章 30: Chapter 30 : Well deserved rest.
As I took a long sip, the familiar taste of Nono-san's tea settled me in a way few things could. The gentle bitterness, softened with just the right touch of sweetness, melted away some of the tension I'd carried for too long. For once, I could enjoy it without feeling her kunai hovering in warning—a small victory in itself.
Nono-san noticed and gave a warm smile, one that brought out a spark of softness she rarely showed.
In fact, today is the first time that she showed the smile directly to me.
"I'm glad you're finally able to enjoy it without looking over your shoulder," she teased, folding her hands around her own cup. "But I don't blame you. I have a lot of little ones depending on me; I have little room for risks."
Sitting across from Nono-san, I couldn't help but blurt out, "How did you know I left Root?"
She paused, studying her cup of tea, as if finding the right words in its reflection. "Experience, mostly," she said at last, her gaze lifting to meet mine. "Over the years, I've seen countless root agents come through this place—some subtle, others clumsy, some in disguise, others playing harmless visitors to lull me into a false sense of security." Her lips curved in a faint, knowing smile. "But for some reason, I can always tell them apart. It's not exactly a skill," she added, thoughtfully, "more like a… a feeling. A talent, you could say."
I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "And I'm guessing that's why Danzo-sama keeps hounding you to come back." A faint smirk crossed my face. "The infamous Miko—Root's best infiltrator. The only one to pull off S-rank infiltration missions and make it look easy."
She gave me a sidelong look, both amused and a little weary. "It's not as glamorous as it sounds, trust me. Those were missions no one wanted but were too valuable to turn down. I did what I had to do."
I leaned back, impressed. "You're a legend in Root and Anbu, Nono-san. Some of us used to think your missions were just rumors, exaggerated by Danzo, to keep us all on edge."
She gave a quiet laugh, glancing away with a hint of a blush. Unfortunately, the root made me doubt if this was real.
"Legends have a way of turning horrors into bedtime stories, don't they?"
She sighed and continued with her words. "Danzo wanted to replicate whatever talent I had, but it was never about training or tactics. It was survival. Just… an instinct."
"Instinct, huh?" I echoed. It made sense, this uncanny sense she had seen beyond disguises and appearances. The way she could read the hearts of shinobi. It was the same instinct she'd honed for years, the one that kept her alive in the shadows.
"Yes," she murmured, her voice softening, "and it's not something I'm proud of. I left that part of my life behind for a reason."
Infiltration missions are the most taxing on mind and heart. Especially the long-term missions like Nono, where she has to form genuine relationships with many people and betray them for success.
I nodded, feeling a pang of understanding. "I get that now, a little more than I did before," I said. "Root may shape you into the perfect shinobi, but there's a price. And it's a price no one should have to pay alone. At least, ones that are unwilling."
I nodded, taking another sip, letting her words sink in. Looking at pictures of her playing with the kids that dotted the walls of her office, I needed to know how to do this.
"Nono-san," I started, the words hesitant at first, "how… how do you tune it out? The training, the instincts. I mean," I paused, setting my cup down with a gentle clink, "when the kids hugged me earlier, I almost drew my kunai on them. I had this flash in my mind—different ways to take them down, like they were threats. It's just… automatic now."
SIGH
I let out a frustrated sigh, raking a hand through my hair. "Training in Root made me a fine shinobi. But it half-broke me, too," I admitted, feeling a wave of weariness wash over me. "Now every situation feels like it's hostile. I can't look at a hug without picturing how to dodge it or deflect an attack that isn't even there. That is, after I mentally prepared myself that they are not threats but cute children."
Her smile faltered, and she studied me for a moment before setting her own cup aside. "That's the reality of what we've been molded into," she whispered. "Root doesn't leave much space for… for a heart, for gentleness. They drill survival into us, turn every moment into a test, every interaction into an assessment."
Nono gave a sympathetic nod, her gaze drifting to the closed door where the muffled laughter of the kids seeped through. "It's hard to shake instincts that are drilled into your bones," she murmured, almost to herself. "But it's possible to soften them, to reshape them."
I looked up, frowning. "How?"
She thought for a moment, choosing her words with care. "The same thing you did. Focus on what's real. When you're with the kids, remind yourself they're children, not threats. Replace those instincts with new ones, layer by layer. It won't happen overnight. But give yourself permission to be a person, not just a weapon."
I nodded slowly; the words sinking in like the tea's warmth spreading through me. "Guess I've got a lot of unlearning to do."
"You do," she agreed, her smile returning, though faint. "But you'll find pieces of yourself in those small moments. You're here, out of root, and that's the first step. Now, you need to live as a person. I assume you took a long leave."
As I finished my tea, I nodded.
"Just enough until the end of this year's academy graduation. After that… back into the grinder," I murmured, staring into my tea. "But this time, there won't be the cover and security of darkness."
Nono-san's face darkened, her frown heavy with concern. She set down her tea and said in a quiet, detached tone, "Being in the dark, seeing how most shinobi and civilians go about their lives—oblivious to their helplessness—it gives Root a certain… perspective. A sense of purpose. To a lesser extent, Anbu shares that same perspective, that sense of separation. But let me be blunt," she paused, as if weighing her words carefully.
"The more time you spend in that darkness, the more the normal, human parts of you will fade. Your connections, the impacts you make, the very fact that you exist… all of it diminishes. You become a shadow, a weapon, nothing more."
Her words struck deep, like a sharp blade slicing through the illusions I'd carried. At least, I no longer have any doubts about leaving Root.
Besides, the reason I didn't join the normal shinobi system is because I was too weak back then and it was too risky for my life.
[ Current Chakra levels : 46,000 [Mid-Chunin] ]
My chakra is rising is each day at such a rapid pace that I fear will die from the lost span or wake up as an old man overnight. Thankfully, shinobi biology is not like that. I have till the age of 40 before I rapidly lose my youth and descend into the true life span I have.
[Side effects of chakra muscle reformation; 17 years lost.
Side effects of intensive shinobi style: 3 years
Expected life span: 73]
It means that I normally would live 94 years without my hidden injuries, training and other bullshit I did under Root. It was me taking perfect care as a Medic nin.
No wonder old age shinobi, who are active, are far too uncommon.
Looking at the setting sun, I decided it was time to leave. Before I did, I got a surprise.
Yarin's parents, who have been hired as orphanage workers to help Nono, entered the office with them with a gift wrapped in ribbons. I really detested root now because I automatically process the smell lingering on the gift wrap and their hands, the shape of the gift wrapping to understand this gift is a painting. Considering the situation, it is most likely a painting of my return today.
And then, my mind took an extra step, trying to figure out how they'd known it was me and not one of the Root rookies in disguise.
The answer came quick. Yarin. Only she would've known for certain.
I did my best to keep my smile sincere as I unwrapped the gift, bracing myself for some sentimental artwork I'd have to act surprised. But when I finally pulled away the last piece of ribbon and looked at the painting, I found myself genuinely taken aback.
I blinked, barely squeezing out, "It's… beautiful."
The painting was anything but precise, a jumble of stick-like figures standing together with mismatched colors. There was no mistaking who was who, though—the figures were distinguishable by their wild, patchy hair and clothes colored in the rough approximation of real life. They'd captured all of us—me, Nono, Yarin, even Kabuto, and a few of the other kids. It was simple, almost childlike, yet it struck a chord that made me feel alive from the sheer surprise… seen.
Ever since Danzo came into my life, the surprise I got were bloody and messy. In fact, I forgot the last surprise I got.
For a moment, I looked at the figures, realizing that perhaps the lives of normal people weren't as simple or as easy to read as I'd always assumed. I didn't think that Yarin's parents were such messy painters, and they gave such a gift. The thought was humbling, oddly grounding. I looked up to see Nono smiling at me, her eyes warm, and I knew this had been her doing. I was grateful, even if I didn't know how to express it right then.
With a small nod and a quiet "thank you," I said my goodbyes and turned to leave, cradling the painting carefully.
As I walked out, I made sure to take a roundabout route through the orphanage, slipping away without alerting the kids. They'd beg for more time, or make a scene, and I didn't want to leave Yarin's parents or Nono with that chaos.
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It took a while to reach my house—it's tucked away in a secluded corner of Konoha, just on the edge of those infamous training grounds Hashirama created. The location's quiet and cheap, which is good enough, even if it's bordering crazy terrain where chakra beasts roam free. As I walked up to the place, though, and looked at its sprawling size—practically a mansion—it hit me that maybe, just maybe, I'd gone a bit overboard.
I wasn't exactly aiming to be an extrovert like Guy or Obito. So, I bought the land in this deserted place. Tempted by the cheap price, I bought a lot of land.
With a deep breath, I braced myself to push past my experience of the headache that still lingered after my shadow clone from the Suna camp dispelled. Right, time to make another one, I thought, forming the seals with a practiced motion.
POOF.
This time, the clone shimmered into existence, and immediately, I felt a chunk of my chakra drain away. "Guess I'm still a way off from mastering this one," I muttered, shaking my head. With the clone standing by, I opened the door to my place, ready to tackle the cleaning process.
The smell hit me first—musty, thick, layered with years of dust and enough cobwebs to put a haunted mansion to shame. "Ugh, great," I grumbled, sneezing as I stepped inside. After a quick scout, I saw that most of the rooms were actually fully furnished with handcrafted wooden furniture that I barely remembered buying. I'd only been using a couple of rooms—the office, the bedroom—and the most-used area was a large, pool-like bath that had cleaned me up after too many missions that left me bloody.
That bath, it turned out, had been claimed by a small pack of wild boars, chakra-mutated escapees from the Forest of Death. Of course, I thought, rolling my eyes. No wonder this place had been so cheap. One boar snorted at me, its beady eyes locking on, just before it charged. Before it could get two steps, I dispatched it, leaving my clone with the messy task of cleaning up. "Good thing I don't get all the gory memories back when they dispel," I muttered.
I am thankful for the fact that I didn't master the shadow clones just yet.
Hours passed, and by the time I was finished, the place looked like an actual home instead of a storage room with rooms I barely used. It was weird, though, really seeing the place and setting things up how I wanted. Danzo had never given me the time to do anything like this before. I half-expected an unwanted visitor to drop in, checking up on me, and the thought kept me on edge, listening for any sign of someone approaching.
But dawn arrived without incident, sunlight flooding through the clean windows. My house was spotless, a sharp contrast to the dirt and grime it'd gathered, and I should have felt accomplished. Instead, I was just… tired, a little irritated, and fully realizing that, after a night of intense cleaning, I'd have to head to the academy soon.
"Brilliant," I muttered sarcastically, and downed three cups of coffee before leaving. I left a shadow clone behind, groaning as I tasked it with stashing away the boar meat and handling any groceries.
As I walked, I couldn't help but think about the academy. Funny, thinking of it with any sort of fondness now, given that I started out by getting my backside handed to me by Kurenai. Yet somehow, it had turned into one of the few bright spots in my life, grounding me back when Root training tried to break me down. After everyone graduated, Danzo wasted no time throwing me into one mission after another until… until that last one, with Dan.
Hopefully, the Academy wouldn't be too awkward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------Academy ----------------
"Look it's him. The big oaff."
"Unbelievable! To think he roams like that without a hint of shame."
"I wonder what the academy is thinking. Letting him continue his training here?"
"I am sure, he spent the holidays lazing about."
The stares were the first thing I noticed—the curious, wide-eyed, slightly judgmental gazes of the other academy students. Most of these kids were barely tall enough to reach my shoulders. And yet, here I was, twelve years old and towering over a bunch of six to nine-year-olds, carrying the dubious title of the "famed coward" who'd failed the graduation exams twice. Once, that had been my own doing.
The second time? That was the unlucky Root trainee who probably drew the short straw and had to maintain my cover here. Poor guy.
But damn, this was going to be a pain.
Just walking into class, I could feel the awkwardness. Everyone knew I was way older, taller, and—frankly—out of place. I ignored the whispers and just glanced over the rows of small faces, past the Chunin instructor. He was trying to get me to join in, spouting off about how my attitude was only "getting worse with each year."
Yeah, right? Try a year and a half of war missions as a Root agent and see how much you'd want to sit through an academy lecture.
As soon as I could, I slipped out of the classroom, not bothering to hide my retreat. I could still hear the instructor's grumbling fading as I wandered through the academy grounds. Outside, the fresh air cleared my head, and the shouts of first-year students drew my attention. They were playing on the obstacle course, weaving and dodging, tumbling over ropes and crawling through tunnels. I watched, a little amused.
To think I used to find all of that difficult.
With a heavy sigh, I settled myself under a tree, finding a comfortable spot to observe the chaos of the younger kids' training. Watching them brought up this strange sense of nostalgia. In a way, I felt like an old man watching younger generations grow up, which wasn't too far off. Considering how many years I'd likely lost to stress and chakra strain, I might as well be one.
Pulling out a snack, I chomped into a fresh box of boar meat, the last of ten I'd packed for the day. I was halfway through when a little kid with messy black hair approached, wide-eyed and curious.
"How in the world can you eat so much?" he asked, staring at my snack stash in awe.
I chewed for a second, thinking of how to answer without going into the specifics of my invented training. "Well," I started, "I'm doing a… special kind of training."
He tilted his head, intrigued. I realized I was actually in the perfect situation to polish myself up without worrying about an ambush or managing my chakra in the heat of battle. This was my chance to focus on my strength, to using all the complex procedures bit without restraint. Especially with my latest regimen—the upgraded version of the chakra muscle reformation technique.
I grinned at the kid, who looked more and more confused. "See, I'm pushing my body to the limit. I'm using my chakra to increase certain things—testosterone levels, growth hormone, gastric secretions—stuff that keeps me eating and growing stronger. Basically, I've put my metabolism in overdrive."
Another slice of chessy bacon later. I got the latest adjustment that prevents my body from collapsing.
[Metabolism change: Increase the lipase in digestion to increase the absorption of fats.
Compensatory change : Be ready to enforce the liver for fatty acid oxidation.]
The kids, who don't know how much I am working hard, looked at me blankly, clearly not following my awesomeness. "So… you're just starving?"
"Exactly!" I laughed, ruffling his hair. "It's a training method called…" I paused, considering a name that wouldn't give away too much, but sounded impressive. "I call it 'human chakra Boosted training.' It's pretty intense."
The kid's eyes widened. "Whoa… Human Chakra Boosted Training. That sounds -!"
I was expecting praise, but the kid ended up saying, "-Lame."
I felt like punching this brat. He doesn't even begin to understand the complex research, butchering and killings I did to invent this training.
[Human chakra Boosted Training: A training invented and made by the host, Kyudo Kirito. It increases the metabolism of the host by increasing the hormones, digestion and processing capacity of Host's body. All these are adjusted every day using the AI to increase the host's growth rate without damaging the host's body.
Note: It was inspired by the chakra muscles reformation of Senju Tsunade.
Drawbacks: Require constant usage of chakra throughout the day that makes it impossible to do active shinobi duty.
Requirements:
1] Jonin level chakra, If not Chunin level chakra as long as chakra control is perfect.
2] Medic Ninjutsu [A] ]
"Kids, my training is something beyond your imagination."
I popped another piece of meat into my mouth. In reality, I was honing every inch of my body, strengthening even the skin, forcing my body to adapt through chakra manipulation. Each bite of food was converted into raw power, every cell primed for endurance and battle readiness.
Thankfully, my precise control allows me to not become a muscle freak like A.
The kid didn't look like he understood my words. But, I am puzzled by his offensive attitude towards me. As far as I can see, this kid was the social butterfly of the class. Well liked by everyone.
Curious, I asked his name, "Kid, who are you?"
"Shisui uchiha."
"Well, fuck."
I just got another realization about my psyche. I tend to complain a lot and go into cussing when things don't go my way, which is most of the time.
"Well, Shisui," I said, raising an eyebrow at the kid who was now trailing me with an expectant grin, "want to grab some pizza?"
Shisui's face lit up, his nod emphatic. For a kid who'd been tossing me all sorts of jabs about "cowardice" just minutes before, he sure changed his tune quickly when treats was involved. Shameless, I thought, though I couldn't help but chuckle.
As shameless as all other kids.
This was a good excuse to finally check in on the new KK Pizzaria 5 that had opened up close to the academy. I'd entrusted its management to some of the kids from the orphanage, led by Yuta, and was curious to see if everything was running smoothly. Plus, my own chakra training was burning through so many calories that I needed all the fuel I could get.
I made my way to Yarin's and Kabuto's class and found them right away due to their hair colours. They were all too happy to join the pizza excursion, especially since we were just blatantly ignoring their instructors. Not the best example, but I guess I was feeling like a bit of a delinquent myself.
"Big brother Kyudo, will you stay for few more days this time or will you leave again?"
Yarin's question made me rub her head and say, "I am going to be here for a long time."
For the 6-year-old, me staying months on end is a really long time.
My minion, Kabuto on the other hand, just nodded in response and signalled if it's all ok. Not the complex root or Anbu signs, but the standard Konoha sign language.
I signed back that I am out of the job.
That surprised him. For a moment, my training kicked in and I processed the information that he knew about my job. Damn Danzo, the kid was a 5-year-old.
Perhaps, it would have been best if Kabuto didn't skip a year.
Not that, it is saying much considering the 5 year kid who is leading a classmates here is said to be a natural born freak. According to canon, in a decade, he will achieve S-rank.
"Well, well Shisui. For all your condemening stares at me, you brough your entire class to bunk the class. Even I didn't do that at your age."
The uchiha kid blushed, especially when he remembered his own attitude.
Apparently, Shisui's classmates slowly gathering around him, asking where we were headed. Shisui seemed to have no problem dragging them along one after another, proudly declaring that "the guy who failed graduation twice" was taking them all for pizza.
Well, I did gave treats to academies kids whenever I could for free. May be it did form a tradition of sorts.
By the time we reached the pizzeria, Shisui's entire class had somehow formed a mini army around us, chatting and pointing at the KK Pizzaria sign.
Naturally, that meant their instructor was right behind them, glaring daggers. I could practically feel his frustration building as he finally lost it, launching into a tirade of insults that was so ridiculous I could barely follow half of it.
"Unbelievabale. You kid! Stop this right now. These kids are the future shinobi of Konoha. You don't understand how damaging your actions are to these kids when they fight in the war for Konoha…"
I didn't have the energy for this nonsense today.
With a casual smirk, I flared just the tiniest amount of my chakra, reappearing behind him in a flash. I rested my hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. Leaning close, I asked in the most cheerful voice I could muster, "Would you like some pizza?"
His eyes widened, his scowl vanishing instantly when he felt the tight strength in my hand. "Uh… yes, sure."
"Great! Come on, then."
As we entered the pizzeria, I let the crowd of excited kids file in behind us, still feeling a hint of suspicion in the air. With a side glance, I noticed a figure in the shadows just outside—a Root agent, of course, keeping tabs on me. I couldn't help but shake my head and smile as I went up to the counter to place our order.
The inside of the pizzeria was bright and lively, a welcome change from the grim Root headquarters I was used to. The kids were practically buzzing, their eyes glued to the array of pizzas on display, from classic cheese to more experimental ones with extra toppings. I could see Yuta manning the kitchen, keeping an eye on the ovens with his usual intensity, while a couple of older orphanage kids handled the register and kept the tables wiped down. They all gave me a quick nod when they noticed me, and I felt a flicker of pride watching them work so diligently and not jumping to greet me.
"Alright, everyone," I called to the group, "pick your favorites!"
The kids erupted in a flurry of opinions, some shouting for extra cheese, others demanding a double helping of pepperoni, and a few adventurous ones pointing at a seafood option with more curiosity than I'd expected. Yarin and Kabuto stood by me, giving quiet but excited suggestions. Even Shisui's instructor, now settled into a booth at the back, throwing me looks of astonishment and fear.
All in all, I felt that I would enjoy my leave. After that, I can enter the war once more, this time etch my name throughout nations with my strength.
-------------Volume 1: Prologue ends-------------------
Name: Kyudo Kirito
Age: 11 years old 3 months old
Chakra: 46,000 [mid Chunin]
Physique: Elite Chunin
Chakra Control: Perfect
Chakra Control Exercises: Rasengan [A] 3rd step 100/1000
Nature Transformations: Fire Nature: 1000/1000 [A-rank], Wind nature: 440/1000 [C-rank], Water nature : 1000/ 1000 [A-rank]
Combat Skills:
Taijutsu:
Shurikenjutsu [B-rank], Konoha Kenjutsu- Tanto [B-rank], Advanced Konoha Taijutsu (1000/1000)- Personalised [A-rank]
Dummy styles: Iwa Taijutsu - 200/1000 [C-rank], Kumo Taijustu-400/1000 [B-rank], Kirigakure Taijutsu - 700/100 [B-rank], Kirigakure Kenjutsu -Tanto [B-rank], Suna Taijutsu- 650/1000 [A-rank]
Ninjutsu:
Academy Jutsu [D],
Mystic Palm Jutsu: Mastered [A], Chakra Scalpel: Mastered [A]
Fire style: Fireball [D], Great Fireball [C], Severing slash [B], Oil Explosion [A], Phoenix fireball [A]
Wind Style: Gale palm [D], Wind Breakthrough [C]. Great Breakthrough [B].
Water Style : Water bullet [C], Severing Waves [B], Water Dragon [B]
Earth style : Hidden mole jutsu [C].
Lightening style: Electromagnetic murder [C]
Shadow clone jutsu: 89/1000
Genjutsu:
Pain Relief, Stimulation, Illusionary Escape- [D]
Demonic Hell viewing Jutsu, Tree binding Wrap- [C]
Burning Hell-[B]
Other Skills:
Chakra Disruption: 1000/1000
Chakra Augmentation: 1000/1000
Tsunade's Chakra Enchancement: 300/1000 [S-rank]
[S-rank] Sensor: 1100 meters
Deciphering Ancient Scrolls and Texts: Mastered
Fuinjutsu : 2550/10000
[Storage seals, Fire element seals, medic seals, explosion tags, water element seals]
Training:
Weighted Training: 110 kg weights on each limb, 430 kg vest for the torso (In progress)
Chakra Pill Digestion: Mastery.
Root Training: Sign languages [S], Tracking [A], Info analysis and gathering [S], Disguise [S]
Medic Ninjutsu: Human chakra boosted training [A] -[*WARNING*Life span lost- 17 years]
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