Kai sincerely believed in grinding a single skill if possible because he wasn't in a hurry and this world seemed more dependent on Chakra so having a skill that recovers it at a quick pace is beneficial from the beginning not to mention how it increased his reserves. It took him a little over 2 weeks to get this complete and Mito's diet that shouldn't be given to someone of her age happened to be extremely nourishing!
It was barely the third week of the first month yet and despite the new year's festival that only seemed to omit more religious portions of his world, the village was well stable and didn't seem in festive spirit aside from the day of festivity itself.
But the Uzumaki Compound was preparing in high spirits. Apparently, a guest of high importance was arriving in a few days so that was it. But Kai looked at his skills, eager to whistle.
[Name: Kai
Age: 4
Title: Uzumaki Maid
Gamer Traits: Skill Tree; Sleepless Gamer
Rank: Civilian
Hit Points: 100℅
Stamina: 100℅ (0.1/min)
Chakra: 200.25 (89) (3/min)
Physique: 4/1000
Mental: 7→ 8/1000
Perception: 3→ 5/1000
Skills:
Titles:]
[Meditation (25/25): Meditation calms the mind and eases the restless heart. During meditation, increase the regeneration of the chakra by 35℅. Increase the chakra capacity by 5℅ at each level. Current Chakra Capacity: 89]
The highlight of the week wasn't the fact that he unlocked his chakra once he hit the max on the meditation skill or the fact that multiplied his base chakra by 125℅ at all times, but the fact that the knowledge he received at the end from this skill allowed him to gain yet another skill and the unlocking of his chakra directly raised the standards of his stats like perception.
It was still pathetically low, but hey, one teensy tiny step at a time!
Meanwhile, as he massaged the feet of dear Mistress Mito whose words really made his breakfast, lunch, evening snack, and dinner better, he looked through the second foundational skill of chakra.
[Chakra Spiral Technique (1/10): A skill that trains the ability to manipulate chakra by tugging a tendril of it and letting it rotate around the chakra pathways in a simple rotation until entirely exhausted. Each level up reduced chakra wastage by 1℅, increases the chakra recovery rate by 5℅, and increases the chakra capacity by 5℅. Current Chakra Capacity: 89]
Next Level: Consume 0/30 chakra or 1 SP]
Needless to say, Kai would focus on this skill quite a bit. However, he was pulled out of his thoughts as Mito groaned and mumbled, "Kai-kun, are you enjoying your meals nowadays?"
"Of course, it's delicious, Mistress Mito," fully aware that Mito wasn't a Mistress that dwelled in formalities, his relationship had just gotten better with the kind woman. Maybe it was also because of his title.
"Hmm, and are you feeding the fishes regularly?"
"As much as I feed myself!"
Mito opened her eyes slightly and gazed at the boy beaming at her before nodding with a slightly pleased smile, "Hmm, Kai-kun, I believe you are a talented young boy. Would you like to help me out with one thing?"
"Of course, please don't hesitate," Kai continued with a hopeful gaze that confused Mito for a second but she nodded and smiled, "It is related to the guest we will be having soon enough. She is my grand-niece and I would like for you to just be next to her until she settles. In return, you can very well start your first step in being a shinobi and perhaps learn another craft if you will. I told you, you're a talented boy. I can't have you rubbing my feet every day."
As she spoke, a panel opened discreetly beside Kai's gaze.
[Clan Quest: A Tail
Summary: Mistress Mito worries that her Grand-niece would need some support settling in. Be that crutch.
Rewards: A New Title; A New Skill
Failure: You will rub the Uzumaki feet until they die or you.]
"Leave it to me, Mistress Mito," Kai chuckled, "But... is your niece pretty?"
"Hmm, and why would you want to know that, brat!" Mito shook her head and chided with a warm chuckle, "You're far too young."
"Not for me," Kai smiled, "But if your niece is pretty, other boys would try and bully me. I see that in Clan Compound every day how the head butler would bully Kinto-san because Shinto-san likes him..."
Mito's eyelids twitched.
It was about time, Kai felt, that the screaming and bullying buffoon got wrecked just by some sweet words stated with an innocent smile directly to Mito.
"Don't you worry about that." Mito sighed and averted his attention, "And you looked highly annoyed when I talked about our new guest. What? Do you think my grand-niece isn't the most stunning beauty?" Mito raised her brow and looked at Kai who almost deadpanned. What? Was he supposed to simp after a child who he'd never even seen?
Heck, it was easier to say that Mito was the more smashable grandma out of the many similarly aged women in Konoha. Not that he would speak THAT either.
Seeing Kai's slightly stunned expression, Mito blinked with mischief and snorted, "That's what I thought. Now off with you, brat. Remember to give me a heck of massages until my niece arrives. After that, you will have different duties."
Kai nodded and bowed politely before leaving when the gruff grumble resounded again.
"Urgh, I'll throw up inside of you and the idea of throwing up inside of you makes me want to throw up!"
"You know what, before I decided to hit the bucked, I will beat the shit out of you and THEN transfer you," Mito sighed with a sincere smile.
"You? Heh, just release my seal and I'll claw that dry—" Aaannnndddd, the wayward connection was cut off again.
---
Kai's sleepless night proved useful as he would first use the chakra spiral technique to increase the level of the skill and then use meditation to recover his chakra. Heck, the food provided by Mito found its best uses now of all times as the deficit and recovery began to allow Kai to fully exert himself physically and mentally, causing not only his base chakra to rise aside from the buffs but also his other stats alongside his knowledge on chakra and its most basic applications with each level up.
It was clear that the Chakra Spiral Technique was unlocked because of meditation allowing Kai to passively affect it but the knowledge from the Chakra spiral technique was not general and didn't hint at anything aside from the basic spiral control of chakra through the chakra system with the body.
And in only four days, his improvements wildly overshadowed the results of brutal training in his previous life.
[Name: Kai
Age: 4
Title: Uzumaki Maid
Gamer Traits: Skill Tree; Sleepless Gamer
Rank: Civilian
Hit Points: 100℅
Stamina: 100℅ (0.1/min)
Chakra: 283.25 (103*175℅) (4.5/min)
Physique: 4→ 5/1000
Mental: 8/1000
Perception: 5→ 6/1000
Skills:
Titles:]
[Chakra Spiral Technique (10/10): A skill that trains the ability to manipulate chakra by tugging a tendril of it and letting it rotate around the chakra pathways in a simple rotation until entirely exhausted. Each level up reduced chakra wastage by 1℅, increases the chakra recovery rate by 5℅, and increases the chakra capacity by 5℅. Current Chakra Capacity: 103]
But even with this, Kai just continued to consume his chakra with this technique while trying to find ways to apply chakra to more situations so that his base chakra continues to grow. Its passive effects on the body were already ludicrous!
A little before the end of the first month, however, Kai and others excluding the head butler prepared for the arrival of a group of three individuals, each of them redheaded with the lazy, short-haired youth looking like he wanted nothing to do but sleep while an equally lazy woman with her red hair tugged into a high ponytail strutted towards the entrance while nodding at the servants gathered and then casually hugging Mito tightly, causing the feeble woman to chuckle.
However, Kai focused on the nervous wreck of a redhead whose red hair just seemed too bright to even consider her of the same level as the other guests. Young as she was with long flowing hair that easily snuck past her waist, she nervously looked around with her light violet eyes.
"Is this her?" Mito's words attracted everyone as the youth remained silent while the woman nodded and whispered softly, making Mito nod.
"Hmm, everyone, go back to your usual duties. Kai-kun, bring Kushina to the guest hall while I have to discuss something with the two of them."
The red-haired youth looked positively annoyed only for the two women to glare at him as he shrunk his neck.
On the other hand, Kai nodded and stepped out, instantly attracting Kushina's eyes who saw the boy step up, almost half her height, and her gaze glimmered.
"Hello, Kushina-san. Please follow me," Kai shrugged internally as he was the girl instantly reinvigorated. What else could he do but proudly exclaim internally— Bitch, I'm adorable!
---
Kushina who seemed a little tired after arriving in Konoha and then venturing into the mansion eagerly flopped on the couch and set her hair slightly before calling out, "Kai-chan," much to his disgruntlement, "Have you been with Grandma Mito from the start?"
"No... she was born earlier than me..."
But it was clear from Kushina's confused reaction that burns of such caliber could not affect her smooth brain and he smiled, "I mean, she brought me from the orphanage and while other orphans decided to join the Ninja Academy or leave with other merchants and traders to learn their craft, I stayed behind to take care of her."
Kushina's eyes gleamed as she hurriedly patted the seat next to her, "Why don't you sit? Come on, sit here!" She patted the location and continued, "And why didn't you leave?"
'Because the original was kind of young and slow in the head...'
"Because I like helping Mistress Mito," he did speak honestly and sat beside Kushina only to be womanhandled the next second as she revealed strength far impressive for her age and Kai instantly found himself pulled over her lap while the red devil had a smug smirk as if her worried expression beforehand was a mere illusion? Hmm, genjutsu, here.
"Kai-chan, so, tell me? Do you know the Hokage? I was called here on his request... and is there a good ramen store nearby? I'm hungry dattebane!"
Kushina promptly froze while Kai looked amused and tilted his head up. To the current him, this irate monster who wouldn't stop calling him 'chan' may just be a titan of a sort. And seeing this monster completely embarrassed by what seemed to be a verbal tick that she had some control over... made things even cuter for him. Ah, youth...
'Wait, I'm young, too!'
"Don't tell anyone what I just spoke!" Kushina hissed hurriedly and looked down, "I... I will let you eat all the ramen you want from my allowance dattebane! Aaahhhh! Damn it!" Kushina stopped hugging Kai and clutched her hair and groaned. But a gamer won't stop the grind. So, Kai jumped down from her bony lap and turned on his heels, "Kushina-san, don't worry. I won't tell anyone," Just as Kushina heaved a sigh of relief and lowered her head, further exhaling loudly, she heard a short and sweet— "Dattebane."
Her head whipped up in his direction and found what would be an adorable smile to others but an absolute devil's smirk to her own eyes plastered on 'Kai-chan's' face.
"Y-you..." She muttered before her gaze turned predatory, "Come here! I'll spank that word dattebane!"
And now surprising her with his maneuverability, Kai easily slipped past while loudly chiming, "I'd like to see you try dattebane!"
"Arrghhhh! Stop speaking that!"
---
With a red mark on each of their cheeks, Kai and Kushina stood in front of an amused Mito, an absolutely livid Rurika whose strands of hair seemed to be whipping around in a pure rage, and a silently snickering Heijo as Rurika pointed at the two and let out a shrill hiss!
"The two of you dumbfucks are done causing Lady Mito trouble this instant! Who the hell screams in a hallway?!"
Mito and Heijo looked up in surprise while Kai secretly rolled his eyes as Ruriko realized her mistake. They were in a hall... and she was screaming.
Coughing and clearing her throat, the redhead cousin of Kushina glanced at the duo, her gaze getting a bit warmer as she found the two... a little known to each other already which set her heart at ease, "Kushina... be a good girl when you stay with Grandma Mito, yeah? We'll visit you every year but you have to learn new things here and make Uzushiogakure proud!"
Kushina looked up, her eyes slightly watery as she was on verge of tears not because of the slap but because of leaving her home as she nodded and bolted into Ruriko's embrace, sobbing her heart out.
"There-there girl. If you keep crying like that, nobody in Konoha will take you seriously. Remember, beat the absolute living shit out of anyone who bullies you!"
Kushin looked up, her eyes red as she balled her fist and nodded in determination.
Shaking her head, Mito beckoned Kai, "Come here, Kai-kun..."
As he stepped out, Mita grazed the back of her palm on his red cheek and he instantly felt the pain vanish away. He looked at his stat in amazement.
[Hit Points: 98→ 100℅]
[Stamina: 100→ 99℅]
What just happened?!
He looked up at the kindly smiling Mito who ruffled his hair, "Ruriko is just as much of a brat as any of you, and lashes out. Don't mind it."
"She does!" Heijo chortled with a smirk as Ruriko lose all her aggression and whined, "Grandma..."
"Now, now, the two of you have more missions, right? As much as I want the two of you to stay, I don't think the clients will appreciate it."
"Yes, thank you for everything, Grandma!"
Both of them nodded and just... whooshed away!
Meanwhile, Kai finally had a chance to see what Mito did as a strange green glow flashed over her hand, and the mark on Kushina's cheek visibly healed, too.
"Now, why don't the two of you tell me why you were fighting?" Mito hummed as Kai and Kushina glanced at one another with the red devil giving him a silent plea. Understanding how much fun it would be to just keep it between them, Kai smiled and replied, "Kushina-san wanted to play tag and said whoever lost would treat others with ramen... I didn't have any allowance so I ran."
"That's not a good thing to do, brat," Mito ruffled Kushina's hair, too, and chuckled, "Let's have ramen today, shall we?"
"Ah, you're the best dattebane!"
Kushina's expression froze. What she tried to hide so desperately... even getting a slap over... was revealed over ramen... damn...
Kai shook his head secretly.
But shocking the duo was Mito whose smile grew wider, "Well, you're a cute one, dattebase!"
'Oh... great. Two datte-bitches now...' a strange voice rumbled before yelping loudly within Mito as if smacked.