~~~POV: Fuyuki Uchiha~~~

  Quest created - ‘Nature Transformation & Shape Transformation’

  You’ve learned the two most important pieces to cast and create Ninjutsu. Learn Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation to unlock the ability to cast or create a Ninjutsu. How you learn this is up to you.

  Rewards:

  An astronomical increase in Rep with Aiko Hikara. (When you show her you’ve learned Nature and Shape Transformation.)

  An astronomical increase in Rep with Hiruzen Sarutobi. (When he learns you’ve learned or mastered Nature and Shape Transformation.)

  A huge increase in Rep with several powerful Chunin and Jonin. (When the senior Shinobi’s of Konoha find out you’ve learned or mastered Nature and Shape Transformation.)

  A huge increase in Rep with Konoha citizens. (When news spreads that a young child like you has learned or mastered Nature and Shape Transformation.)

  A New Title.

  30,000 EXP.

  Location of a Dungeon.

  Failure:

  A New Title.

  Loss of a random Skill.

  Loss of 20 Stat Points in a random Stat.

  My eyes go over the new quest a few more times as it’s just appeared. I look back at Aiko briefly, and she looks at me with a raised eyebrow. My strange behavior piqued her curiosity. I regain composure, and I carefully think about my following words.

  ‘She briefly explained what Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation are, but it’s not enough information to actually unlock the skills. Aiko has the knowledge that I’m lacking. It’s a stretch, but maybe I can get her to teach me. Only one way to find out.’

  Seeing that I have a question on my mind after she briefly explained Nature and Shape Transformation, she waits with a small smile. However, there is a hint of concern on her features. That’s easy enough to see. The time for caution is now.

  “Can you teach me?”

  The childlike sound in my voice doesn’t do any justice to how I want to sound. It’s hard to add conviction to your voice at five years of age. As my question registers, I watch her lean back in her chair. Looking away from me with raised eyebrows. Surprised I’d ask something like that.

  “Look, Fuyu… Nature and Shape Transformation are extremely complex techniques. You need tremendous control over your chakra, and you need to know how to manipulate it internally. No matter how good you think you are, this isn’t something a five-year-old kid can do.”

  Maybe…

  I can get her to tell me what I need to know and where to start so I can do this independently. Just by looking at her, I can tell I won’t be able to make her budge from this.

  “What’s so dangerous or difficult about the Transformation that you won’t teach me? It wouldn’t be any more dangerous than the training I’ve already done, right?”

  My question is sneaky, in that maybe I could get her to tell me more important details about the Transformations. The more I can get from Aiko, the easier it will be for me to figure out how Nature and Shape Transformations work. If I can do this alone, I won’t have to beg Aiko to show me.

  She takes a second to think over my question. I see a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she squints them ever so slightly in my direction. She could be wise to what I’m trying to do. Hopefully, she entertains this line of conversation long enough for me to get what I need.

  ‘I’m not starting at the academy next month without the ability to cast Ninjutsu. I refuse to be at the same technical level as the rest of my generation. While I do have an advantage right now, and a big one, I want a greater gap than what I’ve already made.’

  A small breath enters Aiko, and she releases an even longer sigh. She folds her arms as she takes on a harder expression. One I’ve only seen when I asked her to introduce me to shinobi training.

  “I’m only telling you this to discourage you from attempting anything with Nature and Shape Transformation.”

  Her voice is steady and without compromise. She believes what she says. That tells me there is some sort of risk with Nature and Shape Transformation.

  “Nature Transformation changes the properties of your internal chakra. If you do it wrong, you can hurt yourself. A Firestyle Ninjutsu has you heat your chakra; doing so incorrectly can have severe consequences.”

  Wow… A nature-release Ninjutsu has you do something like that. You really do need great and intimate control over your chakra to do this kind of stuff.

  “Shape Transformation changes the chakra at a more fundamental level. Changing the form, movement, and size. If you do this wrong, your chakra system can sustain great damage. Even permanent. There was a Jutsu that took Shape Transformation to the highest level, but the creator has since died.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  The more she tells me, the more I figure out. It’s not enough to unlock the skills right now, but it’s more than enough for me to start working on it by myself. Thanks to Gaia’s Blessing, any injuries will heal with a night's rest, so I don’t have anything to worry about in the damage department.

  ‘If I ask any more questions, I might invoke the wrath of Aiko. The last thing I need. What I really need is more time. Time, time, and time. It’s a resource I need way more of.’

  She watches me closely as I process the information. Seeing the need to act, I give a disappointed expression as best I can. I watch her soften after a couple of seconds. She stands up from her seat and moves to my side of the table. Taking a seat next to me and wrapping an arm around me.

  “Listen, Fuyu… You need to remember that you’re a kid… You already have everything you need to blossom at the academy. Just take a moment to smell the roses. Play with some kids at a park, or go fishing at one of the streams… Don’t be in a hurry to grow up, okay?”

  Yeah right.

  Nevertheless, I nod in agreement so she doesn’t get any wiser than she already has. She pulls my head in and kisses the side above my ear.

  After a minute of her attempts to comfort me, she stands up and heads to the stairs. Looking back at me before she does and tells me to clean my dishes before I go to bed.

  Now that I’m alone, I look at the nearly empty plate of food. Not realizing that I was eating that entire time. Aiko’s advice is sound and wise for anyone other than me. I’m not going to stop. There is no reason for me to. Not when I have potential like this.

  Tomorrow, I’ll be starting on Nature and Shape Transformations.

  ~~~POV: Aiko Hikara~~~

  I go downstairs and start preparing breakfast for all the kids. As I do, I see a small note on the table—one that I’m not used to seeing these days. When Fuyuki first changed his sleep schedule to train as much as possible, he would leave me notes.

  That stopped for a while, but my worries grow as I start to read the letter. Telling me that he’ll probably be coming home later than usual. I’ve had just about enough of this, but I know that if I try to control and dictate to Fuyu, he’ll just thrash and try harder.

  I’ll need one of my old teammates to watch the kids in the late morning. If I allow this change, I at least need to see and make sure he’s not doing anything dangerous. I have to do that.

  The morning breakfast passes, and so do the hours. I’m able to contact one of my teammates, and he agrees to watch the kids while I check on Fuyu. I make my way to the secluded training grounds that I showed him and told him to use, but as I get close, I see blasts of fire in the distance.

  I start to rush through the trees, worried and afraid that someone is trying to hurt or capture Fuyu. But as I reach the edge of the area, I see something that blows my mind.

  Fuyu…

  A burst of hand signs…

  A deep breath…

  FRUUUUUUUSSHHHHHHHH!!!!

  A blaze of fire that comes out as a cone from his mouth unleashes above the pond in the area. All I can do is fall on my ass and stumble through my words.

  I quickly find a nice hiding spot, watching as this continues. For the next couple of minutes, Fuyuki does the same thing over and over again. I’ve never known of a child Fuyuki’s age that could accomplish something like this…

  He’s a genius among geniuses.

  Only lord Fourth could be compared in raw talent and skill.

  Lost in thought, I watch as he turns his head toward me. Our eyes lock, and that's when I see him grimace.

  ‘Yeah, you’re so busted!!’

  Now is when I remember to get angry!

  ~~~POV: Fuyuki Uchiha~~~

  That’s not good…

  “FUYUKI!!! I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS TYPE OF STUFF!!!”

  Aiko yells at me louder and harder than she ever has before. She’s not even made her way to me yet, but she’s making it clear how upset she is with me. After a second of running, and stops in front of me with a stern and angry look.

  “WHY DID!?! HOW?!! DON’T YOU REALIZE!?!”

  She’s having difficulty finding out where to start with her questions. To be fair, I did go against what she told me not to do. Directly disobeying her orders. She’s been very lenient with me already, and I may have stretched that.

  ‘How was I supposed to know she’d actually show up here? Talk about a lack of trust… How did she even know I was here?’

  I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary today. Something must’ve tipped her off to get her to come here. I haven’t changed my routine in months.

  A few more fumbles with her words, and she decides to take a breath and close her eyes. Gathering her thoughts as she does.

  But this incoming scolding is worth it. I’ve unlocked two new skills critical to my future as a shinobi and completed one of the two new quests I’ve gotten.

  “Okay, yelling at you isn’t the way for me to handle this. Obviously, I underestimated you, Fuyuki, which is saying something. You took the little information I gave you about Nature and Shape Transformation, and you do this.”

  She lifts her arm and points to the scorch marks from my tests with fire nature Ninjutsu. This is not real Ninjutsu. I was just gathering fire nature chakra and releasing it, increasing and controlling its size, and testing out both Nature and Shape Transformation at the same time.

  Improving the two new skills.

  Her eyes scorn me as she awaits a reply. I look away like a puppy being taught a lesson about what not to do.

  “How come you came today?”

  She grits her teeth in anger and slaps the back of my head. Not hard enough to knock me down or seriously hurt me, but to convey this isn’t the time to ask that. However, that changes as she looks at me with confusion.

  “What do you mean why did I come today? You left a note saying that you’d be gone longer starting today.”

  What? I never left a note like that.

  ‘Now I’m confused… Something is going on here…’

  Aiko sees my confused look, and her expression completely changes. She takes my hand and starts to pull me away from the pond.

  “We’ll talk more about this at home. Let’s go.”

  Great…

  I just know I’m gonna face some serious music thanks to this…

  And by music, I mean screams.

  The bright side is I’m no longer stagnating.

  Worth it.