I absolutely... despise... running!
As much of a crutch as chakra was when it came to assisting one's physical capabilities—yeah, people here could do much more than any normal human back in my world—it didn't suddenly make running any more enjoyable, especially when I was doing it specifically to get stronger, which meant I had to basically murder my legs in order to maximize growth.
One thing I noted over the past two weeks was that people improved significantly faster. What would normally take months to achieve took mere days. But I knew these improvements were basically nothing compared to the truly overpowered monsters lurking in this world.
"Keep up, Amai! This is really fun!" Rei called out, grinning as he ran ahead of me, drenched in sweat.
This annoying kid...!
"Can it, you hyperactive monkey...! I... fucking hate running!" I wheezed, my legs muscles burning with each and every single step. It felt like my knees were about to buckle, and yet this little brat was still full of energy.
Hell, I don't even know if he's actually tired, toughing it out or just a plain freak of nature.
Suddenly, he slowed down, and tilted his head while giving me a glance. "What's fucking?"
My eyes widened.
I almost tripped upon hearing that. Did I really just let that slip out?!
Quick, brain, think of something! Go into overdrive or anything like that—save me from the situation my dumbass just landed in!
Blaaarghhgg.
No response. Screw it, anything goes.
"Uh, it's, uh..." I scrambled, holding onto my knees while gasping for air. "A-a really bad curse word that you shouldn't say, never! Especially not in front of adults!"
"But why can you say it and I can't?" He asked, genuinely curious. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
"Because, because..." I stammered, "Just don't do it, okay? We can get in some real trouble if anyone hears any of us say it."
"Well, if you say so. You're funny, Amai."
Thank god. Crisis averted.
With that, I gave in completely and fell to the ground, laying on the grass.
"Why were we running again?" Rei asked, laying down on the ground beside me.
"To prepare for the academy. Didn't I tell you, like, two or three times already?"
God, I feel like I've just been thrown into a washing machine and then hung out to dry. My lungs might give out at any moment.
I'm thankful I don't have asthma or anything like that.
"Huuuh, but that's boring. Real ninja can walk on trees, water, and do really cool stuff."
"Didn't you just say it was fun earlier?" I asked, unimpressed. Children change their minds so damn fast.
"Yeeeah, but that was before I remembered how awesome real ninja techniques are. I wanna start using fireballs already!" He grinned, pushing himself up and sitting cross-legged.
Well, I can't deny the fact that he kind of has a point. This world is completely unreal to me, and what was basically magic was something ordinary to everyone that lived.
But, I knew better than to treat this as some game or fantasy world. Hell, it still felt weird when people called me Amai instead of Marie, because I wasn't yet used to the name—it was like hearing someone call out to a stranger and realizing they meant you.
I still haven't figured out how to manipulate my chakra, either. Ever since I unlocked it, it's been quite hard to get it moving.
Not only that, it's really damn difficult to get some privacy here in this orphanage. Every single room almost always has a child or two in it, and we have a schedule that requires most of us to be together, doing things at the same time. Meals, or even free time—the chores didn't help either.
Finding a moment of quiet and peace was almost impossible with how nosy my fellow orphans were, and even more so with the caretakers watching us at all times.
Right now? I figured it would be a good idea to use the playground to pretend we are 'playing chase,' to disguise the fact that we were actually training.
Why even hide it, though? It's not like they're against it, and would likely even encourage it if they knew we were trying to improve ourselves. But the problem wasn't the caretakers—it was the other kids.
Annoying, nosy, you know how they are. Did I forget to mention they're annoying? Because they're annoying as hell.
I would literally dropkick one if given the chance—and if the kid deserved it, of course. I'm not a psycho.
Or am I?
Nah, definitely not. The void might've done something to my mind, but it didn't feel that bad. If it had, I'd definitely have felt the effects by now. Right?
Probably.
Alright, enough rest.
I used my palms to push myself up from the ground, slowly getting up on my feet. Rei followed after.
It was amazing how much stamina this little ball of sunshine seemed to have. He kind of reminded me of Naruto, full of energy and enthusiasm, just without the loud mouth.
"Are you ready for another go?" I asked, fully prepared to make my legs go through hell once more. According to human physiology, our muscle fibers needed to tear during training.
From there, they would regenerate, rebuilding themselves and growing stronger to adapt to the pressure, allowing us to handle even more. At least that was the theory, never knew anything about it in practice.
"Yeah, I'm ready! Let's run again already!" Rei exclaimed, bouncing on his feet.
Oh, I just know he's gonna be a handful in the future.
I'm definitely good with actions, but not with words. Not in a thousand years.
Try as you might, you're never getting me to actually make an effort to talk to people!
...I'll eventually have to do it, but that's a problem for future me.
Here we go again.
-----------------------
Why did I choose to start doing this? My calves and thighs feel like actual jello each time I try to walk, and I have to pretend like it doesn't even hurt.
The things I have to do for power.
No one ever talks about how much it sucks to get strong. If normal exercise is doing me in like this, imagine just how quickly Might Guy's training would break me.
Didn't Rock Lee still exercise even after being crippled by Gaara during the exams? Absolute insanity. That isn't even dedication at that point—it's obsession.
The guy had his left arm broken, covered in a cast, and yet he was still doing one-handed push-ups on the ground with his other arm. It was no wonder he became the favorite of so many people, especially after his fight with the red-haired freak.
Fuck, who am I kidding? He's my favorite out of everyone.
Rock Lee may have his, uh, quirks, but if there's anyone who embodied the grind... it was him. No shortcuts, no talent—only pure hard work.
I don't imagine myself matching his work ethic anytime soon, though. I liked being able to walk without each step being a Herculean struggle, thank you very much.
Even so, it was probably the only way I could manage to get into the Academy. I have to figure out a way to make money and a proper diet. Also, get a diary to write stuff on.
Fast.
I'm bound to forget eventually, and even if this was possibly an alternate universe, I'd like to at least know my way around progression here—what to start with, what to prioritize, etc.
I've spent enough time here to know that the language spoken isn't what I'm used to. It's similar—way too similar—to Japanese. Like the stuff I used to watch.
Which meant English would be safe to use. No one else here seemed to understand it, so if I ever needed to write something down that I didn't want prying eyes to read, it'd be the perfect option.
I'm sure some ninja would pull some random bullshit out of nowhere and somehow figure out the meaning, though. The chance was really low, insanely so, but I wouldn't put it past them.
You never know with these people.
I'm not sure, but a very low number could very well be capable of deciphering cryptic codes like no one else's business. They could probably crack some kind of secret Fuinjutsu from the Uzumaki, and they just hadn't discovered the location yet.
Scary.
Anyway, to begin listing down my objectives, I think I'll...
I'll think up of a way to make money. I don't know where Ichiraku is, but perhaps I could work with Teuchi and his daughter.
I forgot her name, again. I definitely need a diary.
Oh yeah, Ayame. That's her name.
I could work with them part-time after the Academy, and figure out something even more profitable after that.
As for my own progress, I think I'll try learning the Leaf Concentration technique during this year, or at least attempt to. I doubt I'd even get the privacy needed, or how fast I'd get caught.
"Where did you hear about that technique?"
Free ticket straight to ROOT. I don't want to get in Danzo's radar, especially since the motherfucker only has eyes for orphans, and specifically orphans.
So, training my chakra is out of the picture for now. Until I can get some actual backing, or I get at a point where it's acceptable for me to learn it and further techniques.
Yeah, that'll be my plan for this year.