Naruto: Wolf of the Hidden Leaf

Classes continued as usual the next day. We were taught basic ninjutsus like 'substitution' and 'transformation'. We also had ninja tools training, standard training with shuriken and kunai throwing. I prided myself for was really good at it. Unfortunately, Umbra wasn't allowed to accompany me for today, which decreased my efficiency a bit. Having an extra set of eyes was always welcome.

Not that it mattered anyway. I never had any chance of having the lowest time on the exercise.

Itachi was a pure beast in this section. He finished the training full five seconds before me. Which was like an eternity in 'ninja time'. Even if Umbra had helped me, I don't think I would be able to beat him.

This just proved to show how lackluster I was compared to a true genius. The teacher gave us both full marks as the marks in this section were dependent on a specific time margin rather than counting who came first. But even those free scores couldn't delude me from the reality. The reality that I was clearly just the second best.

After the classes had ended, I had my genjutsu practice with Kurenai. I was specially worried about that considering how we left things last night. But when I went to meet with her, she was totally different than last night. Her eyes weren't insane anymore and she looked much more like her usual self.

She apologized instantly after seeing me. Multiple times actually. She also told me that as a compensation for last night's behavior, she'll teach me five C-rank ninjutsus. To which I graciously accepted.

As an academy student, I didn't have access on jutsus over D-rank. And my family techniques, while effective; weren't exactly a good fit for my fighting style. So, any extra jutsus that I can learn will be better for me. Besides, I was more interested in how chakra worked when using high level jutsu.

Regarding our genjutsu practice, she said that twice each week we'll meet after class and she'll teach me a new genjutsu. I am to learn that genjutsu before our next session. If I can master it within that time, she'll start teaching me another.

So on and so forth. She also clearly stated that as time progresses, she'll start teaching me even harder jutsus. After I've mastered some from the C-rank, then she'll ask the hokage to give me special permission to give access to the main library, which'll in turn give access to much more powerful jutsus from B to A rank.

Unfortunately, Konoha isn't exactly known for their powerful genjutsu user. And those who were actually powerful were mostly sharingan users. Which meant that a non-sharingan user doesn't have much options to choose from. Other villages like the hidden mist village had much more extensive arsenal of genjutsu.

Despite these circumstances, I was quite happy about the situation. This meant that I could technically have access to B-rank genjutsu while I'm still just an academy student. The technicality being my capacity to actually learn the jutsu taught to me before the next class. Which quickly became my new goal for my stay here at the academy.

For our first session, Kurenai taught me a basic illusion technique that could make double images or fake sounds. The hand signs were simple enough and the chakra flow was the same. It took me a couple of tries, but I could already perform the basic version of it.

Just like that our session ended within ten minutes or so. After I went home, I quickly went to my room and started my chakra training. Chakra reserves were a big deal for a ninja and the only way to actually increase the amount of chakra an individual had, they had to overexert their chakra again and again.

It was quite a grueling process, considering how exhausted I became after pushing past my limits. For this to work, I personally have made a training regimen that can help me with multiple issues that I had.

And the main key to the regimen was of course using the 'Shadow Clone Jutsu'. I already knew the hand signs that were required to use this jutsu considering that Naruto spammed this shit from the very first episode to the last.

But actually using it was much, much harder than I had realized and I experienced firsthand why this jutsu is considered to be a forbidden one. I tried to do this jutsu after my first day of chakra training with my mom and I actually almost died.

I knew very well that I didn't have nearly enough chakra to summon as much as Naruto and as a precaution, I decided to only summon one shadow clone. But that itself sucked away my chakra so fast that I passed out even before a single shadow clone could be summoned. And considering how chakra itself is closely related to the life-force of a person, I was extremely worried regarding the consequences. But fortunately, after properly replenishing my chakra for a few days I was fine.

It's not that I didn't have enough chakra to summon a single shadow clone. But more related to the fact that my chakra control was shit at that time. So, after training with my mother for almost five months regarding chakra control, I tried using it again. I think I was already capable just after a couple of months, I just decided to delay it considering how risky it was.

It took me a while, but at that time I was finally able to use 'Shadow Clone Jutsu'. Right now, I can actually summon multiple shadow clones at once. But I usually used only two. It was enough for me to do what I had in mind.

Another one of the more important of the aspect of this training was learning Rasengan. It was quite frankly in my opinion one of the most powerful, useful and flexible jutsu in all of Naruto. And also due to the fact that it didn't need a specific chakra nature to work, it was pretty much the go-to jutsu I wanted to learn.

Also, Also, I had clearly seen the training arc in which Naruto learns to use Rasengan. So, I had enough knowledge to actually try and train myself to use Rasengan. Although I had underestimated the amount of rubber ball I needed, it was not all bad. I was also not using an extra shadow clone to control my chakra in spherical shape like Naruto did initially. That along with the fact that I did not have monstrous amount of chakra like Naruto had made the learning curve a bit steep for me. Rather I used my two clones and myself to try and make three rasengans at the same time. I haven't succeeded yet, but that was okay. I was improving and I still had time.

This regimen was perfect for me. Both the shadow clone jutsu and rasengan are chakra extensive jutsus and required precise chakra control to even perform. Which has given me much help in the last couple of months in my chakra reserve and control. I felt that I could even summon four shadow clones, but opted not to do so considering the fact that too much chakra will be lost when I released the shadow clones. Being totally depleted of chakra was neither good for my mind nor my body.

And thus began the grind. I would go the academy everyday in the morning, see the swing that had more screen-time than many of the side characters combined, go to my sessions with Kurenai in the specified dates and then return home and repeat my regimen. With both Kaho and father on their missions, it was only me and my mom at the house. Shiro has started staying at the compound. Apparently, he has started dating someone new. He has asked me to meet her, but I wasn't much excited about that.

Although my brother was one of the kindest and smartest people ever, his choice in women was not something that I would want ever want to mention in public. And I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I gave him the excuse of Kurenai's extra classes. I'll try meeting her after their eventual break up.

My mom wasn't always present in the house. She is one of the senior nurses in the clinic and considering how often ninjas were injured, it was a bit of a pain for her to do her job and take care of me at the same time. But she already knew how I matured I already was and how I'm sometimes much more comfortable keeping to myself. So, that made her do her job without much worry.

Besides, Umbra was there with me and it was fun to train with a companion by my side. He kept me from training myself to death, for which I was extremely grateful for.

Even though I was tired every night after all my training, I still couldn't sleep properly. I feared of the night when Kurama would attack. Every time I looked at the Hokage Monument, I wondered how long it would stand unscarred. I knew what was coming. I just didn't know when.

One month passed just like that before that dreadful night.

The night of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox's attack.