The next day, Takuma found himself in a large field. Unlike the grassy fields with Maruboshi, every step on these yellow fields would kick up dust. Situated in one of the shinobi cantonments of the Leaf village, the field was the site for the first meeting of the newly minted rookies joining the Genin Corps. After ...
2022-11-16 21:20:07 +0000 UTC View PostSitting on a bench outside an administrative office wasn't how Takuma thought he would start his shinobi career, but the reality of the situation was more different than anything he had imagined. He leaned against the bench and thought about how all of his expectations had been subverted by a single line on a slip ...
2022-11-15 21:32:46 +0000 UTC View PostUPDATE [Dec 05, 2022]:, NOW OPEN TO EVERYONE.
First things first, there was supposed to be another Interlude chapter, but I've decided to scrap that as it no longers adds anything meaningful to the story. For th...
2022-11-14 14:52:51 +0000 UTC View Post— After the events of Chapter 12 —
The Hokage's Office was part of an administrative building. Situated on a floor heavily guarded by shinobi in-charge of Hokage's protection. The entire floor was on...
2022-11-13 19:40:54 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma peered inside the auditorium hall. Last week he was here giving his graduation test; the place looked spacious back then, spacious enough to test bukijutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu all under the same roof without interfering with each other. Today, the same hall was decorated for a formal event, jam-packed wi...
2022-11-12 21:50:02 +0000 UTC View PostTo be edited after completion of ARC-01 [The Sakura-Colored Days of Shinobi Academy]. — AN: Unrefined | [Update: Nov 19, 2022] AN: Damn, still haven't edited this. — | [Update: Nov 26, 2022] AN: Shit, need to take time out for this...
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Kibe gazed at his students sitting in a circle on the academy training grounds. They were chattering away as usual, like someone would sew their mouth if they didn't keep talking. He didn't stop them like he usually would— it was their last day as academy classmates after all. He was sure they were excited to lea...
2022-11-10 19:47:13 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma stared at the result of his graduation examination's second attempt with his lips pressed into a white line. The red FAIL stamped on the paper glared at him— a sign of his ineptitude. Despite putting his life into training for the second attempt, he had yet again gained a second FAIL mark...
2022-11-09 16:11:28 +0000 UTC View PostThe bustling streets of the Leaf village suited one of a metropolitan in its busy residents traversing them in hordes every day to get to the next task of their fast lives. No one paid attention to the unassuming young child that sat on the roadside bench with a creaky exercise gripper in hand.
Tak...
2022-11-08 18:40:08 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma stumbled as he avoided Maruboshi's swing. He rolled away to regain his foot, but Maruboshi was on him, and he had to hop backward to survive the shinobi's attack. He pushed off his feet backward and landed on his hands again to push off to put considerable distance between them.
It was stran...
2022-11-07 19:28:59 +0000 UTC View PostThe different parts of the test were placed around the auditorium in a zig-zag manner along the length of the hall. The bukijutsu part was placed near one wall, and to go to the next part, Takuma had to go toward the other wall.
"Good afternoon, child. Are you Takuma?" The next invigilator was a mi...
2022-11-06 18:34:40 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma's chin rested on his palms with his fingers cupping his face; his right foot had grown a mind of its own and wouldn't stop fidgeting. His stomach also didn't seem to be doing well from all the gurgling he was hearing from inside.
He restlessly looked around the noisy classroom that matched h...
2022-11-05 18:51:18 +0000 UTC View PostAnother day rolled in, and like every morning, Takuma found himself in the middle of the field, sitting on the ground, doing the post-training stretches so he could leave the training session and return to get his day started.
"You seem down, young Takuma," Maruboshi, performing the same stretches ...
2022-11-04 18:42:43 +0000 UTC View Post"Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Jutsu) is more complicated than the Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Jutsu)," said Maruboshi to his eager student. "What you learned right now was to create an illusory clone with no substance, but Henge no Jutsu allows a shinobi to manipulate your body itself, whic...
2022-11-03 18:49:46 +0000 UTC View Post"What do you feel? Describe it to me," Maruboshi asked as he walked around Takuma, who had a Dog hand seal formed with his hands.
Takuma had his face scrunched up in concentration as he felt the chakra flow through the chakra pathway system inside his body. "It's strange. This feels quite different...
2022-11-02 18:33:01 +0000 UTC View Post"You have certainly gotten better."
Takuma blocked a punch from Maruboshi by forcing it off mark using his forearm. The next moment, he grabbed hold of Maruboshi's arm and pulled the older man forward and down while thrusting the elbow of his other arm toward Maruboshi's face.
Maru...
2022-11-01 18:43:19 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma jumped up to avoid Hiji's leg sweep and tried to crush one of his legs by landing on it, but Hiji pulled his leg back at the last moment. Both met eyes to gauge each other's next moves; it only lasted a split-second before Hiji sprung up, and Takuma jumped back.
Hiji immediately charged forw...
2022-10-31 21:31:39 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma lumbered his way through a stretch of long golden grass, his eyes sweeping through his surroundings, taking account of everything around him. He put his hands under the straps of his backpack and adjusted the weight on his back by pulling on the adjustable straps.
His eyes caught something h...
2022-10-31 20:16:12 +0000 UTC View Post"This is ridiculous... Ah, NO!"
Takuma said as he frowned hard enough to give himself a unibrow. And the moment he spoke, the leaf stuck between his eyes fell. He tried to grab it but ended up crushing the thin green leaf in his fist.
"Get a new one," Maruboshi said, his eyes close...
2022-10-31 20:15:45 +0000 UTC View Post"Ah... that idiot is going to do something stupid."
Izumi stopped playing with the ash-gray puppy lying on her lap with his tummy exposed and looked at Hana, who was frowning. She followed Hana's eyes and found herself looking at Takuma and Hiji standing in the middle of the circle. Takuma had his ...
2022-10-31 20:10:35 +0000 UTC View PostOn the last bench of the classroom, gentle rays of sunlight bathed Takuma in its soft warmth.
He had half his tongue sticking out and up of his lips as he scribbled down with a heavy hand on the white page, haphazardly scratching it with the black of the graphite pencil in his grip to form words wo...
2022-10-31 20:10:11 +0000 UTC View PostTakuma turned his head at the sound of footsteps suddenly appearing in the middle of the field where he and Maruboshi used to train in the mornings.
"... You are early today, young Takuma.... and have apparently warmed up already."
Takuma stood up from the plank position and faced ...
2022-10-31 20:09:48 +0000 UTC View PostIt was too bright, Takuma thought annoyingly. The light from his bedroom window was painting the backside of his eyelid. And he hated nothing more than to have his sleep ruined by errant light.
'I don't want to get up,' he thought, rolling to his side, and to his delight, the harsh glare o...
2022-10-31 20:09:18 +0000 UTC View PostMaruboshi and Takuma sat together in front of each other in the middle of the field. The morning's gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the abundant trees in and around the Leaf village, bringing about a harmonious summer sound.
"Seeing that you have tried to practice chakra on your own. Tell me abo...
2022-10-31 20:08:53 +0000 UTC View Post"Young Takuma, did you talk to someone about us?"
Takuma flicked his head up to rid the sweat-soaked hair from his face as he looked at Maruboshi. He stopped pushing the large sheet metal basket filled with heavy sand—
"Do not stop," said Maruboshi.
Takuma scowle...
2022-10-31 20:08:24 +0000 UTC View PostJurou shifted her diary and folder of documents onto her right forearm with her fingers curling inwards to clutch them in place as she straightened the pleats of her long white skirt and tucked the strands of hair falling on her face behind her ear.
She straightened her back and pressed the white d...
2022-10-31 20:07:51 +0000 UTC View PostOne thing Takuma disliked about the schedule Maruboshi had put him on was that he went through three sets of clothes daily. And for him, who didn't have a washing machine in his house, it was extra work after a hard day of exhaustion. He had to change clothes after his morning session with Maruboshi because he didn...
2022-10-31 20:06:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe sky was blue at five in the morning, with a tinge of orange and yellow peeking at the horizon. The air felt cool with a hint of dew suspended in it, bringing a slight weight to the lightness of the early mornings.
Takuma stepped out from between the trees into the clearing. He hadn't spoken muc...
2022-10-31 20:06:04 +0000 UTC View Post"Lower your hip more when you're preparing to launch forward. It will help you project ahead with more speed, and the closeness to the earth improves stability, allowing you to control your direction, and it takes a lot of weight off your ankles in case you need to stop."
Takuma furrowed his brows ...
2022-10-31 20:04:27 +0000 UTC View PostThe Academy's Training Field No. 2 was Takuma's least favorite place in the world. Even the lush and soft mat of cleanly cut grass that covered the entire field that had given him the best nap of his life and the best sleep he had ever since arriving in the miserable world of shinobis didn't give the place a higher...
2022-10-31 20:03:43 +0000 UTC View Post
