~~~POV: Fuyuki Uchiha~~~

  Nature Transformation - Active/Passive (Lvl. 12 (44%)): This skill allows you to change the internal properties of your chakra. Allowing you to cast elemental Ninjutsu’s. The change in chakra nature occurs when you modify your chakra’s element. Higher levels allow more potent nature releases. Allows you to cast Nature Release Ninjutsus to the corresponding elemental affinity. (Fire and Lightning.)

  Effects: +60% increase in Growth Rate of Chakra Stat.

  +60% increase in Chakra Control.

  +60% increase in damage dealt with Nature Release Ninjutsu’s.

  -30% decrease in Chakra spent for Nature Release Ninjutsu’s.

  CP Cost: 30/s

  Shape Transformation - Active/Passive (Lvl. 10 (31%)): This skill allows you to change the shape, movement, and size of your chakra. Combined with Nature Transformation, you’re able to increase or decrease the size, shape, and movements of your Ninjutsu’s at will.

  Effects: +100% increase in Growth Rate of Chakra Stat.

  +100% increase in Chakra Control.

  +50% increase in damage dealt with all Ninjutsu’s.

  -50% decrease in Chakra spent for all Ninjutsu’s.

  CP Cost: 120/s

  ‘These two skills are the most important I’ve unlocked for my future as a Shinobi. Well, maybe not the most important, but they’re up high on the list I’ve got growing. It’ll take me a good amount of time to upgrade these. The chakra costs make it difficult to balance it with my Sharingan.’

  The truth is, I need more chakra. I’m almost at a 100 for my Chakra Stat. Even though I have over 10,000 chakra, it’s not that much when I have multiple skills running that take so much chakra every second. It builds up.

  As Aiko is holding my hand and guiding us down the street, I close my player stats and open my notifications. Bringing up the rewards for completing Nature Transformation & Shape Transformation. The rewards are good indeed.

  Quest ‘Nature Transformation & Shape Transformation’ Completed!

  Rewards:

  An astronomical increase in Rep with Aiko Hikara.

  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.)

  Title: Chakra Control Genius.

  30,000 EXP.

  The Demon’s Respite - Dungeon (Location on minimap & map)

  You’ve leveled up 4 times!

  You’ve obtained 28 stat points

  You have 488 unspent stat points

  I’m one level away from hitting 50, and as much as I want to hit that level today and find out what happens, I won’t. It’ll have to wait for another time. My eyes focus on the new title I’ve gained, and I click on it to see what it’s all about.

  Chakra Control Genius - Title: The holder of this title will be recognized as a genius of chakra control seldom seen. Over time, people will see that your chakra control is perfect, an impossibility. But all the same, it’s perfect control.

  Effects: +500% increase in Growth Rate of Chakra Stat.

  +500% increase in Chakra Control.

  -250% decrease in chakra spent for all CP costs.

  ‘That’s a title almost as amazing as Once in a Generation Genius. This will help me build my chakra to levels above 99.8% of all Shinobi. At least, I think so. The average chakra I’ve seen using Observe on Genin and Chunin is lower than what I already have. But they’re not extraordinary shinobi like Naruto's main characters and side characters.’

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  It’s taken me a couple minutes to go through all of this new information, and we’re getting closer to the orphanage. Everything goes away with a mental command.

  “You’re being characteristically quiet, Fuyu. I was hoping you’d give me more reasons to be upset with you on the way back, but you’re smarter than that.”

  The disappointed and concerned tone in Aiko’s voice does confuse me. Is she unhappy that she’s not given more reasons to be angry with me? Looking at it clearer, kids my age would act differently in this situation. Where they think they didn’t do anything wrong but are getting punished anyway.

  We enter the orphanage, and she brings me to the kitchen table. I can hear the rest of the orphans upstairs. They’re laughing and having a good time. A distinct female tone also comes through the noise, but that’s neither here nor there.

  Once we’ve sat down, Aiko folds her arms and peers into my eyes from across the table. Trying to unnerve me and make me squirm. Playing along, I look away like I’ve gotten caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

  “At least you know how to act like you’re aware you did something bad.”

  Busted.

  Again, my acting skills are passable, but Aiko knows me better than anyone else. I’m not all that surprised she saw through that little facade.

  My eyes glide to a note on the table next to her. She sees me looking at it and gently places her hand on top of it. Sliding it across for me. I open it, and that’s where I see someone’s poor imitation of my handwriting. Telling Aiko something that would make her come get me.

  Someone set me up.

  “I didn’t write this…”

  I cringe as a reason has been given.

  “I KNOW YOU DIDN’T WRITE IT NOW!”

  A small hiss escapes my lips as I recoil in my seat just a little. Closing one eye as I do. Whoever did this is gonna pay. I know it’s one of the kids, and Observe is their worst nightmare. It’ll tell me who snitched on me. She takes a moment, and a deep breath fills her.

  As the following sigh leaves, she pinches the bridge of her nose and grits her teeth slightly. Holding back her frustration and anger as best she can.

  “I’m sorry… I just wanted to try it… It wasn’t that hard…”

  At first, my voice is timid and slow, but as I reach the end, I look at her with hope. Begging that my admittance that it wasn’t hard will make her go easy on me because of my talent and curiosity.

  Her stare remains hard and sharp, but the furrowing anger of her eyebrows has disappeared. She seems to have calmed down a bit more based on what I’m sensing from her chakra system.

  “Fuyuki, you’re grounded. Until the start of the academy, no more training at the private training grounds my team used. You’re not allowed to leave without me accompanying you. Is that clear?!”

  Just like the show, my downcasted and upset attitude is almost animated. Dark shadows hang over my eyes as an imaginary cloud hovers over my head. I knew that I was getting punished, but I had thought she’d be a little more merciful than that.

  Her gaze only gets harder and angrier as time passes without a response. Once again, time is showing it’s not on my side.

  “Yes… I understand…”

  There isn’t anything I can do as a five-year-old kid to combat this. It’s time I take my lumps. In fairness, I did go against her orders directly.

  “Good, and if I catch you trying to sneak out or train here. I’ll show you the difference between a spar and a fight myself.”

  A deep gulp of saliva and fear fall down my throat as an almost visible fire appears around Aiko. Punishment in the truest sense. For me, at least. Some people might see it as a vacation, but it’s a total waste of time in my mind.

  ‘Time, why are you such an enemy to me…’

  If time could speak, it’d say it’s my own fault…

  ~~~POV: Aiko Hikara~~~

  All the kids are upstairs, including Fuyuki, leaving me with one of my old teammates. Aizawa Kuko. She’s been my friend since my days at the academy. She’s still a Shinobi. A chunin these days. She sits across from me at the kitchen table.

  She sips from her teacup and looks at me. Amused eyes and a grin on her face. It's not a look I like when I’m in a mood like this.

  “What’s so amusing?”

  There is confrontation and frustration in my voice, but that’s everything left over from what I dealt with in my Fuyuki problem. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that boy. She releases a chuckle as she places her cup on the table. Looking me in the eyes a few seconds later.

  “He must mean a lot to you. I haven’t seen you this upset about any of your other kids. You almost sounded like you were his mother. What exactly did he do to earn such a reaction?”

  A quick sigh leaves my lips as I get ready to unload on her. But I recompose myself and take a moment. She and no one else knows about Fuyu’s talent. I don’t want any attention on him, at least not until he’s at the academy and he starts to shine.

  These last few weeks before the academy are a punishment and a way for me to make him act his age. To show him training and improvement aren’t everything. He needs a break.

  And it’ll be a perfect reason for him to stay here for his birthday. I can throw him a party like all the other kids.

  “Fuyu knows just what to do to make me this way, Kuko. Don’t pay any attention to it.”

  A curious look at my response is all I get before a smile appears on her lips. We spend a few minutes talking about other things, but eventually, she needs to leave for her shinobi duties. We say our goodbyes, and I’m left to think about Fuyuki as the noise continues upstairs.

  ‘I know that Asuna wouldn’t have reacted that way… But I worry about Fuyu so much… She said the Uchiha must never have him… Did she know how talented her son would be? And why keep him away from his clan?’

  I can’t ask her now.

  She would be brimming with pride if she could see him…