After heading inside with his father, they parted ways. Kuro moved toward the front door while his father headed deeper into the house. As Kuro reached for his sandals, he heard his father's voice drift from the kitchen.
"Hun, I'll help you prepare dinner. Just sit back and rest. Every now and then, your husband can do some cooking. Also, little Kuro is going out we finally have some time to ourselves. What do you say, love?"
Kuro could hear the smile in his mother's surprised reply, followed by a soft laugh.
With a small smile of his own, he continued tying his sandals. He was planning to stop by the playground and then the village park to see if he could find some like-minded individuals. The locations weren't too far from where his small clan compound was located or rather, a cluster of houses in the surrounding area that the Genki clan had bought and acquired over time.
While dinner is being prepared and father's machinations unfold in my absence, Kuro thought wryly, I'm starting to think the old man just wanted to get rid of me for a few hours.
Shaking his head with amusement, he stepped out of the compound and into the streets.
Myriad bodies scattered across the pathways, low voices spreading through the wide street. Small bursts of laughter and children's voices could be heard echoing between buildings. The village was alive with the energy of early evening, that golden hour when work was winding down and families emerged to enjoy the remaining daylight.
Heading left down one of the main streets toward the park, Kuro decided to go to the location that seemed most favorable the one with the most space and the fewest crowds.
A few minutes of walking brought him to a large open area bordered by tall trees and a wide pond. The park was beautiful in the fading sunlight, shadows stretching long across the grass.
Kids with their parents could be seen scattered throughout. A group of children played together near the pond's edge, skipping stones and laughing when someone managed more than three bounces.
In a more open section of the park, a larger group of kids maybe ten or twelve of them were engaged in an enthusiastic game of ninja tag. Their excited shouts filled the air:
"You're too slow!"
"Substitution!" one boy yelled, diving behind a tree stump as another kid lunged for him.
"That doesn't count! You have to actually substitute with something!"
"Does too count! I substituted with air!"
"That's not how it works!"
A girl, probably around nine or ten, was clearly dominating the game. She moved with swift, precise footwork, tagging three kids in quick succession before they could scatter. "Got you! You're it now!"
"Aw, man! Reina, that's not fair! You're too fast!"
"Maybe you should train more!" Reina said smugly.
An older person watched from the sidelines with an amused expression, occasionally calling out corrections. "Kenji! You're too easy to tag when you're standing up straight! Lower your center of gravity!"
A small smile graced Kuro's lips. This was truly peaceful this was truly a park of a ninja village and chaotic at the same time, the beautiful contradiction of children at play.
However, considering all the negative things this world had to offer, moments like this felt precious. In the moment, if all things could be like this, it would be great, he thought. If chakra was just an overall booster to having an easier and fulfilling life rather than...
However, desire, love, and greed had made it into a weapon. A tool for war.
In the distant future and not too far war and skirmishes would soon consume this peace. He looked at the many figures. In the coming decades, how many would survive? How many mothers and fathers playing with their children here and now would possibly bury them?
Even he wasn't safe from this. His father, in his position, could easily become susceptible to the many dangers, leaving his mother with only him.
Death would become commonplace. And lurking beyond even that, the true terror were the Ōtsutsuki.
But that was years away. Decades, even.
Continuing while lost in his thoughts, Kuro's attention was caught by a young girl, perhaps a bit older than him eight or nine, he estimated.
She was relaxing on a raised mound about a hundred meters away, the breeze gently brushing her dark hair. She lay there with her eyes closed, looking distant and peaceful, detached from all things.
From this distance, he could see she wore dark pants and a black tee, practical clothing rather than anything ornate.
Not a fan of dresses, huh, he thought with mild amusement.
He briefly considered joining her the spot looked ideal for quiet contemplation but perhaps he would just be disturbing her peace, even if he remained quiet himself.
Taking in her figure for a few more moments, he continued on. Perhaps it would be good to find a spot and relax too.
Looking around, he found a solitary tree set back from the main activity areas. He sat down beneath it, crossed his legs, rested his hand against his head, and closed his eyes.
While his eyes were closed, he couldn't help but think about the uniqueness of his chakra. Currently, he couldn't see or feel anything out of the ordinary about it at least, nothing his father could detect. He wondered what the end result would be and whether it could become his major reliance in this world.
I just need to protect those I hold dear, he thought. As for the world... if the sky falls, someone else will hold it up.
Throughout history, there were many great figures who had borne that weight: the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, eventually the Fourth, and the Sannin. All were great pillars that affected the world to some degree. The village was entering a period of somewhat internal stabilization, although not complete mostly because the leadership feared their own warriors. As for the future, Naruto and Sasuke would come in with the clutch when things got dire. Hell, even Boruto rises to the occasion.
Perhaps only the Boruto era will cause some trouble, but that's decades away. I'll probably be an old man or dead by then.
He exhaled slowly. Anyway, as I am, I'm not the child of destiny. I just need to focus on training, mostly for survival. Within a year, I should master the hidden requirements for chakra control and shape manipulation. Refine that aspect to its peak. When I'm older, test my chakra nature, then start developing techniques under some guidance.
As for his physique, he needed to increase his training slowly and steadily. He sure wasn't Rock Lee or the Crimson Beast of the Hidden Leaf Guy-sensei, whose training regimen was legendary and borderline insane. That part would require patience and consistency rather than explosive effort.
Take it slow. Build a proper foundation. Don't overtax the body while it's still developing.
Nearby, he could hear more children's voices from the ninja tag game:
"Safe zone! Safe zone! You can't tag me here!"
"There is no safe zone!"
"Yes there is! We agreed the big rock is safe!"
"No we didn't!"
A mother's patient voice cut through the argument: "If you can't agree on the rules, the game is over and we're going home."
The argument immediately ceased, replaced by hasty negotiations and resumed play.
Kuro's lips twitched. Some things are universal, regardless of the world.
Another group of academy-age kids ran past his tree, apparently playing their own version of ninja tag with more elaborate rules.
"Clone Jutsu!" one boy yelled, though of course nothing happened.
"You don't know that technique yet, Daichi!"
"I'm practicing for when I learn it!"
"That's not how practice works!"
Kuro almost laughed. Future shinobi in training, already trying to incorporate advanced techniques into their games.
His thoughts drifted back to his training path. Within the next few years at the academy, he'd need to carefully demonstrate steady improvement without revealing his true capabilities, though this may change depending on the circumstances.
The academy curriculum is six years standard, four for prodigies, he reminded himself. I'll aim for five. Fast enough to be notable, slow enough to avoid standing out too much.
By then, he'd be eleven or twelve. If the timeline held somewhat close to what he remembered, the First Shinobi World War would be approaching or already underway. While in the first war, the First Hokage had been injured in battle before Kuro was born, and Tobirama took over as the Second. While still alive, the First was more on the back burner now.
As I am now, I just need to survive. Protect what matters. Let the heroes save the world I'll just make sure my corner of it stays intact.
It was a modest goal, perhaps even selfish by shinobi standards. But Kuro had no illusions about being a hero. He'd been given a second chance at life, and he intended to actually live it rather than throw it away for abstract concepts like glory or duty.
Though... if push came to shove, if his family or friends were threatened, he'd fight. That was different. That was personal.
"Look out!"
The shout came from his right a young girl's voice, high and urgent.
Kuro's eyes snapped open instantly, his body responding to the warning on pure instinct. He jerked his head to the side just as a frisbee whizzed past where his head had been a split second before, moving with far more velocity than any normal throw should have.
The disc spun through the air with a distinctive whoosh, and Kuro's momentum carried him into a roll away from the tree.
Thwack!
A hand shot out, catching the frisbee with casual precision before it could sail further into the park.
But it wasn't just a hand there was a sharp, excited bark that accompanied the catch.
Kuro looked up from his crouched position to see a small white dog, probably a puppy, standing on its hind legs with its front paws pressed against a young girl's leg. The girl herself looked around fourteen, wearing practical dark clothing with the Inuzuka clan symbol prominently displayed, and distinctive red fang markings adorned her cheeks. Her wild brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her eyes held the fierce alertness characteristic of her clan.
"Kuromaru! I told you to control your strength!" she said, though her tone carried more exasperation than real anger. The puppy whined apologetically, tail drooping slightly.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
A little girl came running up, breathing hard and looking mortified. She had the same fang markings on her cheeks, though less pronounced, and similar wild hair tied back with a red ribbon. She looked about six years old, and her eyes were wide with worry.
She stopped a few feet away from Kuro and bowed deeply. "I'm really, really sorry! Are you okay? Did it hit you?"
"I'm fine," Kuro said, standing up and dusting off his pants. He looked at her with genuine gratitude. "Thank you for the warning. If you hadn't shouted, I wouldn't have moved in time."
The little girl's expression shifted from worry to relief, then to embarrassment. "I saw it go wrong as soon as Kuromaru released it. I knew it was going to hit you!"
The puppy Kuromaru, apparently also bowed, or at least approximated one, which Kuro found oddly endearing. Then it barked apologetically.
The older girl studied Kuro with a sharp stare, clearly assessing him despite the casual setting. "Good reflexes. Most kids would've frozen or gotten hit even with a warning." She grinned, showing slightly pronounced canines. "You've got decent situational awareness for an academy student."
"That was a chakra-enhanced throw, wasn't it?" Kuro replied simply. He glanced at the puppy, who was now wagging its tail cautiously. His lips curved into a small smile. At this, the puppy wagged its tail even more.
The older girl's eyebrows rose in surprise and approval. "You know about chakra enhancement already? And you could tell just from watching it?" She looked genuinely impressed. "Most academy students don't even learn the theory until later."
"My father's a ninja. He's been teaching the practical aspects as well as the theory," Kuro explained. He looked at the frisbee, then at the little girl and her ninken. "It's clever training using frisbee throws instead of punching trees or breaking rocks. At your age, the risk of injury to developing bones is too high with traditional strength training. But throwing with chakra enhancement lets you build the reinforcement pathways without the damage."
The older girl's eyes widened, and she let out a low whistle. "Okay, now I'm really impressed. That's exactly why we do it this way." She crossed her arms, studying Kuro with renewed interest. "Your father's teaching you well. Most kids just think it's playing they don't understand the actual training principles behind it."
She gestured to herself. "I'm Inuzuka Kaori, by the way. This is my little sister, Miyuki." She pointed down at the younger girl around his age, who was now slightly bowing while mumbling apologetically. "And this is Kuromaru, Miyuki's ninken partner."
Kuromaru barked, sounding quite energetic.
"Genki Kuro," he replied with a small bow.
Miyuki's eyes suddenly widened with recognition. "Wait! Genki... I know that name! You were at the academy assessment today!"
Kuro looked at her more carefully. Now that she mentioned it, something about her did seem familiar. "You went for the assessment as well then?"
"Yes! I saw you during the leaf test!" Miyuki said, her earlier embarrassment fading into excitement. "You stuck seven leaves! I remember because the instructor said that was really good!"
Miyuki then tentatively asked, "Which class did you get placed in?"
Though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.
"Class 1-A."
"I knew it!" Miyuki exclaimed, then looked slightly sheepish. "I only got Class 1-B. I could stick three leaves, but that wasn't enough for the advanced class."
"Three is still good," Kuro said honestly. "You demonstrated enough, and over time you will improve. Most kids couldn't even stick one."
Miyuki's face brightened considerably at the encouragement. "Really?"
"Really. The instructors said advancement between classes is possible too, right? If you keep training with your ninken partner, you'll probably move up soon."
Kaori grinned widely at Kuro's words, clearly pleased by his encouragement of her sister. "I like this kid. He's got his head on straight." She tossed the frisbee up and caught it. "Genki... From the merchant clan?"
"That's right."
Kaori studied him for a moment longer, then seemed to come to a decision. "Well, Genki Kuro of Class 1-A, since Miyuki's warning saved you from getting knocked out, how about you join us for a bit?" She gestured broadly at the open area of the park.
"We're doing chakra strength training Miyuki and Kuromaru are working on building their teamwork. With frisbee training, it's safer than traditional methods for kids their age, and it also builds coordination between partner and ninken at the same time."
"Plus," she added with a knowing smirk, "Miyuki could use more friends from the academy. She's been nervous about starting, even though she won't admit it."
"I have not!" Miyuki protested, her cheeks turning pink. But she looked at Kuro hopefully. "But... it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Most of the other kids in Class 1-B already knew each other from their clan compounds or neighborhoods." Her voice trailed off to the point where she ended up fidgeting with her fingers.
Cute, Kuro thought, seeing her shyness.
Kuromaru barked in agreement and wagged his tail at Kuro, apparently voting in favor of him joining.
Kuro hesitated. He'd come here to think and observe, not necessarily to socialize. But then again, his father had encouraged him to make friends. And there was something refreshing about Kaori's straightforward manner typical of the Inuzuka clan's direct nature.
Besides, Miyuki was looking at him with hopeful eyes that reminded him uncomfortably of a puppy, and Kuromaru was literally doing puppy eyes.
"Alright," he said finally after some thought. "But I should head back before dark."
"Perfect!" Kaori grinned. "Fair warning though Miyuki and Kuromaru are still learning control with chakra enhancement. The whole point is to build their reinforcement gradually, so sometimes the throws go wild. Stay alert."
"I noticed," Kuro said dryly, which made Kaori bark out a laugh.
As they moved to a more open area of the park away from the ninja tag game, Kuro couldn't help but notice how naturally Miyuki and Kuromaru moved together. Even at six years old, the bond between ninken and partner was already forming. It was fascinating to observe the way Kuromaru would glance at Miyuki before moving, how Miyuki seemed to anticipate the puppy's actions.
"So the frisbee throwing is specifically for chakra strength training?" Kuro asked as they walked, still confirming his suspicion.
"Yep!" Kaori said cheerfully. "Traditional Inuzuka training involves a lot of physical conditioning, but for kids Miyuki's age, we have to be careful. Their bones are still developing, and too much impact can cause problems down the line." She gestured at the frisbee. "But they still need to start building their chakra reinforcement pathways early that's what gives Inuzuka our physical strength later on and advancement of chakra pathways to handle our clan Beast Transformation."
She held up the frisbee. "So we use throwing exercises. Miyuki channels chakra into her arms and hands to reinforce them, then throws with Kuromaru chasing after it to help retrieve it. It builds the pathways without the impact damage. As she gets older and stronger, we'll transition to harder training methods."
"And it doubles as coordination practice for the ninken bond," Kuro observed.
"Exactly!" Kaori looked impressed again. "Yeah Kuromaru has to time his chakra release with Miyuki's throw, and Miyuki has to learn to work with Kuromaru's instincts. It's foundational training disguised as play."
Miyuki was already positioning herself, Kuromaru sitting attentively beside her. "Can I try again, Kaori-nee?"
"Go ahead. And Miyuki?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember control before power. Don't rush, or you'll take off someone's head again."
Miyuki nodded seriously, her cheeks a little flushed, then looked at Kuromaru. The puppy's tail wagged once, and somehow through whatever connection ninken partners shared they seemed to understand each other.
Kuro watched carefully as Miyuki threw the frisbee, chakra flowing visibly through her arm for just a moment. The throw was strong , stronger than a six-year-old should manage but not uncontrolled like before.
Kuromaru immediately chased after it, his figure dashing rapidly.
The ninken caught it easily, and Kaori nodded approvingly. "Better. Much better. That's the right amount of reinforcement for your current level."
As Kuro stood there watching the Inuzuka sisters train, he thought that this was... nice. Unexpected, but nice.
Two acquaintances made on his first day.
Maybe his father's advice about making friends wasn't so bad after all.
Even if one of them had almost knocked him unconscious with a chakra-enhanced frisbee throw.