Three months had passed.
Ninety days of waking up at 3:45 AM. Ninety days of training until my body screamed. Ninety days of Kakashi showing up late, watching me for ten minutes, and leaving without saying a word.
I was getting real tired of his shit.
---
= Month One – The Waiting Game =
The gravity seal was at 2x now. Everything was harder. Walking felt like wading through mud. Running felt like I was dragging a wagon behind me. Even breathing took effort.
Every week, Kakashi showed up. Every week, I asked him the same thing.
"Can you teach me something?"
"No."
"Can you at least show me a technique? So I can try to figure it out myself?"
"No."
"Can you..."
"I'm here to see, not to instruct."
I wanted to punch him. Not that I could. The gravity seal made my punches slow enough that he'd probably dodge them in his sleep.
«Kakashi's teaching methodology appears to be 'benign neglect.' I calculate a 73% probability that he is testing your initiative.»
Or he's just lazy.
«Both can be true.»
So I trained. Push-ups. Squats. Lunges. Water walking. Tree walking. The leaves. Every day, the same routine. Every day, a little bit stronger.
JARVIS kept track of everything. Heart rate. Muscle recovery. Chakra flow. Gravity seal tolerance.
«You have reached 2x gravity. Your muscle density has increased by 18% since beginning the seal. Your bone density has increased by 12%. Your joints are showing signs of stress. Recommend limiting high-impact activities.»
What high-impact activities? I'm six. I don't do high-impact activities.
«You run. You jump. You fall into rivers. These are high-impact activities.»
…Fair.
---
= Month Two – Jealousy =
Iruka announced kunai practice on a Tuesday.
The class filed into the training yard. Wooden targets lined up against a wall. Piles of practice kunai on a table. Basic stuff. Stand still. Throw straight. Hit the target.
I'd been waiting for this.
«Your fine motor control is within acceptable parameters. The gravity seal will affect your throwing accuracy. Recommend compensating by increasing chakra flow to your right arm by 7%.»
I picked up a kunai. Felt the weight. Balanced it in my palm.
"Alright," Iruka said. "One at a time. Take your stance. Aim for the center. Throw when ready."
Kids went up one by one. Most missed. Some hit the outer rings. A few clan kids hit near the center.
Sasuke went up. Took his stance. Threw.
Thunk!.
Center ring. Not dead center, but close. The class whispered. Sasuke walked back to his seat like it was nothing.
Then it was my turn.
I walked up to the line. JARVIS was already calculating.
«Adjusting for gravity. Target locked. Release in 3… 2…»
I threw.
Thunk.
Dead center. The kunai was buried right in the middle of the target. Not close. Not near. Right. In. The. Middle.
The class went quiet.
"Lucky throw," someone whispered.
I picked up another kunai. Threw.
Thunk.
Dead center. Again.
Another. Dead center.
Another. Dead center.
I threw ten kunai. All ten hit dead center. The target looked like a porcupine.
Naruto's jaw was on the floor. "How do you DO that?!"
"Practice." I lied.
It was Jarvis who was doing it.
Sasuke was staring at me. His face was blank, but I could see it in his eyes. Jealousy. The kind he'd never admit to.
«Sasuke's heart rate has increased by 22%. His pupils are dilated. He is recalculating his assessment of you.»
Good. Let him wonder.
I walked back to my seat. Naruto was bouncing in his chair.
"You gotta teach me that!"
"It's just aim, Naruto. You point and throw."
"It's not just aim! You're like… like a robot or something!"
«Naruto has compared you to a machine. I am unsure whether this is a compliment.»
He thinks I'm cool. It's a compliment.
«Debatable.»
---
= Month Two, Week Three =
Winter was starting to creep in. The mornings were cold. The training ground was covered in frost. Snow hadn't started yet, but you could feel it coming.
I was in the middle of my routine. 2.5x gravity now. my max I could do without over stressing myself.
Kakashi showed up at his usual time. Leaned against a tree. Opened his book.
I stopped training. Walked over to him. Stood there with my arms crossed.
"You're not gonna teach me anything, are you?"
He didn't look up from his book. "I'm looking."
"You've been 'Looking' for two months. I haven't learned a single technique from you."
"You learned water walking."
"You showed me water walking once and left. I figured that out myself."
Though it was Jarvis...
Kakashi turned a page.
I was getting pissed.
"Look," I said. "I'm not asking for some forbidden jutsu. Just… something. Anything. A shunshin. A basic technique. Just show me once and I'll figure it out."
He finally looked up. His visible eye studied me for a long moment.
"You're persistent."
"I'm annoying. There's a difference."
The corner of his eye crinkled. Almost a smile.
"Fine."
I blinked. "Wait, really?"
"Shunshin. Body Flicker. D-rank. Used for repositioning and escape." He closed his book. "Watch closely. I'm only showing you once."
«Activating 1000x thought acceleration.»
Kakashi took a stance. Channeled chakra through his legs, his spine, his entire body. For a split second, he was still.
Then he was gone.
A blur. A flicker. He reappeared twenty meters away, on the other side of the clearing.
«Technique logged. Analyzing chakra flow patterns. The user channels chakra to the lower body, then releases it in a controlled burst to achieve rapid acceleration. The deceleration phase requires precise chakra distribution to avoid collision.»
Can I do it?
«Insufficient data. Request demonstration again.»
"Again," I said.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. He flickered back to his original spot.
«Second analysis complete. Chakra distribution mapped. Deceleration phase logged. Sufficient data acquired.»
Good. Here we go.
I turned off the gravity seal. The weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt light. Bouncy. Like I could jump to the moon.
I channeled chakra to my legs. Focused on the spot I wanted to reach. A tree about fifteen meters away.
Then I released.
The world blurred. Wind in my face. Feet barely touching the ground.
Then I lost control.
The tree came at me fast. Too fast. I tried to stop, but my chakra fizzled, my feet left the ground, and...
CRACK.
I hit the tree face-first. Fell backward into the snow. Lay there, staring at the sky, watching little birds circle my head.
«Are you conscious?»
Unfortunately.
«Your chakra distribution was uneven. The deceleration phase failed. Recommend adjusting by 14% on the next attempt.»
There's not gonna be a next attempt. I'm dead. I died hitting a tree.
«You are not dead. You have a minor nosebleed and a bruised ego. Stand up.»
I stood up. Wiped the blood from my nose. Looked at Kakashi.
He was staring at me. His book was closed. His visible eye was wide.
"What?" I asked.
He didn't answer for a second. Then: "You copied it."
"Yeah. You showed me twice."
"Most people can't copy a technique after seeing it twice."
I shrugged. "I'm not most people."
Kakashi was quiet for a long time. I could see him thinking. Recalculating. The same way Sasuke had looked at me after the spar.
«Kakashi's heart rate is elevated.»
"the one's who can copy at technique after looking at it are from the Uchiha clan members when they are using the sharingan"
"Uh huh".
"You're going to be trouble," Kakashi said finally.
"I've been told."
He shook his head. Almost smiled again.
"Keep practicing the shunshin. Don't turn the gravity seal back on until you've mastered the deceleration. You'll break something."
The old man was right about the kid... He has immense talent and "potential", Kakashi thought to himself.
"When will you come back to check on me?"
Kakashi's expression shifted. Became more serious.
"I won't be coming next week. Or the week after."
"Why?"
"Mission. Long-term intelligence gathering in the Land of Tea." He tucked his book into his vest. "I don't know when I'll be back."
"Ninja stuff?"
He didn't confirm or deny. Just looked at me for a second longer.
"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
"No promises."
He flickered. Gone.
I stood there in the snow, nose still bleeding, gravity seal in my pocket, feeling like I'd just been left alone on an island.
«Kakashi has departed. His chakra signature is no longer detectable.»
Yeah. I noticed.
«You should practice the shunshin. Your deceleration phase is unacceptable.»
JARVIS. I just hit a tree.
«Yes. And you will hit it again. And again. Until you stop hitting it.»
You're not very comforting.
«I am not programmed for comfort. I am programmed for results. Now. Try again.»
I put the gravity seal back in my pocket. Took a breath. Channeled chakra to my legs.
And flickered.
This time, I only hit three trees before I got it right.
---
Month Three – Snow and Silence
Winter hit hard.
The snow came down in sheets. The training ground was buried. The river was frozen. I had to chip ice off the water before I could practice walking on it.
Kakashi didn't come back.
I kept training. Every morning. 4 AM. The gravity seal was at 2.5x now, and I was getting used to it. My body was changing. Harder. Leaner. The kind of muscle you don't see on most six-year-olds.
Naruto noticed.
"You're getting buff," he said one day at lunch, poking my arm.
"I'm not buff, I'm built different"
"You are! Feel this!" He flexed his own arm. It was a noodle. "See? Yours is way harder!"
"That's what she said."
"What?"
"Nothing."
I'd been teaching him tree walking after class. He picked it up faster than I expected. The kid had terrible control, but once something clicked, it really clicked.
"Check it out!" He ran up a tree. Made it halfway before slipping and falling on his butt.
"Good," I said. "Keep going."
He grinned from the snow. "You're the best teacher ever, Ryū!"
«Naruto's chakra control has improved by 41% since beginning tree walking exercises.»
Good. He's gonna need it.
---
The next Day Everything Changed...
The snow was coming down hard. The kind of snow that turned the whole village white and muffled every sound.
Class let out early. Iruka was shooing everyone out the door, telling us to get home before the roads or paths got bad.
"RYŪ! HEY, RYŪ! WAIT UP!"
Naruto came barreling out of the school, a red scarf trailing behind him like a cape. His cheeks were red from the cold. His eyes were bright.
"Check it out!" He shoved a piece of paper in my face. "Iruka-sensei gave me a passing grade on the written test! I mean, it was a D+, but it's not an F!"
He was bouncing. Actually bouncing.
"That's great, Naruto."
"I couldn't have done it without you, ya know! Thanks for teaching me all that reading stuff. And the chakra stuff. And the..."
"I get it. You're welcome."
He grinned. Threw an arm around my shoulder. "Come on! Let's get ramen!"
"It's snowing."
"So? Ramen hot and fixes everything!"
We started walking. The village was quiet. Snow covered everything, roofs, streets, the faces of the Hokage mountain. It was almost pretty.
We were halfway to Naruto's apartment when he stopped.
His ears perked up. Literally perked up. Like a dog hearing a squirrel.
"You hear that?"
I stopped. Listened.
Voices. Coming from up ahead. Not friendly voices.
"if you're really Hyuga, then show us your Byakugan"
"your eyes are creepy"
"I bet you're some kind of monster, aren't you? A Byakugan monster"
Laughter. Mean laughter.
Then a quieter sound. Someone crying.
Naruto's face changed. The goofy grin disappeared. His eyes went hard.
"Leave her alone!"
He charged. Didn't think. Didn't plan. Just ran straight at the bullies.
There were three of them. Older. Academy seniors, maybe eleven or twelve. Bigger than us. A lot bigger.
Naruto threw a punch. The oldest bully stepped aside like it was nothing, shoved Naruto hard, and sent him flying into a snowbank.
WHOMP.
Naruto disappeared. Only his legs were sticking out, kicking uselessly.
"Stay down, loser," the bully spat. He turned back to the girl. Raised his hand. "Now, where were we..."
I walked forward.
The snow crunched under my feet. The gravity seal was pulling at me, but I didn't turn it off. Not yet.
"Move," the bully said. He was taller than me. Broader. But something in his voice wavered.
"This doesn't concern you."
I stepped between him and the girl.
"Everything Naruto cares about concerns me."
JARVIS.
«Yes.»
Let's slime 'Em.
«Confirmed. Deactivating gravity seal.»
The weight lifted.
The bully's fist came at my face. Slow. So slow. JARVIS was tracking it, calculating the arc, the speed, the point of impact.
«Dodge left. Counter: palm strike to the sternum.»
I moved.
His fist hit air. My palm hit his chest. Not hard. Just enough to knock the wind out of him.
He stumbled back, gasping.
The other two bullies rushed me. One from the left, one from the right.
«Duck. Sweep the leg. Elbow to the kidney.»
I ducked under a wild punch. Swept the second kid's legs out from under him. He hit the ground hard. The third kid grabbed my shoulder. I spun, drove my elbow into his side, and shoved him into a snowdrift.
The first bully was back on his feet. Angry now. Scared. He threw a haymaker.
I caught his arm. Twisted. Drove my knee into his stomach.
He folded.
They all folded.
I stood over them, breathing hard, snow falling on my shoulders. None of them were seriously hurt. Just bruised. Just scared.
"Scram," I said.
They ran.
"Ryū! That was… that was… SO COOL!"
Naruto popped out of the snowbank like a spring. Snow was in his hair, down his shirt, up his nose. He was grinning like a maniac.
"You beat them up! All of them! Just like that!" He was making explosion sounds with his mouth. "POW! BAM! WHAM!"
"It wasn't that impressive."
"It was SO impressive!"
I turned to the girl.
She was tiny. Smaller than me, even. Dark blue hair, pale skin, eyes that were white. Pure white. Hyuga eyes.
Hinata Hyuga.
She was staring at me. Her hands were clutching her scarf, knuckles white. She wasn't crying anymore. Just staring.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
I reached out my hand.
She flinched. Just a little. Then froze. Her eyes dropped to my palm. It was calloused. Rough. From months of push-ups, from climbing trees, from hitting walls and rivers and everything else.
She reached out.
Her tiny, soft hand touched mine.
ZZZT.
A static shock. Or maybe it was just the snow. Or maybe it was something else.
"Y-you…" she whispered.
Her face went from pale to pink. Then from pink to red. Then from red to the color of a tomato that had just won a race.
"You're… so strong."
"Well, of course," I said. "I'm Ryū."
I gave her a tired, lopsided smile. "And this is Naruto. He's the one who charged in first. He's got the biggest heart in the village."
I was trying to give Naruto the credit. I really was.
But she kept her eyes locked on mine.
She'd seen us in class. Naruto yapping, me pretending to take notes. She'd seen us at lunch, sharing food. She'd seen us walk home together, day after day. Not gay activity... Right?.
For a girl raised in the cold, perfectionist household of the Hyuga, where strength was everything and kindness was weakness…
I was the most incredible thing she had ever seen with the sole exception of maybe neji.
"Ryū-kun," she whispered. Her voice was barely audible over the wind.
Kun?!
«She has added an honorific to your name. This indicates respect and… other emotions.»
Did I just… bag the Naruto's girl?
«Your phrasing is crude. But essentially, yes.»
I'm six!
«Age is irrelevant to emotional attachment. Her heart rate is 145 beats per minute. Her chakra signature is fluctuating in a pattern associated with extreme emotional stimulation.»
Great. Now I have a Hyuga heiress following me. Hiashi is gonna kill me.
"Come on," I said, shaking off the weirdness. "Let's get you home before your guards have a heart attack."
We walked her toward the Hyuga compound. Naruto was rambling the whole way, replaying the fight in his head, adding more sound effects every time.
"and then Ryū went WHACK and the guy went flying, and then he went BOOM and the other guy fell over, and then..."
Hinata was half listening to Naruto.
Half watching me.
Every few steps, I'd catch her looking. Then she'd look away. Then look back. Her fingers were fidgeting against each other, twisting and turning like she didn't know what to do with them.
The Hyuga compound gates loomed ahead. Two guards in green vests stood at attention. They saw Hinata. Saw me and Naruto. Their eyes narrowed.
"This is us," I said, stopping.
Hinata stopped too. Turned to face me.
"Th-thank you," she said. "For saving me."
"Don't thank me. Thank Naruto. He's the one who charged in."
"I… I will. Thank both of you." She looked at me for another second. Then she turned and walked through the gates.
Halfway to the door, she looked back.
Then she disappeared inside.
Naruto elbowed me. "Dude. I think she likes you."
"She does not like me. She's just grateful."
"She was looking at you like you were a bowl of ramen."
"That's disgusting."
"It's true!"
I shoved him. He laughed. We walked back into the snow.
«User. A note.»
What?
«Hinata Hyuga's psychological profile suggests she will not forget this encounter. Her attachment to you has the potential to deepen significantly over time.»
JARVIS. I'm six...
«As I said. Over time.»
I sighed. Watched my breath fog in the cold air.
This is gonna be complicated.
«Complexity is the foundation of interesting narratives.»
Bruh...
«Acknowledged.»
---
END CHAPTER 11
Xx-----xX
A/N: Leave some power stones and if you don't I will come to your house tonight >:).
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Btw if you want to read some advance chapters then check out my P@treøn, links in the synopsis.