Naruto: the simple skills

Me and Naruto got gifts from the Hokage! Naruto got a new set of pyjamas and he sent me a nice and fluffy pillow! It is amazing to lay on and very comfortable.

Me and Naruto haven't done much since before but to us- the ability to eat, play and relax is a mighty boon that we celebrate at every opportunity!

I look to the vase on the shelf and I take out the now dying flowers... I have made it a habit to go to the Yamanaka flowers shop and put my vase to use! Plus the kind girl always gives me an extra flower for free so I have become a sort of return customer... her father is always looking at me sceptically though.

Oh and by her recommendation I got a new style just for me! I didn't even have a mirror in the orphanage and I never knew what I looked like, now I am in the know and styled to the way I like it.

A smooth white pretty boys face that can easily form an arrogant smile, with white eyes that are way too dazzling to be on a child... I think my stare skill has made my gaze more... sexy? Handsome? Brilliant? I don't know the right words but it has enhanced there appeal.

I have white hair that I got cut from what used to hang below my shoulders is now swept back and cut short.

My clothes are just bargain t-shirts and shorts however, way too young to even find any styled and coloured shirts that isn't too expensive or weird looking.

Basically whatever being reincarnated me obviously doesn't see colour, or they decided to just hit white on all when selecting my colour pallet.

I am far better looking then my previous self however... I was kind of skinny and scruffy with freckles... now though? Pure white and pretty.

"O! I'm heading out for Ichiraku's!" Naruto yells as he outs his jacket on and rushes out.

"I will be at the flower shop! Then straight back home!" I yell back.

"Got it!" He yells before slamming the door shut and sprinting off into Konoha... I pick up the vase and take the cash taped to the bottom of it, what? I like to hide my money.

I then head off to Yamanaka Flowers.

The street is bustling and I make sure to avoid as many people as possible, weaving through the crowd I head to the lesser crowded sections of Konoha and walk into the flower shop.

"Kenzo!" Ino waves at me and I walk over to her- she is planting something in the front it seems, two boys sit beside her,  one eating from a bag of chips and the other sleeping on the floor.

"Ino! I came for some flowers for my vase again... any new combos I should try?"

"Yep! I told mamma just the ones and if you ask her she will bundle them for you! Right now im planting the new lavenders, oh...! this is lazy and fatty"

"Oi!" - fatty

"..." - lazy

"Hello, I am Kenzo- nice to meet you both" I extend my hand for a handshake.

"I am choji Akamichi! Nice to meet you too!" He shakes my hand before going back to eating his chips.

"Shikamaru Nara... troublesome..." he falls right back to sleep.

"Your friends with Ino?"

"Psh- barely! These two always come by and annoy me when their dads talk to mine! Hey! Kenzo-kun~ want to play with us today?"Ino barrages me with words and lore.

"If these guys don't mind... sure!"

Choji shrugs his shoulders and Shikamaru rolls over to sleep on his side.

"Yes! I will plant these lavenders and maybe we can play at the park- or, or- maybe we could..." Ino squirms and gazes at me.

"Kenzo! What a surprise... come to play with these three?" Ino's mother walks up and greets me.

"Hello! Yeah, if that is alright?" I respond.

"Of course its alright- Ino? Why are you squirming like that?"

"Ah! Nothing mamma! Just thinking about the lavender!" Ino yelps getting caught out of her trance.

"Go have fun with your friends Ino... I can finish this up" her mother smiles warmly and Ino shouts "Wohoo!" Before handing her mother her gloves and dragging me outside by the hand, Choji pokes Shikamaru who gets up with a yawn and follows.

We head through the streets and Ino leads me to the park where she points at all her favourite places and yells them to me.

"And that tree is great for hiding when playing ninja!" She grips my hand and then looks around before whispering to me.

"(Whisper) its also a great spot to hang out alone if you want to ditch the other two"

I let out a chuckle and shake my head.

"Cant just leave them Ino, plus the more the merrier, yeah?"

She nods her head and looks around.

"You want to let go of my hand now Ino?" She ignores me and drags me to the slide.

"Lets go down together!"

Okay... seems like todays going to be a lot of this... infinitely times better then the boring dictionaries!

We spend time at the park and I get to know choji and Shikamaru more, Ino finally lets go of my hand and we play 'ninja' a variant of hide and seek I'm pretty sure... maybe? I wing it as the game progresses.

A bunch more kids join in and the day progresses, Naruto eventually arrives and he runs over to me.

"O! What are you doing?"

"Playing ninja with these guys, want to join?"

"Sure-" Naruto is cut off by another kid.

"He cant play with us!"

"Yeah- he is a trouble maker!" Another adds.

I look over the kids and they all nod there heads.

"But we have uneven players? Would it not make sense to let him play?" Shikamaru adds and I click my fingers at him.

"Yeah, listen to the facts"

The kids look around and one of them agrees- but his parent comes around and starts dragging him away.

"Hey- mum wait-"

"Enough! We have to go"

The other kids look smugly and shale there heads.

"Now we are even again.. lets just play! Ignore that kid!"

"Troublesome..."

Ino and Choji don't know what to make of this and seem to be waiting for mine or Shikamaru's decision.

...

"Then you few can play on your own, my brother is more important than a game" I turn around and walk away with Naruto... behind me the kids groan in annoyance but peer pressure Ino and Choji to stay... Shikamaru uses this chance to sleep on the park bench and make the game even.

I sigh and I take the downcast Naruto to the other side of the park.

"Naruto, want to play on the swing set?"

He looks at me with a face that looks like its about to cry, I pat his shoulder and he hops onto the swings, I push and he starts to raise his legs then lower them and eventually starts smiling again.

Unfortunately whatever Naruto did in his previous life decided to give him ultimate karma now- a parent walks up to us, or me more like and grabs my shoulder.

"Hey kid... do you know where your parents are?" She says in a condescending voice.

This is ridiculous. No seriously- Trying to separate me when you don't even know who I am? Who my parents are? Why I am here? Why do they all hate Naruto?

I ignore the lady and I continue pushing Naruto, she looks stumped and glances back to the group of parents watching over their kids.

"If you don't know where they are-"

"If you don't give me a concrete reason why I should leave my brother to play by himself I am going to have to ask you to leave" I interrupt.

"Sorry?" She asks confused.

"A reason. One reason" I state.

"Haa- kid please just let me know-"

"Dead. Now answer my question"

"I'm sorry kid-"

"You are not. Now. The question."

Naruto jumps off the swings and starts running down the street, to home.

"Shameless... that's what you are, making a child cry and run- you are nothing more than a coward and I don't want you or your friends near me and Naruto" I hold a stare for but a second and she steps back letting my shoulder go, I run down the street following Naruto.

Running up my apartment steps I unlock the door and enter to find Naruto crying to himself in his bed.

I walk up to him and sit on his bed, patting his shoulder with my hand.

"Its alright Naruto... we are home now, safe from the very rude adults and their children"

"But- *sniff* but I- cause' I was there... you had to stop playing with- *sniff* your friends" he cries into his pillow.

"And I got to play with my brother... a very good trade in my opinion, now get some rest and take a few breaths... you did nothing wrong, yeah?"

"Yeah...*sniff*"

I get up from his bed and make sure he is resting well before I start cleaning the house a little... I haven't eaten and the fridge is empty...

I write a note 'gone for fridge stuff, be right back' and leave it on my bed, I then head outside and walk down the stairs into the evening streets.

I walk to the market and start buying various things, its amazing how cheap stuff is when Naruto isn't around... damned village.

I sigh after buying my things and I swing by Yamanaka flowers to buy the bundle Ino had made for me that day.

"Oh! Kenzo~ not with Ino?" Ino's mother asks and I look around and see that she hasn't returned yet.

"Had to go get groceries! I am also here to buy flowers again!" I show her my bag of goodies and she giggles before going around and collecting the flowers that Ino wanted me to have.

"Here we go! And that's all" She places the bundle in my arms and I pay her.

"Thank you very much! I will come back when I need more!" I yell out as I leave the shop and I head back home, placing all my groceries away.

I place the bundle of flowers in the vase with some fresh water and make myself a ramen cup and eat my food for the day before going to sleep.

------

Complete: Test of loyalty.

Reward: E-rank scroll.

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Test of loyalty? Because I comforted and stuck with Naruto? Or because I am a loyal customer to Yamanaka's? Okay definitely the first one.

What skill should I choose? I hadn't thought about my next one...

My two skills haven't come in handy during the day so maybe stick with something that can help me now? Hmmm.... haggling? Can I make 'paying rent' into a skill? How about... 'smile'? Could I help persuade others to play with Naruto using a smile? Hmmm...

Stare made my eyes more brilliant looking, yeah? So all that would do is make people want to play with me more not Naruto...

'Friendship'?

'Conversation'?

'Speech'?

'Words'?

How simple can I make this skill?

How about just 'Word'?

I accept the scroll and I start making it glow with pure focus.

I am swallowed by the deep orange domain and I am once again standing awaiting my task.

*scratch* *scrawl*

'You. You have already read the dictionary thirty times. You know how to Word by most mortal means. An E-rank Breakthrough'

I can study a skill before gaining it? Which would make the breakthrough easier and much more doable... leaving it to upgrade more! This is an excellent strategy, I have to start learning something else before I chose my next skill.

The room summons one pedestal like in the breath test, but instead of an element I am greeted by a big book... full of words?

*scratch* *scrawl*

'Choose your word'

I open the book and scan through it... it is just a dictionary? So I am choosing one word? I suppose I chose word not words...

There is both English and Japanese here.

Should I choose an English word? Its going to be supernatural right? So saying 'kneel' might make them kneel... right?? I am just guessing here...

I chose the word: 'Truth'

If I can find the truth of the matter I am able to fix all his problems from the source... right?

...

*scratch*

'Chosen word: Truth'

*scrawl*

'Completed E-rank breakthrough'

...

The world around me returns to the bedroom and I take a breath before sliding into my bed.

That was the easiest skill to acquire thus far...

I focus intently at the skills I have, calming and focusing my mind.

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Skills:

Unyielding Stare: E×D×C×B×A•S•K•

Breathing: E×D×C×B•A•S•K•

Word- Truth: E×D•C•B•A•S•K•

------

I mutter to myself "truth"

...

Nothing happens, I suppose I did nothing to get it so.... I will have to wait and see it at higher levels.

I stop focusing and close my eyes, Tomorrow I have to make sure that Naruto is okay... maybe buy him a couple of pranking items, he loves pranking people- ever since painting the wall of the orphanage orange.

---

I awake and get out of bed, well rested and stretching I turn to Naruto's bed to see it in a mess and the boy is gone... where?

Not in the apartment at all- I check and make sure.

I make myself a sandwich and eat it before going outside and searching around, I check Ichiraku's and the playground... but no Naruto... I check Yamanaka flowers and I don't see him there... Ino is also avoiding me as when I entered the shop she scampered into the back... odd.

I look throughout all the streets for hours and decide to head into the more forest like areas to see if he is hiding there... no... that's odd, did I pass by him and he is at home now?

I double check every place, home, flowers and Ichiraku, I head to the playground again and look around in any hiding spots... no, not anywhere..?

"Hey! Are you Kenzo!" A six year old approaches me.

"Yeah, why?" The six year old looks down at me and raises his hand... is he going to hit me? Or threaten me?

"I don't want you playing near my brother anymore you got that!?" He yells.

"Sorry? Who is your brother?"

"You played a game with him yesterday and he was crying at home because you ruined his game!"

"How...?"

"You wouldn't listen to the adults-"

"Never mind, I just realised I don't care... now drop the fist, one way or the other- I don't care what you want, I am busy"

His eye twitches and he swings his fist down at me... but he's like- a child.

I take a step to the side and he yells.

"Oi stop moving!"

"Stop throwing your arms around then"

"You little-" he throws his hands at me again and I just... take a step back as he gets annoyed.

"Alright... bye" I jog away and he shouts behind me... fighting is weird when you are a child... kind of awkward really...

I do a light Jog around the streets of Konoha and patrol them, keeping an eye out for Naruto.

...

Wait I should start jogging! Or walking... maybe speed walking? Then I can train that before getting the skill for 'speed walking' or something and manage to breakthrough and get more potential from it!

Maybe I should test to see if my staring is stronger than my other skills and see if one is better then the other, breathing and Stare I will focus on upgrading... meaning I need to complete more quests and get rewards... shame the reward system is unexplained...

------

When I see something significant that you have a hand in. I will grant you the scroll I think is appropriate.

This will not be stated again.

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Okay... that explains a lot...  that also had a lot of tone in that... I think the system is mad at me for choosing word and getting out of training in his realm...

Haaa- my bad. Lets focus and find Naruto.

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Thanks for reading :)