Naruto: the simple skills

Pov: Kenzo

I get home and I sit on my bed... Naruto is making ramen.

"Hey O! Want some ramen?" He asks and I nod.

We both sit and eat dinner together as we discuss our day, he has loads of free time and decided to learn how to fish today... how did he learn? I have no clue but he did.

After that we sit on our beds and he colours in a book I got him.

...

I hold the statistic scrolls I have been carrying all day and I open the first one.

I need chakra control... but that is a skill, Genjutsu affinity though...

'Genjutsu Affinity'

The scroll glows.

It starts to burn.

The ashes vanish and I blink.

But no orange realm greets me at all, I look to the side and at Naruto... I can feel something funky happening with my chakra, I get up and rush to the bathroom grab a towel and I rush back to my bed- I bite down on the towel as I lay back down and I feel my chakra more than I have felt it ever before.

I can feel my blood burning and my muscles tightening as my chakra changes somehow... it feels like my veins are trying to strangle themselves and I bite down harder onto my towel.

Not veins... those chakra lines are changing... the energy in my body is changing... my chakra points are twisting!

IT HURTS SO MUCH!

But Naruto is next to me and I cannot worry him.

I bite down harder and I gulp down any scream.

After an hour the pain passes... and I pass out as well.

...

Waking up to a dark room and my covers over me, Naruto must have put my blanket on me... I look around and see that I probably slept for two to four hours...

I pick up the next scroll and I grab the towel which lays beside me.

I roll it up and place it back in my mouth.

I focus on strength, for my Spear wielding.

'Strength'

...

The scroll burns away and my muscles snap... loudly enough to hear and quiet enough for Naruto to sleep through it.

*snap* *pop* *stretch* *twist* *tighten*

My muscles and flesh warp and twist, tighten and stretch- everything hurts and it is a very different type of pain rather than my insides burning... I can grip my flesh and hold it tight but my muscles snap and repair rapidly...

I don't even feel the second half as I faint again.

I wake up next morning... looking around I may be late for school.

I get up and- ow! It hurts to move.

The dull pain rings throughout my body and I get dressed, grab my bag and head outside.

Walking to school hurts when the day before you decided to reconstruct your entire body...

Why did I think I would be taken to the orange realm for that?

I am an idiot.

...

Arriving in class the teacher calls out to me.

"Kenzo! You are late! And weren't here yesterday! Sit down and pay attention!" He yells at me and I sit down quick.

As the class goes on and I pay attention (I do not) I think about the effects of my stats now.

Strength and Genjutsu Affinity.

While not unique I am fine with that if its to enhance my unique abilities.

My strength I cannot tell the difference as I didn't even look in the mirror before I left but I feel too much pain to notice if my steps are lighter or my clothes feel less heavy...

And I never used genjutsu before and won't for a while... so I have no idea, I just have to trust in the system.

Am I going to get combat skills now? Yes, every skillset needs its foundations and I will aim for more of the 'breathing' type skills that will be immensely helpful to my build.

Could I get something for genjutsu...? I can get something like 'Click' and when I make clicking noise that's the skill... but then again what if that doesn't use chakra?

Unless... I use chakra in its mortal limit test... if I used chakra in my walking one would I have gotten a different skill?

...

I think I know my next skill actually.

'Ring Bell'

Now all I have to do is something that will have the system grant me a reward...

And specifically an E-rank scroll, I know he can hear me so I hope he gives me one- now all I need to do is find something cool to do.

*Thwack*

Chalk hits my forehead.

"Kenzo! I am getting sick of your antics! Pay attention in class!" My teacher yells.

"Hm?" I look up confused, giving my best 'I am being wronged stare'

"Kenzo... do you know what we are learning today!?" He yells annoyed.

"Basics to chakra and its awakening" I explain.

"... fine, but look forward and listen" he goes back to his chalk board.

I read the entire book already and he had its diagram on the board, phew- that was lucky.

...

---

Pov: Naruto

I'm bored!

Pranking is always fun but now I have to clean them myself because Kenzo went to ninja school early! Why cant I go early!!!!

I bet he is having so much fun now, learning all the ways to kick butt and save princesses...!

Awww man... here I am trying to scrub the paint that I let dry because I thought this time I wouldn't be caught...

...

I wonder if O is alright? Last night he was so hungry he tried to eat a towel... and this morning to!

Hmm.... lets get him something to eat! Does Ichiraku's do take away bowls...?

I don't have the money, spent it all on the paint that I am scrubbing here.

Maybe I should stop buying paint?

Hmmm.

I know! Lets go see the old man and have him give me some money!

Just after I finish this last patch of paint!

-one hour later-

I run up and knock on the doors to his office.

"Come on in, the door is always open" I hear the old man say and I open the doors and immediately run up to his desk.

"Hey old man!" I wave.

"Naruto, how are you?" He asks with a smile.

"I'm good, can I have some money for food?" I ask.

"Food...? Did you and Kenzo spend all you ryo already?" He raises his brow.

"We have food at home! But I want to get Kenzo some Ichiraku's today! He was so hungry that he tried to eat the towel last night and when I woke up he had it in his mouth again!!!" I mimic biting a towel as I explain.

The old man does a funny face (his eyes widen and his brows lower) and he speaks again.

"Did he... eat the towel or just bite on it?" He asks.

"No he knows we cant get more towels till next week, he only bit it! That's why I need money! He is so hungry!" I declare and jump up.

...

The old man clicks his fingers twice before opening his drawer and handing me a few ryo... enough for two bowels of ramen!!!

Yes! Dattebayo!

"Thanks old man!" I leap out of the office as he chuckles and I head to get some Ichiraku's for Kenzo this evening!

---

Pov: Hiruzen Sarutobi

...

This kid keeps on getting weirder and weirder, why is he biting down on a towel? My best guess is to not bite his tongue off while he is in pain but why???

How is he in pain? Why yesterday and not the entire year I had Itachi monitor him? Sometimes that kid is an enigma I have no hope to figure out and sometimes he is a normal kid.

I lean back in my chair and the Anbu I sent to check on Kenzo is back.

"Owl" I greet as he kneels.

"I checked with my byakugan and his muscles have gone through a great transformation recently, he looks to be in pain when he moves but is covering it up quote well... my byakugan caught something else as well..." Owl reports.

"Something else?" I ask.

"His chakra network is... odd" He says with confusion.

"Owl. Explain in more detail" I command.

He nods and takes a moment to think.

"Its like his system was moved or shifted to flow differently... the points differ from the usual spots and they are thinner and more... precise- not at all good for most ninjutsu" He explains.

"Thank you for your report, you are dismissed" He nods and flickers away.

...

Again, why? What? One entire year with Itachi and only one incident, but the second he isn't being monitored he has two more mysteries?

Muscle pain and transformation, either he has been secretly working out and hurt himself yesterday or maybe the change in his chakra system happened yesterday and managed to mess with his muscles too.

He didn't even tell Naruto? He just felt pain and took it? Why? For what reason?

I rub my temple and lower my pipe.

Another mystery with Kenzo not helping me understand at all.

---

Pov: Oorochimaru

I have closed down fifty percent of my labs... while annoying it has bought my stay in Konoha.

Every time I get annoyed and feel that I should continue my research I hear more and more about Kenzo... my snakes have been monitoring him and have found some unique things...

He traps himself in meditation where I can stand before him and even slap him across the face with no motion to even react to what I did... but that was a year ago and he hasn't since... I was about to give up on the unique boy and just steal him for experimentation when I ran but just yesterday my snakes caught him... evolving.

I rushed to watch and his chakra changed, his body too- muscles, flesh and the smallest change to his bones... I wish I could study him and understand why this is happening but I am unsure if its something influencing him or just his body... the fox is somehow connected and I have so many dots but no string to connect them all.

...

I will hide for longer, I can always research and leave Konoha later...

...

---

Pov: Kenzo

After finishing school I head home and open the door to see Naruto grinning ear to ear.

"Naruto..." I say warily and look around for any traps.

"Kenzo! I got you food!" He shouts and points to the counter where I can see some Ichiraku take out... they do take out?

I turn back to Naruto and raise my brow.

"Because you were so hungry yesterday that you decided to eat a towel! I got the old man to give me money!!" He the grabs my hand and pulls me to the counter... I climb on to the stool and sit with my food.

Naruto...

I turn and hug him.

"Thank you Naruto, this means a lot" I grab the food and start eating my ramen with joy.

Sometimes I go too far and sometimes I need to stop escaping reality to dive into the scrolls.

I should have just waited till Naruto went to sleep but I didn't, I should of left the scroll till the weekend and waited to test what it did exactly.

But I didn't.

I need to stop jumping into these things.

------

Complete: A test.

Reward: E-rank scroll.

------

I accept the scroll and I leave it on the counter, right now I am eating the meal Naruto got me and after we are going to go out and play ninja or do some pranking.

I need to stop being addicted to the scrolls and live within reality...

"Thank you Naruto" I say again, this time I thank him for my realisation- I was treating this world like a game for a while... I need to take it seriously, this is my brother and I need to pay attention in class- I need to talk to the kids at school about fun things and not questions on my future.

"Heheheh! Glad you like it!" He says and I smile.

"Lets go and prank someone later, you have any spare paint?" I ask.

He nods and beams a smile at me.

"All right, I will finish this quickly and we can head out!" I say.

"Dattebayo!" Naruto jumps and starts putting his shoes on.

I quickly finish my food and we head outside to go prank some poor shop keep, he overpriced us- his fault for being cheap.

...

I smile warmly as the scroll rests on the counter at home and I start painting various pictures on the wall with Naruto.

---

Thanks for reading :)