodded. “Hello,” managed to croak out.

The three of us exchanged stares. I had no idea what to do. This was awkward.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Kakashi-sensei promptly deflected, fled the social interaction. Still cool. I just didn’t have the energy to fan-girl over it.

I looked at Yamato who didn’t seem to know what to do as well. I shrugged. Wouldn’t stop my training just because of a slight deviation to the plans. I bowed, and wrote with much difficulty.  “Hello Yamato-sensei, Jutsu-chan will be here in a moment, please wait just a bit.” Things explained, I turned back, assumed my stance, went back to my training. Crushcrushcrush was less than a month away, and time and training waited for no one.