16 Shikotsumyaku

*Clang*Clang*Clang*

My chakra-coated kunai met Neji's with a clang and a shockwave rippled from the point of collision.

After struggling to push each other back, I jumped backward.

With a burst of chakra from the tenketsu in my feet, I soared above Neji. Twirling in mid-air, I slashed my kunai towards his neck. In response, he tilted his head, deflecting my kunai with a swift movement.

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Landing on the surface, I performed a swift roundhouse kick, aiming for his head. He slightly adjusted his posture and deflected my leg while grabbing my ankle, attempting to slam me.

But before he could hit me on the surface, I released the chakra in the form of spiky strings where he had grabbed my leg.

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He quickly let go of my leg and aimed the kunai at my gut, which I deflected with my own. With another clang, our kunai met and I gracefully landed.

I tossed the kunai on the ground, and it embedded itself to its hilt.

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Seeing this, he did the same. With a single hand sign, he uttered, "Byakugan," and assumed the Gentle Fist stance, blue chakra enveloping his fingers and palms.

I mirrored his actions, my hand perpendicular to my body. Activating my Byakugan, I spoke, "8 Trigram 16 Palms," and the illusionary seal of the 8 Trigrams appeared beneath me.

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I swiftly deflected Neji's palm as it aimed for my heart, my two fingers raised to close his tenketsu points, and he reciprocated. Each of his attacks was precise, and my movements were agile and swift in deflecting them.

With a final thrust of our palms, we met in the middle. My clothes fluttered as our chakra-infused palms collided, sending us both flying backward.

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As I was about to hit the ground, chakra strings formed behind my back, connecting to the water's surface, and I safely landed on my feet.

Meanwhile, Neji hit the water's surface and began to drown in the pond. we were fighting on a pond that was in the training ground. 

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A smug grin appeared on my face as I looked at him. Extending my hand, I pulled him upwards. "It's my win again, brother."

The main and branch family members were watching our little spar, which was far from little, from the walls. When it ended, they cheered for both of us and separated.

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According to our sparring rules, the first one to be submerged in the water would be the loser. And per our bet, the loser would have to do anything the winner asked.

"Hehe... brother... you'll have to do things you might not like," I said with a smile, my hair covering my eyes.

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"Why are you smiling like that? You're being creepy again," he nervously said, sweat forming on his face.

"Now, now, don't be like this. You just have to peek into my parents' room and watch if they do anything suspicious," I chuckled. "If they find out, you're on your own."

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This was the rule of our spar, and my dear brother hadn't won any of them. So, starting on the 4th day, he was doing my chores. Sometimes, he was caught by his father or uncle, resulting in one of two slaps to his cheeks.

"Why do you always bully me? I'm your big brother. You should at least respect me, even a little is enough," he growled.

I just laughed, which irritated him even more.

"Once I win, I'll get everything back."

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I just laughed at him.

It had been a month since I met the Hokage and two months since we started our training. After learning from my father and uncle, we sparred for at least 7 to 9 hours every day.

That's why we were improving at a rapid pace, everyone was shocked by the progress. Well if you practice 9 hours a day, you will definitely improve.

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If you don't then you are just 'trash' 

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"That's good," I said, lying on the grass, while Neji sat beside me. We were both physically exhausted, pushing our bodies to the limit every day, And due to this, we needed a lot of food. 

"Hey sis, how was hokage…" Neji asked me. 

"You daily asked me the same question,"

"But I will tell you though, just as I said to you he was suspecting me." 

"But how did you fool him?" he inquired, his excitement evident.

"I was always three steps ahead of him," I replied.

"What about the chakra-detecting bugs? How did you fool them?" he asked, He had studied about the abilities of all the clans. 

"Hehe, they're just mindless bugs. It's not that hard to fool them. Before going to the Hokage's office, I asked Ren to put some of his chakra on my shoulder," I explained.

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"So, while your chakra was sealed, the bugs detected Ren's chakra, and now they think you are innocent," Neji said, laughing in ecstasy. His grudge against Hiruzen was immense, and when he found out his sister had fooled him, his heart swelled with pride.

"You got it right, brother," I said while standing up.

"Let's eat; it's already night," I suggested.

He nodded and started walking beside me. "Do you know the best Taijutsu ability, brother?" I asked him.

He thought for a moment. "It's obviously the Gentle Fist," he replied.

"No, you idiot, it's not,"

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"Huh, what do you mean by it?" he asked.

"If it's technique, then there is no doubt the Gentle Fist stands above all," I explained.

"But techniques are different from abilities," 

"How so?" he asked.

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"Look, the Sharingan's ability to see a very vague chakra flow while someone performs a jutsu, photographic memory, and kinetic vision for heightened perception—these are the abilities of the Sharingan. That's why they can copy jutsus or fighting skills.

But Sharingan's genjutsu is a skill that differs from person to person.

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The Byakugan's abilities include X-ray vision, 360-degree vision, and the ability to see chakra and to manipulate it. These are some of the abilities, and many of them are hidden.

But the Gentle Fist is a skill... now you understand," I asked him.

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"Yes..."

"We have the best skills in taijutsu. Have you ever wondered if we also have the best taijutsu ability?" I whispered in his ear.

"We will be unbeatable," he said.

"That's my bro," I replied with a grin.

"And what is the best taijutsu ability?" he asked in anticipation.

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"It's called Shikotsumyaku."

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---

Some days before:

*Thud*

A small figure of a boy was thrown out. His small, skinny body hit the ground with a loud thud. The thrower showed no mercy to the poor boy. It was a miracle that his bones didn't shatter due to the impact.

"Don't you ever show your face here," the caretaker of the orphanage said with disdain as if she had just thrown away a piece of trash.

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Naruto looked at the ground and didn't say anything to her. The ground had some wet stains; it was obvious that they fell from his eyes.

Just as his friend had said, he would be kicked out of the orphanage in one month.

But deep down, he had hoped it was false.

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He had nowhere to go, no home in this cold, and no food in the morning. He had nothing.

Today was the last day of the month, and here he was, crying on the ground.

He didn't say anything to her; he quietly stood up, wiped away his tears, and walked away.

"Maybe people in the village don't know me, so it should be fine," he thought while rubbing his hands due to the cold, his whole body shivering.

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But as soon as he walked on the streets, people started to avoid him. He didn't know why, but he could hear whispers from far away.

"Why are they calling me like this? Am I really a demon fox?" he began to believe; maybe people were right.

But then he remembered his only friend, who had said he was no monster.

He was a special child, and the people who were special, bad people always feared them. They couldn't be special like them, so they just hated them. These were his friend's wise words.

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*Growl*

While walking aimlessly, his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since yesterday, and he put his hand on his stomach to hide the sounds.

But when the hunger became unbearable, he walked towards a fruit shop, hoping that someone could help him. So he smiled brightly.

However, when the shopkeeper saw him, his face distorted in anger and disdain. Seeing Naruto looking at the fruits, he grabbed one and threw it at him, hitting him on the forehead. "Stay away from my shop. I don't want my shop to be cursed," he shouted.

Naruto quickly picked up the apple and ran away. He didn't want to hear such words from them, they were hurtful. 

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As night completely enveloped the village, he stood in an alley, clutching a cardboard which he had picked up from the dustbin. 'This might be enough for sleep,' he thought.

He wrapped the red scarf around his nose and ears. "I hope we can play together," he smiled warmly when he remembered his sweet time with her.

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And just like this, days started to pass. His treatment in the village remained the same; people avoided him, and shopkeepers didn't give him anything. He himself wasn't sure how he was still alive. Sometimes, he felt like someone was watching him, but he couldn't find anyone.

But when he was sure nobody was watching, he picked up some leaves and tried to cut them.

At first, it was extremely hard, but he didn't want to disappoint his friend. When they met in the future, he would show her and learn more from her.

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He could cut the leaf, but not into as many pieces as she could, yet he was happy that he could do it.

This simple act distracted his mind from the villagers' gazes and whispers. His only focus was to cut the metal coin. All the while, he thought only about her, just as she had wanted him to do. It was all according to her plan.

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Unbeknownst to him, he had progressed significantly, performing elemental manipulation without any hand signs, and he was growing stronger day by day.

He didn't have any problems with chakra exhaustion because a big bad fox was resting inside his stomach.

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For most of the day, around 15 hours, he was trying to cut the coin with his wind-style jutsu. Even though his hand was in his pocket, he was still doing it.

She was making him powerful without even being with him. It was just a matter of time before she taught him the real cutting jutsu.

"Oh, I remember now. She told me about the forest and fishes. I won't have to beg from anyone," he thought with a smile and rushed towards the forest.

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He sat on a rock, holding a fishing rod in one hand and the coin in the other.

"Why can't I catch them?" he said in frustration, having sat for hours with no results.

After a few more minutes, "Finally!" he exclaimed when a fish was hooked.

In over three hours, he had caught only four more fish.

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"If she had taught me that flame jutsu, it would be easy to roast these fishes," he mumbled while trying to ignite the wood.

"This smells good," Naruto said as he sniffed the roasted fish.

He was about to take his first bite when he heard, "Can I sit with you, child?" It took him a moment to process what had happened. Then he tilted his head and looked at the old man, who was amiably smiling at him, as if he were seeing his own grandson.

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'His smile will be fake,' her words echoed in Naruto's mind, and when he focused on the man, he couldn't help but become wary. Nonetheless, he nodded.

Hiruzen sat on the opposite side of Naruto and looked at him, his grandfatherly smile always present on his lips.

"So who are you, old man?" Naruto asked him, his body tensed up. He knew this man was the Hokage, and everybody feared him. If he found out about his friend, he might kill his friend.

"Haha... don't be so scared, kid. I'm just an old man. Can I have one?" Hiruzen pointed towards the fish. Naruto, however, didn't want to give up his food, but he nodded in the end. The more he stayed with the old man, the more scared he became.

'Another lie,' Naruto thought. To Hiruzen, Naruto didn't know him, but Naruto knew him.

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"What were you doing in the middle of the forest? It's dangerous for a child like you to venture into the forest," Hiruzen asked, his eyes scanning him.

He didn't want Naruto to die, as he was, after all, the 4th Hokage's son. or There might be another reason, such as if Naruto were to die, the Nine-Tails could escape and rampage in the village, and he didn't have enough power to stop the beast.

"I know, but I don't have anyone to worry about me," Naruto replied with a smile.

"Do you know about my parents, old man?" Naruto curiously asked.

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Hiruzen thought for a moment, then shook his head with a disappointed look. He hadn't expected the kid to ask such a question to a random person. "Sorry, kid. I don't know about your parents."

'Another lie,' 

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"I see," Naruto said in a sad voice.

Hiruzen wanted to continue chatting with him, but he didn't have anything. He was here to offer him an apartment, but he thought, 'I should gain his trust first and then reveal to him that I am the Hokage.'

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"So, kid, what's your name?" he asked.

"It's Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied.

"It's a beautiful name," Hiruzen said. After chatting with him for a moment, he stood up and said, "Maybe we'll meet again later." Hiruzen waved his hand and then disappeared.

Naruto looked at his disappearing figure with a complicated gaze. Just as his friend had said, the man had told him lies and more lies.

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"It's been a month since I saw her. What if something happened to her?" he said, full of worry, as he walked toward the village to find her.

When he reached the village, it was already night. "Now I don't even know where her house is," he thought.

But when he looked around, people were avoiding him, and his enthusiasm to find her faded away. "What if her parents didn't like me? I don't want her to be scolded because of me," he turned away and walked in a different direction.

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In a corner of an alley, he sat down with the same coin in his hand. Time passed, but sleep eluded him. Gazing at the starry sky while lost in thought, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice, "Hey kid."

He quickly assumed a defensive position.

From the shadows, a man emerged with white, pupilless eyes, staring at Naruto. His expression was normal, with a slight grin on his face.

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Naruto quickly identified the man's eyes as the same as his friend's. This was the second person he had seen with these types of eyes and a smile formed on his face. His initial defenses vanished, showing how much he trusted her.

"Are you related to Hinata-chan?" he asked excitedly. "Where is she?"

He tried to look behind him, but his expression quickly changed. She had told him not to tell anyone about her, and he panicked.

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Seeing him like this, he chuckled. "Don't worry, kid. Lady Hinata sent me to give you this." Ren said, and a small scroll appeared in his hand.

When Naruto heard her name, a smile returned to his face. "What is this?" he asked while looking at the scroll.

"Let me show you how to open it. Watch carefully." Ren produced another identical scroll and taught him how to open it.

"Use it carefully," Ren said and then gave him some money.

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"Why are you here so late at night?" Naruto curiously asked.

"You might not know this, but the Hokage has assigned some ANBU ninja to watch over you. I appeared when I found the perfect time," Ren explained while leaning against the wall.

"So there are real ninja watching over me," Naruto mumbled.

"Of course. You're a special child. How could the Hokage let you go?" Ren said with a chuckle. He was doing what Hinata had told him. And honestly, he was liking this. 

"Have you met him?" Ren asked.

Naruto nodded in response.

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"Lady Hinata had told me to tell you this, but don't listen to the villagers, just practice what she told you to do, and next time she will teach you an awesome jutsu, and she is preparing a gift for you," Ren said.

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Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement when he heard about the jutsu and the gift.

Ren looked at him, 'Just as Lady Hinata had predicted.'

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'I can't wait to meet her. A gift? I wonder what it will be, and a new jutsu,' he thought, completely forgetting about the villagers and the Hokage. The only thing remaining in his head was their next meeting.

"You're a good kid. Don't disappoint Lady Hinata," Ren said and disappeared.

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"I won't," Naruto replied with a smile and looked at the scroll.

"I wonder what's in there." He was very excited.

He placed his hand on the scroll and did what Ren had taught him. With a puff of smoke, the scroll opened.

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Inside, he found warm clothes, black shoes, a pair of black pants, and a sweater. There was also around a month's worth of food, mostly high-quality dry fruits and eggs.

He looked at it all for a moment and then stared at the moon. He took a deep breath, and his eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

He quickly wiped his eyes. Now he didn't have to worry about the cold or food, and he also had some money.

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Ren looked at him from a tree, "Poor boy. It's a good thing that Lady Hinata met you, or you would have become a political and broken tool for the village." He said it with sympathy and then disappeared.

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End of the chapter. how do you like it? tell your thoughts about Shikotsumyaku

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