My heart was still pounding as I left the Uchiha district behind.
The voice of that suspicious Uchiha echoed in my mind. If I had taken a few seconds longer, I wouldn't have been able to escape as easily.
"I need to be more careful," I thought as I walked through the quiet streets of Konoha.
But even with the adrenaline rush of the moment, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen and heard. Itachi was talking to someone about the "good of the village." That could only mean one thing: the events that would lead to the massacre were getting closer.
When I got home, it was late at night. The lights were off, and my house was completely silent now that my parents were asleep. I went straight up to my room and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling as I tried to organize my thoughts.
'Danzō must already be pressuring Itachi, which means he's isolated. He can't trust anyone... and maybe that's why he's been showing interest in me,' I thought.
"Does he see me as a possible ally?" I muttered under my breath as thousands of possibilities ran through my mind.
My mind was racing, but my body was exhausted. I closed my eyes and, before I could help it, sleep took over.
I woke up to the sound of knocking on the door. My father entered the room shortly after, carrying something in his hands. It was a small wooden box.
"Riku," he said, placing the box on my desk. "You need to get ready."
I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. "Ready for what?"
He opened the box, revealing a collection of small scrolls and ninja tools. "Your teachers at the academy did a good job, but now that you're officially a genin, the responsibility is yours. And you'll need every advantage you can get to stay alive."
I looked at the scrolls with curiosity. "What are they?"
"They're techniques and exercises that can help you improve your chakra control and its application in Mokuton," he explained. "They're basic things, but if you master them, you'll be one step ahead of the others."
"How many scrolls do you carry around with you, Dad?" I asked, but silence filled the room.
I picked up one of the scrolls and opened it slowly. The instructions were clear, and most of them involved synchronizing my chakra with the surrounding nature — something I was already beginning to understand better since Senju Park.
"Thank you, Father," I said, genuinely grateful.
He looked serious, but at the same time pleased to have discovered that I could use Mokuton. I still didn't have all the time I needed, after all, I'd only been in this world for a few days. But soon I'd improve my skills even more, and these scrolls would help.
Later that day, I met up with my team in Konoha's main square. Sora and Renji were already there, talking to our sensei, Tetsu Hyuuga.
It was time to introduce ourselves properly, now that we were a team.
"Ah, Riku! You finally decided to show up," Sora joked, crossing her arms.
The girl was pretty. She seemed to be quite vain, as her red hair was always well-groomed, and her eyes — matching the shade of her hair — were piercing as always.
Sora was wearing a salmon-colored kimono and was already equipped for a possible fight.
"I didn't want to take up your time," I replied, trying to sound casual.
Tetsu-sensei watched us for a moment before speaking. "Well, now that everyone is here, it's time to learn about our strengths and weaknesses."
On the other hand, my sensei was a man... "different," to say the least.
I couldn't see beyond his mask; he always seemed calm and relaxed, but even the system didn't allow me to see his strength, which only reinforced the impression that he was extremely powerful.
In addition to being an unconventional Hyuuga, he also wielded a sword in combat.
He took us to a training ground outside the village, where we spent the next few hours practicing taijutsu and basic jutsu. Although exhausted, I was impressed by Sora's and Renji's skill levels.
Sora was fast and aggressive, while Renji, my other teammate, scared me. I didn't know what kind of training he had received from his clan, but he had impressive precision, as if he could predict his opponent's movements.
In addition to being tall and very strong, I was sure that facing him in a real fight would be extremely difficult.
They were exactly the kind of partners who could help me grow.
"You have potential," said Tetsu sensei at the end of training. "But potential alone is not enough. I want you to think about what it means to be part of a team. Tomorrow, we will begin our first mission."
'Our first mission? Already?' I was surprised at how quickly we would receive our first assignment, and I hoped it would be something interesting.
Then we were dismissed, and on the way home, I decided that the best thing I could do at that moment was to train even harder and improve my skills before the next day's mission.
In my backyard, with the moon high in the sky, I began to test the new skills I had acquired through my system. Chakra control felt more fluid now, and the instructions from Hashirama's scroll helped a lot.
"Doton: Stone Skin," I whispered, focusing on channeling chakra throughout my body. My skin began to stiffen and darken in color.
'I can feel that I'm more resistant, but it still feels... unstable. Do I need more practice or just more experience?' I thought, observing the imperfections in my defense.
I then decided to move on to the Root Technique. The idea of controlling roots to trap or attack enemies was fascinating, but the level of difficulty was clearly higher. After several failed attempts, I managed to create roots that spread evenly across the ground.
"It's getting better... but it's still not enough," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
*
[System Activated: Characteristic Updates]
Improved Chakra Control: Your efficiency in using chakra has increased, reducing waste in basic and intermediate techniques.
Expanded Chakra Reserve: Your Senju lineage allows for a greater amount of natural chakra, providing more endurance in battle.
Enhanced Regeneration: Your natural recovery ability is faster, allowing you to heal from minor injuries more efficiently.
*
The screen disappeared, but the information remained engraved in my mind. These characteristics explained why I felt more confident and resilient with each training session.
'This must be something related to the Senju clan. Hashirama had an absurd level of regeneration — maybe this is an inherited trait,' I thought, resting for a few minutes before continuing my training.
When the sun began to rise, I knew it was time to prepare for the next step. Graduation was over, and now I had a team and a sensei. The mission that awaited us would be the real test.