Naruto: Mind over matter

After my latest meeting with my old friend I managed to get something of an apology out of him for the 'rogue ninja in old root gear', and better yet his promise to side with me in the next meeting with the clan heads and elders about what to do with the chunin exams, that also means Koharu and Homura will be on my side as well, usually they side with Danzo due to the era we grew up in, but if they don't agree with Danzo they usually agree with me, securing 3 votes plus my verdict as the Hokage I can get a few more things going my way next meeting.

Ignoring the terri-*cough* Business and paperwork side of Konoha, young Riku has unlocked his kekkai genkai!, it seems it was dormant and had passive abilities before but Riku has assured me that he worked out all his problems and has never felt better, which is great news for the young boy.

I was even shocked at some of the things he can do now, the new sense and understanding of objects within 10ft of him creating a great chance to dodge surprise attacks, the levitation which can help him move extra silent when needed or catch himself from great heights that is with the limitation of needing to be of around 5ft of an object, he can use his chakra normally and his special release jutsu, has quite the chakra pool and various passive abilities!

And back to business side of Konoha, that's a bloodline as wonderous as our great three! Uchiha, Senju/Uzumaki, and Hyuga.
I can see many clans wanting to have him married into their family to enhance there bloodlines and that provides many opportunities to give him growth via sponsors!.

With his already great talent that he showed before these upgrades and especially in a body that was constantly moving against him, he showed that he was capable of Tokubetsu Jonin.

But now with his kekkai genkai unlocked...

A potential Elite-Jonin in the future.

Ill remove him from the Genin corps and assign him into a temporary 2 man team with a Jonin instructor, just until the next chunin exams in a month.

He has done 19 D-ranks and ill forge 1 more so he can do C-rank missions without problem and gain some experience, ill make sure to give him quick missions to get him along as fast as possible, and ill get his instructor by tomorrow.

Hmmm who though?

Shifting through multiple Jonins in the folders on my desk I settle on 2.

Anbu Cat. Aka Yamato: he has been expressing a will to leave Anbu in his mental health check-ups but due to no other available jobs that would fit him he has decided to remain. This would get him a month of test trialling as a Jonin instructor to see if he likes it, plus a student that would help him connect to the next generation and boost his mental health.

Anko Mitarashi: I have tried time and time again trying to promote her, but due to her sensei and my... student.. I mainly feel responsible about her current situation and would like my Grand-disciple to have what she has earned.
And raising a talented genin who will spread the good word about her to his friends- the next batch of potential Jonins and Clan Heads, her worth will be placed higher.
Also she hates spending time around children and she really got on my nerves when she made a section of our CHUNIN exam her 'test' which ultimately failed her genin team and left young Riku in the dust.
So I'm putting her on for spite mostly

Anko and Yamato... who would be a better teacher?

A reward for one of our most talented Anbu, or spite our most annoying tokubetsu Jonin?

Why not both?

'Quick' C-rank missions are mostly confrontation with bandits or rogue genin and genin of other villagers.

And that has a high tendency to upgrade in rank so sending two Jonin level units to help a Genin train in those situations is not crazy at all.

Having two Jonin-sensei might be though.

Fuck it, I should of retired years ago, no one can blame me for an odd decision once and a while.

---

Pov: Riku

Okay recap, last month I FINALLY figured out the Old mans gift, but on top of that I learnt the academy three which was easy because I based my Academy three on them.

In my spare time I made my first puppet, looks like a wooden suit of armour with a Spartan theme, I gave it as many joints as a human has so fingers and all. Also left it entirely Oak coloured with some varnish that darkens it a bit, and I placed a red wig in the helmet and cut it to fit as the mohawk on top!

I have named him: [Sentinel: Ace] and i love him, NO ONE MAY HATE MY BOY!

*cough*

Anyway I've been informed this morning that the chunin exams are coming up soon.
I didn't particularly care until Hokage-sama said id be joining them!? Goodbye free time, hello again deadline.

Oh and I got two sensei, Yamato who is awkward and stern, and Anko who is boisterous and dangerous.

They don't mix well... I've also got 3 C-Ranks a week all lined up to be done during the week, 3 weeks that i have to train and then after that in the last spare days ill get, Anko will be busy and ill have 1 on 1 training with Yamato for the spare days, and apparently they are both my sensei for life!? Or something!? So 24 7 with them. For a month. Before having them be my sensei for the rest of my career. YAY.

Currently I need to learn how to remote control my boy Ace like I do with my body, so a telekinetic puppetry jutsu, because I am not learning chakra strings and puppetry techniques in a month.

Now making this jutsu might seem hard but I have been accidentally mastering it all my life, by forcing myself to control every part of my body down to the immune system, I have mastered it before I have even created it. kind of... not really but that's future ME's problem.

All I need is a way to link me and Ace and then I can spend time making augmentation justu to enhance Ace's strength and such later.

But focusing on 1 thing this month of training hell, a link.

---
-2 days into Hell training-

I'm currently 2 days away from Konoha in the land of wherever the fuck my teachers forgot to mention.

"Mitarashi-san, can you please not feed the headless corpse to your snakes! In front of the kid!"

I am currently in a bandit camp, eating a ration bar and watching as Double-senseis start there hundredth fucking argument.

"Hey, Yamato. Fuck off I'm busy cleaning my side of the bandit camp, you go clean yours!"

I'm taking a rest from my first kill... no matter how much I prepared for it- whether its the earth culture or the nature of humans, I cant handle it so I'm sitting down and manually controlling my body not to puke.

"The campsite wouldn't be so messy, if you didn't tell the kid to place explosive seals into EVERY bandits TENT!"

yeah I blew up like 12 guys and I do not feel so good, I wish I had water but Anko-sensei threw my water canister at Yamato-sensei, which Yamato-sensei proceeded to pierce with a kunai and I don't feel like asking for there's at the moment.

"Oh, fuck you! He was going to have to kill someone eventually why not make it memorable!?"

I don't feel like doing much actually, I hope Naruto's C-Rank is going better than this, he left a week before me so he should be back by now.

"MEMORABLE!? ANKO WHAT THE HELL! You do not traumatize the CHILDREN!"

I want to hug Hinata, or Choji. They give the best hugs. Oh right, i tried to KILL Hinata... I... why.... isn't she angry at me... I tried to reduce her to, to this..

"Waaahh! Waahhh! Waaahh! That's all i fucking here from you, maybe YOU shouldn't of left me and him alone if you don't me near him!"

To a puddle of blood and flesh...

"I LEFT to take care of the scouts! We are supposed to be his sensei's can you act like it!"

Hinata... my.. friend.. a puddle of nothing left to watch me in the pure lands... watch me squirm and revel... in my own shame

"That's it! You don't want me to use my snakes to help! Fine you clean the camp and ill watch the kid!"

Dramatically stomping over and sitting next to me Anko-sensei huffs and pulls me into side hug.

"you okay kid?"

I don't reply and I can feel the guilt dripping from her.

"Look... I didn't mean to ugh.. I was taught.. look I can... did you need.. anything?"

Struggling to find a sentence Anko rubs my shoulder.

I don't react, my body requests water but I do not grant it. I think on how I was piloting... a Corpse... and keeping it warm, using it too talk to my friends... eat with my... FRIENDS..

I'm glad I'm Riku now, I'm glad Luke let go.

But sometimes. Sometimes I want to feel mature again, be an adult again, have ways to deal with my problems again, have VICES again... I need a drink.

"A drink"

Anko immediately replies

"Oh, shit. Sorry Yamato destroyed that didn't he"

(From afar) "lies!"

"Here have some of mine"

She hands me water but shake my head and repeat.

"A drink"

"Ah"

Anko mumbles about kids drinking younger and younger but she fulfils my request, handing me a different canister, a better canister.

"Thanks..."

I let the warm drink flow down my throat, this definitely isn't something your meant to down like water as the liqour burns me.

"Woah kid slow down"

I stop and give it back to her, I'm still in control of my body, I can feel it preparing to take on the liqour, its weak to alcohol. Good just like my last one, stupid ninja resistance will probably change that the more I drink though.

*hic*

Anko-sensei holds me a little tighter and pats my shoulder, she can be nice when she wants to.

...

Thirty minutes later and we have to get moving again and head to a town 5 hours away before sun sets hopefully.

I can hear them whisper arguing behind me.

"You gave him alcohol!? Are you crazy"

"Yes I did! Everyone needs a a little crazy in this life!"

"Why did you pair alcohol and trauma!? You had to have known that's a bad idea"

I zone out there conversation and focus on putting one foot in front of the other, mind over mettle my body will bend to my will, no matter how drunk.

I keep walking.

-3 days into hell training-

I feel much better today, just needed to get some rest.

I made sure to bring a selection of scrolls and books on this trip so when I had free time I could study them.

I'm currently reading through a book on jutsu creation- well its a series and this one focuses on clones

[Jutsu creation: How to clone]

I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track here, a clone is a separate vessel that has no strings attached to control it, I just got to figure out how to take that part out of the jutsu and attach it to mine.

Once I figure that out ill start building the chakra moulding frame and get to the hand signs, should I mix in a summoning sign so I can summon my puppets? Like keep them in a seal somewhere in Konoha and then poof them right next to me? I like that actually, don't have to carry them around, and there not meant for spontaneous combat so I don't need to whip them out like most puppet users.

Right! back to reading I have to complete two C-ranks tomorrow and I'm expected to do one on my own, I think... Double-senseis are never clear on mission parameters.

---

-4 days into hell training-

We just captured 3 run away genin and while Yamato-sensei holds them Anko-sensei is 'helping' me confront the next mission, 6 bandits... I have to kill them, cut off there heads and seal them away, I then have to dispose of the corpses.

Taking deep breathes and clearing my mind, I go into [Manual Operations], I can panic after I do my job.

The bandits are sitting around a campfire, lighting it up and getting ready for when the sun sets.

I have 6 Kunai.

6 Shuriken.

An emergency kit.

6 jutsu, 3 of which my own creation.

I also have my kekkai genkai.

Breathe in.

Breath out.

I levitate inches from the ground and hover around the shrubbery and crisp leaves, easily ascending one of the trees I prepare two Shuriken and throw both at the furthest enemy, one for his leg and one for his ankle.

Making the last one unable to run he watches his friends scatter, I aim two more shuriken at the fastest, aiming just ahead of him and I manage to hit his torso and thigh, he trips and falls letting out a groan of pain.

That's two immobile.

Four more.

I jump down to the one closest to me and once I land I sprint towards him and sink a Kunai into his chest, I grab my last two shuriken and throw them at the now furthest one, another immobile, one dead.

I sprint at one of the last two standing bandits and they are not fast enough, no mortal man could outrun a ninja.

I [Force release: Body Shunt] into him and watch him topple before I throw a kunai into the back of his skull.

One left running.

It takes two [Body Shunts] to reach him, a simple stab to the chest kills him.

One of the bandits got up and hid behind a tree, I hold a Kunai and use my jutsu, [Control release: Pathmaker Jutsu]

I throw the kunai and I walk to the others frozen on the floor in fear. My inhumane face will do that. Killing his friends will do that.

I end them as my [Pathmaker Jutsu] makes a path around the tree into the bandits head.

I win.

No. I have to decapitate and seal.

I cant lose control now.

Finishing the job and burning the bodies Anko-sensei pats my back, I let go and vomit.

---

- 6 days into hell training-

I calmed down from my last mission and I was taught how to tree hop, we are practicing that by running to a Konoha patrol house to hand in our 3 C-Ranks and get our next three which is on our way to the somewhere of anywhere Land.

Seriously I have no idea where I'm going.

Oh and you guessed it they are arguing. Again.

"Fuck you my clothes are nice asshole!"

About anything and everything.

"I'm just saying maybe put on a shirt while your teaching Riku"

Because they ran out of arguments around a day ago.

Seriously, I'm pretty sure Anko was angry that Yamato was sneezing wrong just an hour ago.

I finished that book on clones this morning actually, I have two other scrolls to read and I think I can start testing.

That is if I get any free time this afternoon, yesterday they decided to argue on who is the better teacher so probably not.

Ah, we reached the clearing and I'm pretty sure now is a good time to set up camp.

"Sensei's? SENSEI'S!? Here good!"

"Huh?" x2

"Oh yeah- this is good enough, hey want to learn tree walking Riku?"

Called it no free time for now. Anko-sensei  approaches me and starts talking about climbing a tree with no hands, while Yamato-sensei starts setting up camp.

"You have great chakra control so this will be easy kid, just run up the tree and apply enough chakra to stick, but not too much so that you fall off"

I watch as Anko-sensei walks up the tree vertically in awe, and I attempt to copy her but fall on my ass.

"I'm afraid you just got to keep trying kid, i know you'll get it quick, much easier than learning to pump your own blood"

And right she was, it took me roughly 10 minutes to figure it out.

"Alright lets see how you handle the water!"

Dropping down the tree I follow Anko-sensei to the river five minutes from camp and watch she glides over the water effortlessly.

"Now this is a little different, you have to constantly apply a stream of chakra through ones feet into the water, I know how easy this going to be for you, so I'm going to challenge you to glide over the river like I do"

I step onto the river and apply chakra to my feet and let it- nope that's a failure.

I should of undressed before trying this, huh?

-2 hours later

Anko-sensei went back to camp half an hour ago and I've been making progress.

I can take steps and walk, but I don't know how she glides like that.

Should I be applying it differently?

Yamato-sensei walks up the river I'm at and gives me a wave.

"Heard you have been challenged to glide as well as Anko over water, you want dinner?"

I walk over to him and take my rabbit on a stick- surely there's a better name for this? I thank sensei and ponder what to do while I eat.

"Riku, have you tried standing on half your foot?"

"Half?"

He nods and continues

"Yeah, try water walking as if you were wearing heels"

Finishing my food I chuck my stick away and step onto the river again doing as he says.

"Now the tricky part, place the back half of your foot down, but make it stream a different amount of chakra into the water"

I try but fall into the river again, huh, I think I get it, front half stays afloat but back half moves me forward, like a speedboat.

I spend the rest of the night with Yamato-sensei guiding me, he can be stern at times but he does shine once in a while, he cares about me, he can be nice.

---

-8 days of hell training-

I'm getting used to the bandit hunting now,  just completed another C-rank by myself, though I must admit these are definitely on the quick and easy side of C-ranks.

Well, easy when you get used to it.

Oh, right. Sensei. Argue. You get it.

"How about instead of calling me a closet pervert because I quote 'read', you pull out a book every once and a while and put any, ANY, amount of knowledge into that head of yours!"

Ok I'm lost, I haven't been keeping track of arguments lately and I have no clue.

"Yeah well fuck you! Riku doesn't need to learn your shitty jerking skills anyway!"

Ok what the hell? What are they on about!?

"Ah-HAH! If I have shitty jerking skills then how am I a closet pervert!"

Why do I need to learn that!? From you guys!???

"You can like running without knowing how to race dumbass!"

...

"Well I don't want to see you teaching him anything! You would probably say 'Oh he's going through puberty, lets teach him about it by throwing him into an orgy'!"

Puberty?

"Fuck you! I said I was sorry about the explosive thing bitch!"

Well I guess it makes sense actually... I'm an orphan, no adult figures in life... they don't teach it at the academy, it is something I have to learn... I didn't have a sensei till now... so how does a 12 year old Dodge 'The Talk'.

...

Shit, I cant can I? Hokage-sama probably asked them to cram my genin teachings into a month before the exam, that's why i have been learning so many things on the run... damn the Hokage ordered them to make sure I'm ready for ninja life, I'm considered an adult when I graduated the academy.

Would they listen if i say 'pretty please'?

-1 awkward hour later-

"Can I go now?"

Anko-sensei stops messing with Yamato-sensei by 'using her body as a model for education', aka leaning right over to him and pushing at parts of her body before saying 'is this where the hair grows?'.

I'm glad I already got the talk last time because I learnt absolutely nothing here.

Blushing furiously, Yamato-sensei waves his hand dismissing me.

"Woohoo!"

I practically sprint to my bag to finally get reading on my [Puppet care] scroll, a list of 1 seal E-rank jutsu that help process the intricacies of caring for your puppet.

For example, I make the bird seal, mould my chakra and extend my hand, finger gun style and air blows from my finger!

Helps remove dust and dirt from the puppets joints!

Unboxing my favourite (only) puppet I start caring for it, the book I read says I don't need to care for it as much as I am but, it feels right to make sure its in top condition and ready for fighting, also I find puppetry in this world pretty cool.