The trek from the orphanage was tranquil as ever as I made my way to the academy after what seemed like a holiday, which in truth, wasn't, as it barely felt like a weekend to me.
The morning air carried a crisp chill, a sign that autumn was slowly creeping in. Tree leaves rustled gently in the breeze, some drifting lazily onto the dirt path ahead.
My mind, however, was elsewhere—running through the events of the past few days. Training, refining chakra control, experimenting with that new technique... it was all starting to take shape.
I can now proudly say that I am a complete Shinobi. And this is before I even graduated from the academy and became a full fledged one.
It's just as the people of old said: Money solves ninety nine percent of your problems, the remaining one percent is…well, luck and determination? I don't know. Maybe.
How do I even begin?
Hmm. Let's start from the basics: Chakra.
In terms of Chakra level, I can also proudly say that I possess a proper Genin level Chakra. It's nothing spectacular in comparison to certain fuc…individuals with bloodlines but as a civilian? I'm a genius.
As an energy formed by the combination of Spiritual and Physical energy, my approach in meditation and physical conditioning proved to be the most effective method in refining and expanding my chakra reserves.
Through meditation, I could sharpen my mental state, strengthening the spiritual aspect of my chakra, enhancing clarity, focus, control, and depth of perception
Physical conditioning, on the other hand, reinforced my body's ability to handle larger chakra loads. Every push-up, every sprint, every weighted movement sculpted my body, ensuring that my physical energy wasn't lagging behind my spiritual growth.
As a result, chakra control became increasingly effortless the more I trained. In my Chakra Web exercise, I could now extend ten chakra threads from my fingers and maintain them for a solid twenty minutes before my reserves were depleted.
If that wasn't impressive, I didn't know what was, especially considering I only possessed a Genin-level chakra reserve.
In practical terms, this meant I could outlast the average Genin by a full twenty minutes in battle. And in a fight, endurance could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Then there is Ninjutsu.
I have to reiterate the importance of money in this area.
Considering my level of chakra control, I could spam D-Rank technique up to 40 times before depleting my chakra reserves and that was scary considering that most of the kids in the academy could only perform it 10 to 15 times.
That wasn't surprising though. Most hadn't even begun training in the tree walking chakra control method. Then there were the orphanage kids who grew up with me who unwittingly tapped from my genius since they basically saw my training as having fun.
Fucking kids I tell ya. Though I can't say I don't love them.
Then there was the C-Rank techniques. Since they consumed three times the chakra amount of a D-Rank, I could spam 15 before my Chakra ran out, which wasn't impressive considering a younger version of Sasuke could spam those from morning till evening despite his low level of chakra control.
Still though…he's him and I'm me.
No need to compare myself to a kid with bloodlines…Tsk.
And for the two B-Rank techniques in my arsenal, I could perform them a maximum of 5 times.
It was decent enough and I was content. I wasn't about to go comparing myself to Naruto and Sasuke who were spamming A-rank Rasengan and Chidori like they had bottomless chakra pools or something.
Seriously, how did they manage that?
One was the literal reincarnation of a demigod, and the other had an ancestral chakra battery in the form of a massive fox sealed inside him.
Me? I had hard work, efficiency, and pure spite keeping me going.
Still, efficiency had its advantages.
While I couldn't throw out Rasengans or Chidoris like candy, what I could do was fight longer and smarter. Every technique I used counted, every bit of chakra was measured.
I wasn't some prodigy born with talent, I was the guy who made every drop of effort count. And that was self made Talent.
And honestly? That was fine.
For now, at least.
After all, talent can be outdone by preparation, and bloodlines mean nothing when your opponent refuses to die.
And while I was proud of my achievements in ninjutsu, I must say, the biggest branch of Jutsu in my arsenal remains Genjutsu.
Since being taught the D-Rank False Surrounding Jutsu, it seems my talent for Genjutsu was unearthed massively. I could spam that technique 60 times before I started feeling the strain on my mind.
At 70, the migraine set in.
And since there was no one I knew from the anime to compare with, I was satisfied with being a genius in my own right. After all, Itachi was an outlier who had the Sharingan.
And speaking of Itachi, I tried using my eyes as a medium to catch unsuspecting academy students but it seemed my eyes weren't Chakra conductive at all so settled with the next best thing…Sound.
Yup. The sound of my voice.
It was kinda cool talking to someone or just calling out someone's name and BOOM, they're caught in my Genjutsu.
Though a few sensitive students were able to notice immediately and break out, afterall, I wasn't strong enough to ensnare someone with just the voice of my voice.
What am I?
A forbidden siren? Please. I wish. If my voice alone could send people into an inescapable illusion, I'd be in the Bingo Book already.
Still, sound-based Genjutsu was a major win. No hand seals, no flashy buildup, just words.
Of course, there were downsides.
My control wasn't refined enough yet, and stronger-willed students could shake it off after a moment of disorientation.
But that was fine.
The key to mastering Genjutsu wasn't brute force; it was layering. If the first illusion failed, the second or third would land before they even realized something was wrong.
I was just getting started.
And if my talent for Genjutsu was this strong already, then you could imagine the horrors of C-Rank and B-Rank Genjutsu..
That thought alone was enough to make me grin.
"You have that look again, Mura-chi."
Hmm? I turned to look at the owner of the voice to see Aiko staring at me pitifully. She always believed I would go off the deep end sooner than later due to internal musings.
She'd never understand though and I can't blame her. It's not everyone who's comfortable with hearing the sound of their voice in their head.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Aiko, you make it sound like I'm planning world domination."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "Aren't you?"
I scoffed. "Please. If I wanted to rule the world, I'd at least start with the Academy first."
Her brow twitched. "That's… not reassuring, Mura-chi."
I chuckled, stretching my arms lazily. Aiko always worried too much, but that was just her nature. If anything, she was the perfect counterbalance to my overactive thoughts. The anchor to my drifting mind.
Still, I couldn't ignore her concern entirely. She had a point—most normal people didn't grin at the thought of trapping people in elaborate illusions. But then again, I wasn't exactly normal, was I?
"Relax, Aiko. I'm just thinking about my training."
She gave me that skeptical look—the one that said she didn't believe me in the slightest. "You mean your 'I can make people doubt reality with just my voice' training?"
I shrugged. "It's effective, isn't it?"
She sighed dramatically, rubbing her temples. "I swear, if you ever turn evil, just… promise me you'll spare me, alright?"
I smirked. "No promises."
Her groan was exaggerated, but the small smile tugging at her lips told me she wasn't really mad. Good. I needed someone to keep me grounded.
Because deep down, I knew…
The stronger I got in Genjutsu, the harder it would be to tell where illusion ended and reality began.
Itachi was a perfect reference. Don't wanna ever turn into him.
Wait a minute! How did she even get this close without me noticing?
I blinked and gave her a look.
My chakra sense spanned a solid 30 meters now, double what it used to be, and yet Aiko had somehow slipped right through it. No small feat.
I turned my head slightly, giving her a sidelong glance. "You're getting sneaky, Aiko."
She grinned, rocking back on her heels. "You're getting careless, Mura-chi."
I snorted. "Hardly."
It wasn't a fluke. Aiko could be mischievous when she wanted to be, and if anyone in the orphanage could pull something like this off, it'd be her. Among our ragtag group of orphans, she was undoubtedly the most talented.
…Female, that is.
She'd throw a fit if I ever said that out loud, though.
We strolled through the Academy gates, blending in with the sea of students, the chatter and energy of children thick in the air. Everyone was buzzing about class placements, friendships, rivalries, and the unspoken weight of the war looming over them.
"Bet you we're in different classes," Aiko muttered, hands behind her head.
I shot her a look. "You sound worried."
She huffed. "Of course I'm worried! What if I get stuck in some class full of meatheads while you get to sit around and mess with people's minds all year?"
I smirked. "You're making it sound like I do it for fun."
She gave me a flat look.
"Okay, fine," I admitted, "maybe a little."
The kids in the academy were good practice so she'd know.
She elbowed me lightly before we reached the Academy notice board where a crowd of students had gathered, shoving and squeezing their way to find their names.
Aiko, being the impulsive one, grabbed my wrist and yanked me through the crowd with surprising force.
"Oi—"
"Less talking, more looking!"
I sighed but let her have her way. She always got this way when excited.
Then we found it.
Class 6-A
Haruki Murakami. Himura Aiko.
Aiko gasped, then immediately beamed. "Yes! We're together!"
Her enthusiasm was palpable, and I could feel the relief rolling off her. I, on the other hand, had already expected this outcome.
She was talented—for a civilian, that is.
Did that make me sound like an ass? Maybe. But facts were facts. While most of the Academy's top talents came from shinobi clans, Aiko held her own without any fancy bloodlines backing her. That alone made her placement alongside me unsurprising.
Still, seeing her this happy over something so simple…
I couldn't help but smile.
"See? Told you there was nothing to worry about."
She turned to me, hands on her hips. "You could've at least pretended to be surprised!"
I shrugged. "Not my fault I actually think ahead."
She groaned. "Ugh. You're impossible."
I just smirked. Final year, huh?
Things were about to get interesting.
One more year before I stepped into the battlefield, huh? I guess we'll see the results from my 8 years of hardwork.