Naruto: Mind over matter

-next morning-

Pov: Riku

Okay so I've been having a bad start to this week, but right now I got to get up and return to the academy or go to the genin corps... yeah I'm going to the genin corps, there is no way I'm doing school for a second, no wait fourth time if you include my first life, and genin corps is apparently D-rank missions galore and free labour with a C-rank sprinkled in once every blue moon.

So obviously I'm not going to enjoy it, but work is work and i really want to have some time for myself instead of being on a constant deadline to graduate an academy, I've also grown attached to my new forehead protector so that's that.

Speaking of free time...

I should get me some wood and woodworking tools shouldn't I? I know how to do the small things but I'm thinking of making myself a puppet which is something that I recently found out about, and it sounds amazing! Maybe start with something small, like the size of my forearm small...

Or should I go all in and create a human sized puppet? decisions, decisions... well ill do what I do when I do it, ya know?

Alright, lets head to the Genin corps and sign myself up, see how much free time I have and spend the money I saved all at once on some good old dead trees, maybe I should create my own kind of Jutsu that uses Telekinesis to work the puppet? No chakra strings... but how do I transfer information to its chakra and tell it what to do when I'm not connected? Hmmm~

Heading out the door and down my apartment stairs I head over to the big building near the giant faces, and head on inside, finding a free person at the front desk I inform them about my failing of the Jonin test and wish to enlist in the Genin corps, I am asked to fill out a form and hand it back to her after I'm done.

Name: luke- oh wait Riku, Riku. Genin, unemployed, Eastern Tobirama st... Sex? ye- should probably not joke on this huh?

After writing for a solid fifteen minutes and making sure every part is definitely Riku and that It all fits well I go back to the desk. Alright handing the form back I'm guided to the missions room where it is explained that ill be doing D-ranks, a minimum of 5 a week and will sometimes be summoned to do a C-rank when the Jonin-Genin teams aren't available or Chunins don't wish to do it.

Grabbing a messenger mission;

Deliver these letters to the rightful owners.

And it seems to be a basket with hundreds of letters inside, yikes im not going to like this am I?

-Afternoon-

I finally delivered all the letters and boy did I wish I had a map, but nooo the village doesnt want to give blueprints of the village to spies on a mission everyone can access... that actualy made sense now that I say aloud, finishing my mission I head to the carpenter in town and buy the massive amount of items I apparently need to puppet craft, all my money is gone and I wish I had just a little more ryo to buy some storage scrolls.

After half an hour of dragging the stuff I brought back to the apartment I get right into carving again, practicing making three different toys, a fox, a rabbit and a deer, luckily I remember how to make them and It so seems that my memory of my last life is strengthened here too, it feels like I never gave up carving in the first place...

Huh, I may not need to create a test puppet first, if it feels as though I never gave up in the first place I should be pretty good, ill do some more testing, and making sure that I completely memorise the Puppet book I got before making one.
-next day Afternoon-

Haaa I finished up weeding out two gardens today so that's 3 D-ranks just need two more before the end of the week and I should be all good to take my time next week.

Oh yeah how could I forget, I made myself promise to read [guide to puppetry] and still have around 200 pages to read tonight... but I don't actually have any deadlines... soooo.... I'm gonna go eat then see how Naruto is doing.

*knock, knock*

Never mind someone's going to see how I'm doing

Opening the door I see Shikamaru, Hinata and Naruto

"Yo! What's up?"

They greet me as they enter and sit at the table

'When did my apartment become the hang out spot? Probably all the food parties I held due to my otherworldy cravings...'

"You guys want anything specific?"

"Miso Ramen!" Naruto quips

"I'm not picky" Shikamaru responds

Hinata shakes her head

"All right, Ramen for the fortieth time it is"

I pack away most the woodworking tools I have due to using my lounge/bedroom as my work room too, I chuck the deer, rabbit and fox to the three 

"Made these in my spare time, consider it a freebie"

They look at the toys in awe and I'm glad they appreciate them

"When did you get so good at woodworking?" Shikamaru ask and I respond with

"Here and there, got an actual set of tools and I'm set to learn puppetry soon so thought I would start focusing on it"

"How did your test go yesterday? We sure as hell beat our tests no sweat, Dattebayo!"

"How I-Is your new S-sensei? Anko-san was it?"

"Oh I never met her, got stuck in this forest and failed the test due to my teammates being cowards... and my reluctance to drag them with me, perhaps I needed to be more assertive? But all's good, I'm in the genin corps now which means I'm self governing till I'm actually needed"

They all drop silent at this and awkwardly shuffle, seems they bragged a bit too early and find my failure shameful? Or they feel awful for assuming I would win? Naruto always has confidence in me and that must be a surprise to see me fail something he beat, the other two have been raised to succeed by there clans and most likely have bad experiences when it comes to failing as a ninja.

"Oh don't get so awkward all of a sudden its not that bad to be in the genin corps and I'm actually enjoying it as well"

Lies! I hate sending letters and weeding! But they dont need to know that.

"Well I think you don't need any guidance, your more of a leader than a follower anyway, Dattebayo!"

"Hm"

"Y-yeah I'm sure you w-will succeed even with this minor setback"

Is there something about the Genin corps I don't know? There kind of freaking me out and that's my thing.

"Hold on, am I missing something? Why are taking this news worse than I am?"

*cough* Naruto looks away and Hinata stumbkes over her words so Shikamaru takes the lead in the conversation.

"What a drag... the Genin corps usually mean you are stuck as a Genin till you quit, only a quarter of the Genin who fail the Jonin test or never went to the Jonin track get to Chunin and that's pretty much a dead end, Jonin train teams so that when they retire the teams can grow into Jonin themselves and that's pretty much were almost all of the Jonin come from, there is a rare few that get through to Jonin on there own, and even then... they are usually clan born"

Oh. Right. No more guidance. No more Spars. Stuck with D-rank library because I have no tokubetsu Jonin or higher to give me any higher level Jutsu, I could get C and B rank jutsu when I'm chunin but how long is that going to take? Years probably, with the amount of experience I'm getting in the Genin corps I wont nearly have enough power to compete against the best of all the villages when I'm put on a group of Randoms for the chunin exams... shit I'm screwed.

"Lets just go get some ichiraku actually, I suddenly feel less like cooking"

"Hm"

*nod*

"Alright.... dattebayo...?

---

-Next day-

Pov: Riku

I've got two missions today and one is painting a fence and the other is painting the fence next door... oh gods I'm going to be a genin forever.

Shaking my head I get to work and start painting the fence white, and painting the fence white oh and don't forget painting the fence white.

Once I'm done painting the fence white, I must paint another fence. Fucking. White.

Should I have another panic attack and go comatose? No that wont solve any of the problems I have.

Lets practice left arm control, I place a leaf on my forearm and make it slide around my arm, and ill practice Force on my right, placing another leaf on the underside of my hand i force it upwards, sticking it to my hand, and now ill try to focus on painting as well

I hope this multitasking or split mind training will be helpful in the future... maybe I could paint the fence with my mind?

'Haaaa~'

After I finish my jobs for the day and get my pay I start walking home, now I normally would skip to the part where I'm reading a boring book on puppetry for a week but a cloaked figure with blond hair and blue eyes is waiting inside my house, sitting on my couch/bed.

"Uhh, hello?"

The man stands up and looks at me, he walks directly towards my position and opens his mouth

"I am Sinker, you are to apprentice under me understood?"

So just anyone can walk into my room now? No consequences?

"Sorry?"

He slaps me and I am flabbergasted, what?

"I will not have you talking so informally, you would embarrass me in front of Lord Danzo-sama, fix your speech and follow me, if not your Apartment will find a lit match inside it"

What the hell, who is Danzo? Wait what??

The man starts walking away and without any clue as to what is happening I follow this man, despite every inch of my body screaming no. Why is my body saying no I feel... completely okay with following this man... 

He grabs my shoulder and flickers us 6 times and I look up to see we are in the forest just outside of Konoha, he places his hand on a tree and ink spreads from it, I am then dragged into the lair, should of listened to my body, shit.

---

I look around to find myself in a very dark training ground, cement block floors and wooden walls, rocky roofs and no amount of light, right ahead of me is Sinker kneeling to a figure in bandages with a cross scar on his chin.

Why did i come here? you just follows a random man that slaps you? I'm not thinking straight... something is messing with my head. why wont my body yell? no. no. my mind wont command it too, stupid body always in need of a repair all the fucking time. do you think I could ask for some wine before they kill me down here?

Looking back up, to the figure standing above me, I watch as he has a silent conversation with the blond man, nothing but silence and Lord Dan- Lord Nobody, I'm not gonna call my kidnapper Lord Danzo-fucking hell what is wrong with me today!?

He carefully unwraps his bandages and I stare into Lord Danzo-samas eyes. And I know I completed my mission, However my long term mission to befriend the weapon has made me a blunt instrument and I must be tuned back into my greatest self.

I kneel to Lord Danzo-sama and await my new orders.

"Tell me Riku, wouldnt the name Nezumi suit you much better?"

My face drops all emotion, Lord Danzo-sama has no need for things as useless as emotions

"Tell Nezumi? you have been getting close to the Hyuga heiress lately have you not?"

I nod silently.

"Now Nezumi what we do is for Konoha, and when you see a weak link in the chain what do you do?"

I look down, I don't know, I would think but Lord Danzo-sama has not ordered me too.

"you replace it Nezumi. Hinata Hyuga is far too weak for the Konoha I see"

"I agree Lord Danzo-sama, should I complete my second mission tonight and eradicate the weak Hyuga heir from having any chance at becoming the next head?"

Chuckling under his breath Lord Danzo-sama looks me over before responding.

"Yes that should be your test of loyalty. But first show your tongue"

I do as Lord Danzo-Sama says and he places his palm on my tongue, it burns but I show no sign of it, I can see how happy he is that I am so emotionless, yes I shouldn't have emotions anymore...

"For Konoha"

I repeat

"For Konoha"

---

just a few clarifications, he was under a genjutsu when his body and mind weren't co-operating and Danzo used Shisui's eye to easy convert Luke, Hinata Hyuga is someone that Danzo wouldn't usually mess with as a weak heir can be easily manipulated, this is more of a quick version of the Root, kill your best buddy thing.

Any who thanks for reading :)