chapter 12
Chapter 12:
Village Year 75, August 13th
It had been two days since my C-Rank mission with Ryu turned into an A-Rank. Once we returned to the village, he immediately went to report everything to the Hokage. Needless to say, we might have caused a bit of a panic among the upper brass.
The village went into lockdown for the second time in a week, but this time I was aware of it. More traitors were rooted out, and a budding criminal empire growing within our borders was effectively crushed. The Oni would never return to the Land of Fire—or if he did, it would have to be under a new identity.
But none of that was my problem. I had more important things to take care of. I sat on my bed with my legs crossed, examining my improved stats. I was proud of the steady gains I was making. Everyday my Stats continued to increase.
Name: Kasumi Hayabusa
Stat Points 0
Perk Points 1
Level 3 (1100 / 4000 XP)
Chakra Points 400/400
Body 3 / 20 (540/4000 XP)
Spirit 3 / 20 (420/4000 XP)
Mind 2 / 20 (0/2000 XP)
Tech 2 / 20 (520/2000 XP)
Luck 1 / 20 (700/1000 XP)
I managed to grind Mind up to Rank 2 finally–I still hate doing math. I also used my Stat Point to raise Spirit to Rank 3. Once again, my Chakra Points had doubled as a result.
I finally felt like I had enough points to start attempting some Jutsus. Too bad I didn't actually know any–or even how to properly use ninja hand signs. Thankfully, I had a solution in the form of a Mind Perk I was looking at.
*Weekly Mastery: Once a week, you can learn a single Jutsu from any scroll you read. Mastered Jutsus do not require the use of hand signs, but they do still require Chakra Points to perform.*
I smiled widely as I read the description. Hand signs were one of the biggest weaknesses in the series. Being able to use Jutsu without them would completely eliminate that limitation and let me spam complex Jutsus mid-combat—assuming I had enough Chakra Points.
I selected the Perk and purchased it immediately. This time, I didn't notice any physical or mental changes. At least, not until I picked up one of the scrolls sitting next to me on the bed.
*Academy Clone Jutsu: Creates Fake Clones that require 10 Chakra Points each to create. Do you wish to learn? [Yes / No]*
The basic Clone Jutsu was hardly used by anyone besides Sakura in the show, and for good reason—it was almost useless against a competent shinobi. I picked up the next two scrolls, the ones I was really eager to learn. But which one should I start with? Both would be incredibly useful in upcoming missions. My System provided me with descriptions of both."
*Basic Substitution Jutsu: Allows you to replace yourself with a nearby object up to a quarter of your size instantaneously. Requires 50 Chakra Points per cast. Do you wish to learn? [Yes / No]*
*Basic Transformation Jutsu: Covers you in an illusion that mimics the appearance of another person or objects. You cannot transform into anything smaller than yourself. Costs 1 Chakra Point per second. Do you wish to learn? [Yes / No]*
I can't transform into anything smaller than myself? That explains why only Naruto could turn into tiny objects like kunai or shuriken. I guess the fan theories were right; that power must have come from the Kyuubi. After all, Kitsune are known as tricksters and masters of disguise. Naruto could have really taken advantage of that ability if he weren't such an idiot.
Even with the size limitation, transformation is still one of the best and most widely used Jutsus in the Ninja world for a reason. Most civilians can't sense Chakra, so they have no way of seeing through it. I had already chosen my first skill for the week: learning the Substitution Jutsu.
I clicked 'learn' and braced myself for the inevitable headache. As expected, it hit quickly as the knowledge of how to perfectly perform the transformation Jutsu flooded into my brain. Thankfully, the migraine didn't last long. Once the pain faded away, I hopped off my bed and ran over to my bedroom mirror.
"Transform!" I called out with a big grin. White smoke filled my bedroom for a few seconds before dissipating. When it cleared, my reflection had changed, a perfect copy of my brother Ryu was staring back at me in the mirror.
*+10 Tech XP!*
Well, almost perfect. Unfortunately, I was much shorter than my brother, and while the face was spot-on, the height difference made it look like Ryu had some kind of growth deficiency…
"Are you alright, Kasumi? I sensed you using chakra in here," my brother's voice came as the door to my bedroom swung open, and he peeked his head inside. He snickered at my current appearance. "I see you're practicing the transformation Jutsu… it could still use some work. I'll leave you to it," he said awkwardly before shutting the door again.
Another puff of smoke surrounded me as I reverted to my original appearance. I pouted at the closed door and raised my voice. "My transformation would have been perfect if you weren't so freakishly tall!"
Being so short was annoying...
Despite being annoyed, I took Ryu's advice and spent the next half hour practicing various transformations. I managed to create my own go-to civilian disguise: a nerdy-looking girl with dark blonde hair, dimples, and thick glasses. I decided to name her Mika. She was the kind of girl who could easily blend into a crowd—just like Ryu's balding, middle-aged man disguise.
I wanted to practice transforming into her a few more times, but I started running low on Chakra Points. While 400 Chakra Points were double what I had when I woke up, it still wasn't much. I'm not sure how much Chakra the average Genin possesses, but I figure it's still a lot more than my current limit.
With nothing better to do today, I decided to head over to Muramasa's shop. I had some things I wanted to sell after my last mission.
…
"Welcome, young Hayabusa," Muramasa greeted me as I entered his cluttered shop. He was sitting in the back, as usual, enjoying some Manju with his green tea. "What can I do for you?"
"I have some Jutsu scrolls I'd like to sell. Three C-Rank Water Jutsus and one B-Rank Earth Jutsu," I told him. These Jutsus were ranked mainly due to their high Chakra costs, not their effectiveness. The best of the lot was a C-Rank Jutsu called Water Whip. It allows the user to shape a nearby water source into a whip, which might seem useful—until you realize that Water Whip doesn't hit nearly as hard as a regular one. Whips also aren't ideal Ninja weapons, considering how much noise they make. If you're going to go loud, you might as well just throw a paper bomb at your enemy.
I accepted Muramasa's offer of 10,000 Ryo for all four scrolls.
"While I'm still here, do you have any books on Fuinjutsu?" I asked the old man.
"I do," he nodded. "But I'm sure your clan's collection is probably better than my own dusty tomes."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance at the reminder. "Ryu won't let me learn any of them. He thinks I'll accidentally blow myself up trying to make my own paper bombs. He's just being paranoid. How often does that actually happen?" I asked sarcastically.
"Very often," Muramasa said, to my surprise. "Fuinjutsu is a very complex but dying art. Nobles and Shinobi alike will pay top Ryo for the services of a master. Many young men and women try to learn Fuinjutsu on their own, hoping to cash in on such a lucrative market. Unfortunately, many of them end up accidentally killing or maiming themselves in the process," he told me cautiously. "You won't believe how many foolish young men ended up erasing themselves from existence when they tried to recreate the Hiraishin to imitate the famous fourth Hokage…"
"Okay then…" Once again, I was reminded of how dangerous this world could be. "Do you have anything I can start with that's safe?"
The old man nodded and held up a single finger, which began to glow blue as a long Chakra string sprang from the tip. The string shot over my shoulder, burying itself in a pile of books on the other side of the shop. A moment later, he wiggled his finger, and the Chakra string surged back.
I quickly stepped aside to avoid being hit in the face by an old, musty book flying through the air at high speed. Muramasa easily caught the fast-moving book, his eyes opening slightly as he peeked at the cover.
"This is a good book to start with," he said, handing it to me.
I stepped forward and took the book from his hands, my eyes widening as I read the cover: "Beginner Uzumaki Sealing—Idiot Edition..." I wasn't making that up, that was the actual title.
"Weren't the Uzumakis the greatest sealing masters of all time? I can't start with one of their books," I said.
Muramasa shook his head and corrected me. "It's precisely because their clan were the foremost experts on sealing that you should start with that book. As long as you follow the instructions inside perfectly, you should be safe… Well, safe-ish, I suppose," he added after a slight pause.
"…I'll take it," I said after a moment's consideration. "How much is it?"
Muramasa grinned at me, the grin of a merchant who knew he was about to make a big sale. "I'll give you a special deal—only 100,000 Ryo!"
I started choking after hearing the price. That was almost all the money I'd saved up from my recent missions! I'd mentioned it before, but 100,000 Ryo was enough money to feed a decent meal to over 10,000 people!
"The book might be a beginner level, but it was written by a member of the Uzumaki clan. If I wanted to, I could easily sell it for 300,000, or maybe even 400,000 Ryo. I really am giving you a discount, young Hayabusa. Do you still want it?" he asked me again.
"Yes, I'll still take it…" I uttered begrudgingly.
I had to make a quick return trip home to collect the necessary funds. Where did I hide all my money? Underneath my mattress, of course. Where else would a Kunoichi like me keep her cash? In a bank? Pfft, Ninjas didn't trust banks! No decent Ninja would ever entrust their money to a civilian establishment—especially when the Transformation Jutsu existed.
Once my purchase was completed and I suddenly became a lot poorer, I left the shop and looked for a place to read my new Fuinjutsu book. I obviously couldn't take it home, because Ryu would immediately discover and confiscate it. I could take it to Suki's house, but I think she was out of the village on a mission.
I really needed more friends…
With nowhere else to go, I headed to the nearest park. It was still the middle of August, so the sun was shining, and it was warm out. I found a spot under a tree, sat down, and opened my new book, turning to the first page:
"Welcome to the wonderful world of Fuinjutsu. If you are reading this, hopefully you are a member of the Uzumaki clan or one of our allies. If not, fuck you, you dirty thief!"
Wow… The Uzumaki clan sure were something special if this was the kind of book they gave to their children. The entire first page was full of colorful insults that had nothing to do with Fuinjutsu. I skipped past that page and moved onto the next few.
"Fuinjutsu as an art is not as complicated as people think. At the end of the day, it's just rewriting reality with your brushstrokes…"
That sounded pretty complicated to me, but who was I to argue? I kept reading.
"What makes Uzumaki Fuinjutsu stand above that of other clans is our special ink—or rather, our lack of ink. While other Fuinjutsu practitioners use regular ink infused with Chakra, our clan chose a different path. We discovered that the most powerful seals are those written with the blood of a Shinobi or Kunoichi. This has two benefits: First, seals written in one's own blood are much easier to activate. Second, they are much safer for beginners who are prone to making mistakes. Seals written in blood almost never explode in their creator's face."
So that's how the Uzumaki clan did it! They could train an entire village of seal masters with this single secret. Members of the Uzumaki clan also had extremely high vitality, allowing them to heal and replenish lost blood much faster than others. If I was going to follow in their footsteps, I'd need to be careful about how much blood I withdrew from myself. I also needed to find a proper way to store it—and keep it hidden from Ryu for now. He'd definitely have some questions if he opened our refrigerator and saw a bunch of blood packs inside.
I spent the next couple of hours reading through the introductory book and studying the beginner-level seals inside, figuring out which ones I should learn first. Storage seals and explosive tags seemed like an excellent choice. I wasn't sure why a book written for beginners included instructions on how to make explosive tags, but I wasn't going to complain.