Naruto: the simple skills

The key to not getting my leg torn off?

Walk.

I know what your saying, that's what I have been doing- so why would that suddenly work now?

Well I wasn't walking good enough.

After what feels like months I have perfected my walk.

I walk on the moon as if it where the streets of Konoha, as if gravity were normal.

I walk on the nails as if they didn't exist.

And I walk on the wheel as if it wasn't going so fast that I couldn't see any detail on the wooden wheel... just a blur.

I blink.

I am in the deep orange room and my legs give out as I drop to the floor.

Thank fuck that's finally over!

*scratch* *scrawl*

I look at the words being scratched into the roof.

'Breakthrough completed. Three possible evolutions. Feather walk, Enduring walk and Eternal Walk. Failed Feather walk and Enduring Walk. Eternal walk is your new skill'

Huh? Ohhhhhh! Its like a test these breakthrough ranks that determine my skill breakthrough...

So if I walked in a different way to get past the obstacles I would have a different skill?

Enduring walk would probably be me walking through everything despite my feet breaking... Feather walk? No clue.

...

Eternal walk I have an understanding of considering that's what I have been doing.

Basically when I am walking I am capable of walking on everything and making myself perfectly capable of stepping on things.

Like straw on the tip of a needle... it doesn't get stabbed because it is so light and thin, capable of balancing on the tip.

My walk is eternal and nothing can stop me from walking, I can probably go faster than a run by walking if I combine my breathing and this.

Because I will be walking at a faster speed and I wont be affected by the need to optimize my body into a running position.

I blink and I am outside the orange room again... sitting at the base of a tree as two people throw shuriken's and one keeps his eyes on me.

I hide my tongue so my teeth don't bite it off as the pain in my burns and stretches- like a cramp or growing pains...

Is that's what is happening? My real body is adapting to my body in the tests? The experience in the skill realm? But how is it possible for me to walk on nails without some supernatural entity like the mad one to push my staring forward or my breathings elemental entity that I swallowed...

What was supernatural about that last one?

Well apart from the moon and all that...

There was no factor to help me walk better and only obstacles so how did I break my mortal limit?

Hmm...

...!

Perhaps it was something I didn't notice?

Like an invisible help...?

Hmmm....

Or maybe no mortal has walked the way I have... been trained to walk that specific way and on those specific areas...

Maybe its a power creep from all my skill ranks combined to help me in the next? That explains why they are so varying... the difference between eating a heart of truth and walking in every biome is certainly different... the heart was much more difficult.

...

Well I am not getting any answers so I suppose I shouldn't worry over something I cannot control.

I look around and Itachi is watching over Sasuke again as he throws his shuriken.

I take a breath and get up stretching.

"Hn? Did you wish to go Kenzo?" Itachi asks and I shake my head.

"Just going to walk laps around you guys... the boredom is killing me" he looks at me and then the shuriken.

"Did you wish to learn how to throw like Sasuke?" He asks and Sasuke frowns at that a little- cute, but I don't want to take your brotherly bonding moment away from you both.

"Nope~ I prefer walking sorry" I declare and start walking my 'walk'...

Every now and then Itachi follows my feet with his gaze and squints...

Eventually he asks.

"How are you doing that?" I turn to me as he questions.

"What?" I reply.

"That walk is... I don't know how to describe it- but it is very... good?" He questions himself as he asks me his question.

I look up and raise an eyebrow.

"Well... I am walking... nothing much to it" Itachi tilts his head at my answer.

Sasuke also watches me walk around and he furrows his brow in confusion... more confused about what is so special more than anything.

"Do you mind if I copy it? The pattern you walk in is so... different from before..." Itachi asks and I nod.

His eyes go red, like the guys in that police precinct and then he begins to study my every move, Sasuke tries to do the same.

Itachi then begins to follow behind me and try to walk like I do.

"What? Mine isn't the same... how is that... what is missing?" I turn as Itachi questions himself and I stop, making him stop.

"Walk again and I will point out anything different from me..." Itachi nods and he walks again, I watch closely not blink and taking in every detail about his walk.

Hmm...

I can see all his mistakes and problems just by looking... it seems that spending years in the orange realm learning one thing has allowed me more than just doing the skill, but also knowing the skill thoroughly.

"Firstly you are not me, your walk is definitely going to be different from mine. You have managed to copy all my movements which is quite impressive but..." I say.

'Quite impressive'! Ha! Very impressive, he is up to D rank completion with a few looks...

"... but it isn't just what I am doing its also what I am doing next... my walk is always prepared and focused- for example you are walking exactly like me but it is a copy, a perfect match but my walk is based on imperfection and adaption. Here lets start making your walk more in touch with your body and not mine- walk with a longer stride and widen the difference between your feet... okay... now lower your shoulders and straighten your back... there we go... too slow... too fast... keep that speed... toe was an inch off dont do that again. You must use every muscle in your leg- yes those ones. Here we go... now imagine a nail is in front of you and you are about to step on it" I list the things he needs to change and slowly guide him to find his 'walk'

He furrows his brow and steps to the side before continuing to walk.

"Wrong" I declare and Itachi looks back confused.

I hold out my hand to Sasuke.

"Can I have a shuriken for a moment?" He nods and hands me one, I place it in the ground and step behind it.

I then walk on it and past it.

Itachi blinks then tilts his head.

"I was meant to step on the nail?" He asks.

"Why would a simple nail stop you?" I ask.

He furrows his brow and steps behind the shuriken before walking over it... he stops before the shuriken can impale his foot.

"Huh... that is odd... you didn't use chakra to do this so how...?" Itachi questions and I make a mental note to research what chakra is.

"Can I try...?" Sasuke asks feeling left out.

"Itachi keep trying that while I help your brother" He nods and I get Sasuke walking in circles correcting every step.

"Why do the steps have to be the same no matter what? Wouldn't it make sense to just avoid the 'nail' or adjust our walk to the environment?" Sasuke asks.

"We are adjusting our walk- but it still has to remain our walk after all, if you do something completely different then that's a different walk. The way I walk is so that I can walk over anything and not feel pain nor difference, I call it the [Eternal Walk]" I explain to him and he nods.

Itachi also nods as he continues to try to step over the shuriken without it cutting him and impaling his foot or shoe.

"Hn. How?" Itachi questions again... yeah I don't know the secret ingredient of this one... I could be the secret ingredient of the stare skill by having them stare at me instead of the mad one.

Hmm lets throw them a theoretical question and see if they have any insights.

"Okay, so both of you imagine with me here. Imagine you are trying to do this walk in a place where you feel lighter... gravity doesn't pull you down as much... now imagine that every time you let that change in environment change your walk- your foot breaks and you have to restart from the beginning. Now imagine that after a day of walking and your feet constantly being broken multiple times that you reach a portal to a different location- this one a path you have to take with markings on the ground telling you to step there, the catch being that there is rusty nails there that will erode your foot very quickly and if you misstep once! Your foot breaks and you go to the start. At the gravity room again. And the final portal leads to a giant wheel you have to run in, but this wheel constantly speeds up to the point that you have to start jogging or running- if you do not walk however your feet break and you restart" they listen intently and nod.

"How do you maintain your walk in these environments?" I ask.

They both think before Sasuke pops his hand up.

"Ninjutsu? Taijutsu?" He questions... ah, right that's what ninja bullshit is called- I need to get a better book then 30 dictionaries.

I shake my head.

"No, no ninja techniques or abilities at all"

They both think harder...

"Weighing yourself down with weights and then..." Itachi answers.

"Nope" I cut him off.

He furrows his brow and thinks harder.

...

"I don't know.." Sasuke admits and looks to me.

I shrug my shoulders.

"Something to think about till you do" I reply and he frowns again.

They both think in silence for the rest of my free time.

"I do have to go but think about it and I will always be available every day and answer you, no need to rush yourself- sometimes it takes time to answer these things" they both nod as Sasuke waves goodbye and Itachi walks me through the streets of Konoha and back home.

"I should be resting at home for the rest of the day- Naruto is inside I can see him throwing a paper airplane, no need to stick to me for the evening" I say and Itachi nods.

He doesn't have to watch me if I go home in the evenings, I just have to promise him I will stay there.

Easy as pie.

...!

Should I get a skill called pie!?

No... never mind *cough*

---

Pov: Itachi

I am sitting eating dinner with my family after doing some personal training.

Food is delicious as always.

"Hey dad...?" Sasuke asks.

"Hn?" father responds.

"So... I have this question I don't have the answer to... can you help?" He asks.

"Yes, me and Sasuke where asked this hypothetical and are stumped on an answer" I add.

"Is it a puzzle? Like a brain teaser?" My mother asks and Sasuke nods with his mouth full of food.

"Go ahead" my father declares.

Sasuke starts speaking and relays the Hypothetical perfectly to father.

Both our parents think for a moment.

"Is it a specific jutsu?" My mother asks.

"No, we asked that but apparently it has nothing to do with ninja techniques" Sasuke responds.

...

"Any items at our disposal? Weights or equipment?" My father asks.

"Nothing but your body..." I reply.

...

Deep thoughts pass through the dinner and everyone makes a few guesses before my dad speaks again.

"I have the answer" he says.

"You do?" Sasuke smiles.

"You walk" He gives his answer.

"Sorry? But we are already walking... aren't we meant to figure out a clever way to help us?" Sasuke asks confused.

"Oh! I get it now!" My mother declares.

Ah! I do too.

"Its a question of tenacity and endurance... you keep feeling pain and everything tries to stop you but you are meant to push through until you succeed..." I say and my mother and father nod.. Sasuke tilts his head still a little confused but gets it as well soon enough.

"Is it really that simple? Nothing else?" Sasuke asks.

"Guess Kenzo will tell us tomorrow if we are right.

He nods and we finish dinner.

---

-next day-

Pov: Kenzo

"Correct! You walk!" I declare.

They both nod but look disappointed.

"Its simple but true, that is my answer and you may have another, but the way I walk is based on my answer- nothing will stop my walk" I declare.

They nod again and then continue with training, Sasuke starts his throwing and Itachi once again tries walking over the shuriken.

"... You can do this without chakra? Like at all?" Itachi asks and I nod.

"I have no Idea what chakra is to be honest... well I know its definition but I don't know exactly how it is used" I answer.

...

"Come here" Itachi says and sits down, I do the same as we both meditate.

"Take a breath and feel any energy within yourself... spiritual, physical or a mix of both" I nod and try to do that... though how?

"Any specific way or is it just a vague feeling I am looking for?" I ask and Itachi answers.

"There is no definite answer... but try clearing your mind and try to focus hard on a fuzzy feeling in your gut- usually you will start to feel this naturally from ages 5-8 and get a good understanding but some can feel it sooner" he says and I nod.

....

...

..

.

Time passes and I try to feel that energy but I just cant... it doesn't feel like I have anything.

I take a breath and an Idea strikes me.

*fwoo* *fwoo* *fwoo*

Three breaths out and I can feel a tingle all over my body, using this energy I focus it all onto my gut with only my instincts...

*wheewww*

A feeling stirs and I can sense that fuzzy thing like Itachi said...

"I can feel it.." I say.

"You can? What? How?" Sasuke asks.

Itachi chuckles and pokes Sasuke's forehead.

"Its different for everyone brother... I felt it two years after Kenzo here..." Sasuke puffs his cheeks but nods.

"Now Kenzo. Can you feel that energy flowing through your body and into your feet? Legs?" He asks.

"No... yes? Its following a pattern or vein like areas in my body.." I answer.

"So nothing being poured or any chakra touching the base of your feet?" He asks again.

"No, its flowing in the veins but not near my feet" I clarify and Itachi sighs in confusion.

"Then I have no Idea how you can walk like that..." Itachi mutters.

An older boy flickers behind him and asks.

"Walk like what?" He says.

"Shisui? Ah, Kenzo can you show him?" I nod and get up as Itachi asks me to.

Walking a few laps Shisui widens his eyes.

"That is weird, the untrained eye would have never noticed how... good that walk is... lucky you ran into some Uchiha huh?" Shisui says in a joyous tone.

"I guess so... but I already knew about this, its more these two that cant do it" I point to Itachi and Shisui.

"Hehehe, I am Shisui nice to meet you~ can you do it again?" He asks.

"I am Kenzo, feel free to call me O! And yes" I walk again and he follows behind with his eyes swirling- taking my months of work and copying it.

"Hn? That is odd..." He says.

I do the rundown and give him tips to walk like I did for Sasuke and Itachi and he eventually gets it going smoothly, when I walk over the shuriken he smiles widely.

"Well. Guess its just natural talent, I have no clue how you do that... I wonder how well you could water walk or tree walk?" He questions.

"He just felt his chakra Shisui, best let him learn how to use it before he messes up his system trying to force it out" Itachi says.

"Hmm, fair point~ though I might take a look in the jutsu library for any techniques based on walking... its like how I am just better with the flicker then everyone else" He replies.

"Talent?" Sasuke asks.

"And hard work- that walk is practiced and trained hard, just look at his leg muscles and posture... didn't you learn to walk like a year ago?" Shisui says.

"Two actually, I just liked the feeling of my hands not being on the floor and wanted to never do that again... so I kind of over did it, like with my staring" I reply.

They tilt there heads.

"Staring?" Sasuke asks.

I don't reply with words but a happy stare or an eye smile if you prefer.

Itachi raises his eyebrow.

"Staring? You practiced staring?" He questions.

I give them a deadpan stare before I roll my eyes into a 'obviously?' Stare.

"That... is like your walking... oddly good" Shisui mutters...

"What did you do to practice that?" Sasuke asks me.

"Is started off by staring and not blinking for ten minutes which was hard and hurt my eyes- I do not recommend! The conveying emotion through looks... then there was a staring contest with multiple animals, I nearly forgot that one... I also imagined an unfathomable horror then stared it down, twice" I answer his question.

"Wanna have a staring contest with me? See if you can beat an Uchiha~" Shisui declares a challenge and I stand in front of him.

My stare goes deadpan as I try to suppress any and all emotion from getting out.

...

*thunk*

After a minute Sasuke goes back to training his shuriken and Itachi watches over him, sometimes glancing at me and Shisuis sudden and strangely serious duel.

...

Sweat drops from Shisuis face after five minutes.

"How are you doing that? Crazy kid, absolutely crazy... what horror were you playing 'stare' with?" He questions.

Uhhh... how do I answer that? Like at all...

I cannot say I was in a deep orange room with a being that made me itch myself to death over and over for what felt like forever...

Any common monsters in the elemental nations? Famous evil things I can steal for my lie?

...

There is that fox that apparently killed a ton of people on my birthday...

"Yeah... a big fox" I say.

He raises his eyebrow and Itachi looks at me curiously.

"A big fox? How big?" He questions.

"Big enough..." I answer vaguely.

"Why did you... pick that to stare down? Any reason? Fear of animals?" He questions again.

"Dunno... then again I have heard about the demon fox for my whole life... maybe it was subconsciously there? Like I imagined what everyone has been talking about around me, not much eviler things around at all..." I try to deflect but for some reason they double down on the questions.

"How many tails did you give it?" He asks.

"No clue... I wasn't staring at its back anyway, I was staring into its eyes until it stopped" I say.

"When did this happen? Where?" He asks.

Why are they so persistent...? well I can give them both information, they can already find out that I broke my mind twice.

"Uhmmm... the day I left the orphanage and moved into my apartment with Naruto and sometime after when I was meditating and Naruto found me non responsive and brought me to Yamanaka flowers..." I answer.

"Is this the stare you used to stare it down? Or is this just one of your emotive stares?" He asks.

"Emotive, I don't use 'that' stare on anybody, even that drunk I just used a stern stare..." I answer again.

Shisui sighs.

"Can you show me that stare?" He asks.

I gulp.

"... I do not wish to..." I respond.

"Please. For your new buddy~" Shisui says with a funny tone.

I sigh and close my eyes.

"Ha! I win!" I ignore Shisui's technicality and then I face away from him and the other two.

"I don't want to get the other two, stand here" I point in front.

He stands there and I open my eyes and stare him down like I stared down that fragment of madness and fear.

I put my all into this stare.

He flickers back so fast he leaves an after image and his eyes that connect to mine swirl into red with a unique black pattern across them.

I continue to stare and only after I stop staring do I suddenly start running away from everyone- leaving us all confused, even me.

"Wha- Wait!" Shisui calls out to me but I continue running and running as fast as possible.

*fwoosh*

Shisui suddenly appears in front of me and holds my shoulders but my body continues to run and run and run and run- I stop.

My mind nearly went through a subconscious loop there following that- that.... order? Whatever it was my training with the mad one paid off and it allowed me to cut it off.

I stop running and Shisui looks me up and down with utter confusion, I can see sweat run down his face and his eyes tremble slightly...

"How? HOW!? What!? WHAT WAS-" he cuts himself of and closes his eyes, taking a moment to breath.

"I am sorry for that, don't ever stare at someone like that again- even if they ask understand?" He says and I nod my head.

He pats my shoulder and gets up looking to Itachi.

"I have to go~ good catching up with ya!" He waves before vanishing and leaving an after image.

...

What?

Itachi, Sasuke and me share a moment of confused looks and shrugs.

"Sorry Kenzo... Shisui can be odd sometimes" Itachi says...

Odd.

Very odd indeed.

---

Thanks for reading :)