Chapter 10 – Ripples and those below
The day after our exam was the Ninja Registration Day.
We head to the village registry buildings, have a polaroid-like photograph of ourselves taken and are given our official forehead protectors with the cloth in our chosen color as well as our first paycheck.
It's nothing amazing but enough to make ends meet.
We are supposed to rely on mission income if we want to be able to buy our own house and save for retirement.
A lot of ninjas retire early by investing in some business but one needs to be careful as a lot of sectors are already monopolized by a few clans which would be unsafe to offend.
For my ninja headband, I choose a black colored cloth and wear it around my forehead.
I look a bit like Neji Hyuuga with it, but my hair is more wild and pure black instead of dark brown.
In the future, if my muscles grow large enough I'm planning to strap it around my biceps instead.
I considered trying to meet up with Naruto and swindle the multiple shadow clone technique from him but thought better of it.
It's considered a forbidden technique for a reason, it's dangerous to force one's chakra reserves too far.
It also leaves a ninja vulnerable if their reserves dip so low they can't defend their true body with a jutsu as their chakra remains locked in the clones until they disperse.
In the end, I choose to stay as far away from the plot as possible.
The regular version of the shadow clone technique is not too hard to obtain. It's a staple jounin ninja jutsu after all.
I can ask my jounin teacher when I have use for it and if they don't know I can then search for Naruto, Kakashi or someone else willing to teach it.
I'm a bit concerned over my lack of specialized jutsu.
Right now I just feel like a weaker Rock Lee only with some basic jutsu.
I can use my hormone control to spike myself and slowly debuff an enemy but I'm lacking options when it comes to countering enemy jutsu and in dealing with multiple enemies.
I wouldn’t mind getting Guy sensei as a teacher and learning the Eight Gates technique but I definitely wouldn't enjoy the training. Fortunately, he's already assigned and out of the available teacher pool for our year.
I think the likely teacher I'm getting assigned to is Kurenai or Asuma. I'm likely to either take Choji's place in the original team 10 or get sent to team 8.
In team 10 I'd be teamed with Shikamaru and Ino which would just be an awkward setup. In team 8 I'd be with Hinata and either Kiba or Shino would fill the gap in team 10.
In either of those squads, I'd have a female partner.
As for getting Kurenai as a teacher, I wouldn't be against stealing her but it wouldn't be easy.
As for team 7...
Please, in the name of Kaguya and Hagoromo keep me out of team 7 and away from Naruto and Sasuke.
I would love to end up in a team with Sakura but Naruto and Sasuke are the worst possible teammates. It would also mean getting stuck in the script which would be both boring and worrying.
I spend the rest of the day shopping for ninja supplies. A couple of kunai and explosive tags, a dozen shurikens and some rations.
Lastly, some new clothes that can fit my growing body. I choose clothes that are both comfortable and loose, but not too much that they'd interfere in a battle.
My looks have improved a lot since I got the knowledge of Naruto and hormone control.
I'm now 1.60m tall with enough lean muscle mass I'd be considered an athlete on Earth.
While on Earth it would be an unimpressive height, for our class it made me almost the tallest.
More importantly, my facial features got manlier which along with my long hair creates an air of mystery and seriousness.
Frequently I catch regular people on the street glancing my way and young women checking me out, too afraid to approach.
With all my chakra left unused by the end of the day I end up investing it in a full self-hormone regiment.
I'm excited for tomorrow.
My little butterfly wings have finally formed a tornado.
What on Earth they call the Butterfly effect.
Small changes can lead to big changes.
I've crushed Sakura and Hinata's crush spell. Ino's could have used more work but it was mellowed a fair bit and will be gone once they are separated in different teams.
Chouji didn't graduate.
Sakura, Ino and Hinata's grades improved a bit, unknown if it'll have any effect.
And finally, my presence can't be Ignored.
I ranked as the strongest taijutsu user of the class and demonstrated how I'm able to help myself and girls improve by using my "potential release".
I don't believe they would ever place me in a team filled with just guys.
I can't exclude the possibility they would place me with 2 other nameless graduates, but hopefully, the higher-ups find the need to protect my kekkei genkai warrants placing me under a strong Jonin.
I end up having to force sleep hormones on myself that night.