5 Nightmare for the Ages

So far in his short life Kobaru had no regrets. If there were any he couldn't recall, but when the word "maggot" left Chusei's stupid grin. Every decision he made up to that point was written off as incredibly incorrect.

The clearing fell perfectly silent. Nohara-sensei fixed the orange haired boy with a one-sided smirk. Communicating a million hateful words with that alone. The other genin stood rooted to the spot. Their eyes showing the desire to run away but their shaky legs denying them the request.

Every shinobi, young or old, was aware of the purpose behind the ranking system. It was required knowledge. Information for ranks of chunin and genin were plentiful as there were more individuals making that rank. The skill level required for elite promotion on the other hand, was held with strict confidentiality.

All that was known. Is that they could kill with twine and paper.

Where one spent an average of four years at the academy to become genin. They spent an average of two years to become chunin. The rank above those two were reserved for few.

Rumors were that you had to prove yourself to be of godlike proportion to your peers. An advanced understanding of the three basic areas, matched with an efficient knowledge of its usage and execution. Then there was also the rumored mission completion rate of ninty-nine percent. People were confident that was the deciding factor of being referred for the rank.

Whether it was true or not. This basic qualification would prove that jonin were harder to kill than metal cockroaches.

Smiling at a group of fresh genin children, when your fifth gate was out of commission. Was a clear enough sign that they should turn tail and head for the hills. No practice spar was worth whatever that smirk symbolized. Before anyone could actually make a move, Nohara-sensei formed a one-handed serpent seal.

He felt a strong pulse of chakra flared out from the center of the group. Chusei looked up at Kobaru with a shocked look on his face, "Oh sh-!"

Kobaru had always subscribed to the notion that Nohara-sensei could move at superhuman speeds. Still, he never expected the man to move that fast.

In an actual heartbeat. The jonin had embedded a kunai, hilt deep in the top Chusei's skull. The younger genin felt his breathing hitch as he fell over on his backside.

No.

Red liquid gushed out of the wound coloring Chusei's hair and covering his face to form a gruesome portrait. Though he was clearly brain dead, his body refused to fall over. He just stood there with glassy eyes staring right at Kobaru's gaping jaw.

Eyes widened in horror at the sight.

Chusei was dead.

It was that easy for him to lose his liife. That easy for a genin to go from happy and hopeful...

To dead.

He was a novice. He was weak. His most impressive technique was a shadowless hologram. He had a dream and now he was gone.

Kobaru's senses kicked into high gear again as Nohara-sensei went over to his next target. Snapping their neck and leaving their limp frame to fall lifeless. He plucked the kunai out of Chusei's skull and hauled it at another genin who caught it with her forehead.

Kobaru took the moment to look around at the remaining few. Most of them adopted similar positions, sitting flat on their asses as they watched their comrades fall. One by one they were slaughtered. Each in a manner more savage than the last.

The next victim was sliced open at the front. Her innards spilling out onto the forest floor in a revolting show. A boy had his trachea ripped out of his neck with a barehand. Then his body was tossed to the side as though he was merely trash.

He finally made his way over to Nagisa who was silently staring at the back of Chusei's head. She wasn't shaking and by her expression there was no outward sign of fear. However, her lack of motion betrayed her measure of confidence. Nohara sensei grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up. Tightening his grip around her small throat.

He held the blue haired genin in place. Which was easy because she didn't even fight back. Just allowed her suffocation to continue.

"Stop sensei! Please!" He yelled gaining control over his body again.

"Shut up maggot, your turn's coming. Just sit still for a while," the man replied with his eyes still pinned on Nagisa hanging at the end of his arm.

He didn't have much respect for the man, but he was scared enough to stay in line. The knowledge that he had the revered jonin privilege meant he was primed to get away with a lot more than the average shinobi.

Kobaru forced himself into a stance and took a shaky step forward, "Doesn't the village need us around. You said that our lives were valuable. Didn't you? Now you're going crazy 'cuz a kid called you a maggot?"

"Only half of a reserve genin class ever make it to their first B-rank. From there only one of them will ever attempt to complete an A-rank, barely ever succeeding," his sensei explained ignoring the last bit of Kobaru's outburst, "S-ranks are completely out of the question. So, if anything I'm doing the village a favor by culling the weak."

Of course, he knew his chances of survival. It was the first thing he understood when he entered the academy. It only became more apparent when he was passed off to the reserves. Still, that didn't give anyone in Konoha the right to get rid of them. Especially for something so petty.

"Then why don't you just teach us right then. Wouldn't you receive renown for manufacturing thirty A-rank shinobi?"

"That's a stretch kid. The reserves only exist for their numbers. Not for their skills and abilities."

"Then... I'll prove the whole village wrong!" Kobaru spat then against his own will, sprinted towards the man, "I'll show you that the reserves are just as good as other stupid genin."

He wasn't sure what his plan of attack was, but he knew that he had to do something. He had to make it out of here alive. Maybe save a fellow genin in the process.

As he ran by Kobaru dislodged the kunai stuck in the girl's forehead. Ignoring the sound of bone on metal as he continued his sprint. He didn't have to murder the man. If he did then he would be tried for treason and given his current political influence, that meant death. What he could do was provide him a reason for an early retirement.

Kobaru jumped onto the man's back and wrapped his left arm around his neck. Then locked his legs in place at the hips to ensure his grip was true. Once in place he allowed tendrils of his chakra to coil around the upper body to keep himself steady. Nohara-sensei instinctively tried to shake him off, dropping Nagisa in the process, who let out shallow gasps for air.

Yes! Still alive. Now for the hard part; Crippling this bastard.

This was in many ways harder to do than killing someone. After all your goal was everything short of murder. You could flay, dismember and even gouge at your victim as long as they didn't croak in the process. Assassination usually involved a quick resolute action. To impair a target the attacker would need to consider a lot of things. It was a separate art that if done incorrectly, just wound up taking the target's life.

Kobaru was not a master of this art and lacked the strength necessary to paralyze him. So, he hesitated in favor of thinking his plan through. This momentary lapse gave Nohara-sensei the chance to perform a somersault, landing hard on his back.

Sadly, his student who was still attached cushioned the force of the fall, winding him in the process. The tendrils that were latched retreated to Kobaru's coils, effectively setting the maniac loose.

He quickly got to his feet and whirled around on the small boy. In the same motion he planted a heavy stomp on his sternum. Then balanced all his weight on the heel right over his diaphragm preventing the boy from inhaling.

The young genin instinctively stuck the kunai in the calf of his sensei. Removed it then jammed it into his kneecap.

The man hopped backwards and Kobaru seized his chance to get back to his feet. Then rushed at his sensei who quickly did the same. A blown kneecap still wasn't enough to slow him down. The two clashed at the halfway point engaging in hand to hand, before the more experienced shinobi prevailed.

Nohara moved behind his student while the latter was too busy chambering a jab. He grabbed the back of the boy's shirt and hauled him into the air, before slamming him him headfirst onto the ground.

Kobaru knew his neck was broken the moment he hit the dirt. The loud pop and snap only confirmed that. He tried to move and realized that his plan had backfired. Leaving him in a now motionless heap. To make matters worse his psychotic assailant was ready to finish him off.

I can't die. Not yet. Especially not like this. Kobaru couldn't feel it, but he knew that he was crying, this can't be over. I still have so much to do.

If he could laugh, he'd belt out in a fit.

He was already handed a handicap by not being born into a clan or shinobi family. If their best died on the frontlines. What was it for someone like him?

They had centuries to hone and refine their skill. They were using chakra long enough that it's specified use led to bloodline mutations. They were bred to have a head start in this business and even they weren't guaranteed a twenty seventh birthday.

Nohara-sensei knelt down on his bad knee next to Kobaru. The two locked eyes for a wordless second. It was over for him. If the unlikely happened and he survived. He would just be a liability to everyone in his life. He couldn't continue the family business or pass on the name if he couldn't get out of bed.

"I can at the very least allow you the honor of not seeing this," the brown-haired man sighed then covered his students' eyes with an open palm. Kobaru wanted to retract as he realised the man's hand was wet with blood from the other genin.

The sick sound of metal being torn out of his knee hung in the air. The man didn't even grunt at the brutish removal.

What a way to go out... Death by teacher. Can't wait to tell my ancestors about this in the Purelands.

In a sharp movement the blade was slammed into Kobaru's abdomen. Hoisted once more and jammed into the same spot.

Nohara-sensei repeated the action twice more each causing his victim to sink further into the darkness. Then right as Kobaru began giving in to his premature demise. He felt something.

A twisting pain to the left of his head. As though there was a wet sponge drilling into his ear canal. Then it stopped and was replaced by wet drilling in his right ear.

His eyes flew open to the sight of everyone else in the clearing staring across at him. He was still sitting around on his ass and most importantly. No one was dead.

They were clearly injured. Most of them bruised from whatever beating they just endured. Everyone except Nagisa. She had nothing to show that she was engaged in a fight. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead, but that made it look like she came back from a pleasant jog. Even Chusei had a fist sized bruise on his chin. Once so big he could see it from the weird position he was seated in. The other boy knelt next to him. Crowning the temporary face mark with a stupid grin.

Kobaru smiled back at his mission partner. Good to see you ali- Why is your finger in my ear? Is that spit?

"Told you it'll work," he turned to Nagisa and stuck out his tongue but refused to remove his finger.

"Very mature carrot maggot," Nohara-sensei shook his head then turned to Kobaru how flinched under the glare, "On your feet little maggot. We're heading back to class."

What the hell just happened.

XxX

Two days.

That's how long it took for Kobaru to experience death twice. Two days of being an official shinobi and it was already providing nothing but trauma. If he couldn't get through the week without simulated murder, how was he supposed to survive sixty years?

Admittedly the worst part of his morbid illusion, was the uselessness he felt watching his classmates die. The flashes of blood and sounds of hitched breathing took to the forefront. No matter how hard he tried to keep his thoughts in line. It always veered back to the quick

Kobaru grew up desensitized to death. It was one of the few things he truly understood. But seeing children his age loses their lives, had him second guessing his rationality. To his surprise "The Will of Fire" and the protect the village concept, established a few merits that he found relatable. It was still bullshit, but the image of everyone being picked off was not something he wanted to experience again.

Chusei being his informative self. Took it as his responsibility to note that anything within five meters was caught in Nohara-sensei's genjutsu. One that made anything with a brain visualize their worst nightmare. This made Kobaru feel even more on edge. The fact that the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique was just a D-rank technique, had him fearing whatever was considered life threatening.

The mere thought of something like that reoccurring was enough to keep him on his toes. He'd find a way to negate it. Even if took him his entire career. So far the only way to prevent a repeat was to throw himself into his training. Everything else would truly be neglected with the regiment that he was planning to adopt.

The orange haired genin was even more delighted to let everyone know he was the first to escape. Leaving out the part about getting clocked in the face as soon as he did. If he was being objective. The only benefit that came from the whole genjutsu fiasco, was that Chusei pitied his silent torment. Enough so that he went on to explain how to break illusions and the purposes of chakra linking.

If he was being honest those were two bouts of information that he could have lived on without.

The genjutsu release only worked when you realized you were in one. If you didn't then you were a dead man walking. And chakra linking, was exactly what the name suggested.

He would first establish a connection with a target through physical contact. Then he could feel what they felt or think what they thought. The latter of which sucked chakra at a rate that wasn't worth the payoff. Apparently, he wasn't too keen on sharing the information. Because he used it to invade Kobaru's mind the moment they met. The younger boy couldn't be bothered, his thoughts weren't that valuable. He was actually more concerned at what emotion needed to be felt in order to go about creating such a technique.

Despite the shortcomings of the jutsu. There was something even more concerning about chakra linking.

Chusei was a genius.

Once outside of the body, chakra was as fortified as air. Which meant that it's rate of diffusion allowed only a few second before the wielder could actually put it to good use. Only naturally potent chakra would stay present long enough to effect its surroundings. And even then, a high level of control was required.

The odds were much worse for growing children. As their coils were still in a developmental stage. Leading chakra to infiltrate a foreign system to that degree shouldn't have been in his skill level.

As to how the older boy managed to fly under the radar with such innate skill. Was something Kobaru was yet to understand. He effectively avoided early deployment and then somehow wound up in the corps. So far, the system was doing his career no favors.

What he did gather from his personal torture was that he was less ready. Although they didn't use chakra to amplify their movements. The still had formal education in actual combat. His disdain for being incompetent always spurred much needed motivation.

As soon as he got home. Kobaru took to the backyard and started practicing taijutsu. Nagisa produced a skill gap that he didn't even know existed among genin. If he was ever matched against her in a spar, then he wouldn't be able to put up a fight.

Two basic Kage Bunshin were delegated the task of genjutsu release. Of course, the release was just a sharp pulse of one's chakra, that forced the invading energy outward. The only handicap was that outside of hand-to-hand combat, his awareness was piss poor. So, trying to identify an illusion was a waste of time.

His expectation from this training session was to develop constant pulses of his own chakra. This would in turn supply a continuous cleansing of his pathways. He needed to avoid getting caught in one by all cost. Until he became better at uncovering interferences.

He had repeated his kata and stances for an hour when the clones dispelled themselves. Immediately providing him the knowledge of pulsing chakra. They had developed a way to halt the flow through conscious effort.

Chakra network in itself was another bodily system. It was connected to all the other systems, as it both extracted and provided energy to the rest of the body. The only difference between the chakra system and the organic ones. Was that chakra flowed in every direction at once.

There was no muscular lining or gray matter with faint electric pulses. Just the source and the many pathways that sprouted from it. It had gates. But they were responsible for regulating flow and establishing limiters that prevented over-exhaustion.

Even though his was more aware of it than most. Wanting his chakra to pulse was not merely enough to get it done. Chakra couldn't be forced to comply with its wielder. It had to be shepherded to where it needed to go. This was way easier when performing technique as it didn't require a shift through the entire system. Only the amount for the performance was used.

The clones eventually realized that instead of trying to move everything at once. They could focus on specific amounts and guide it instead. The plan was to send vibrations through the entire system from select points. They figured out a way to synchronize his chakra flow with his heartbeat. A natural pulse. So far, the vibrations were barely distinguishable, but were the very first steps in the right direction.

After his breakthrough, he summoned two willpower clones for the second and more intensive task. Their job was to spend time perfecting his improvised usage of Kawarimi. The two Kobaru's, with higher levels of enthusiasm, were more than happy to become practice dummies and got right to work.

Their first goal was to test the limits in its distance. They took turns walking away from each other, then attempted to swap positions. The original version had a range of seventeen feet at most and the object had to be in one's line of sight.

The clone's existence nullified both these limits. Already being linked through his chakra and sharing each other's eyesight. By the time they gave in to the eventual chakra exhaustion. They extended the range by ninety feet and discovered that they could use the technique through solid objects.

This improvement in his skill set alone, elevated him to a chunin grade shinobi. Matched with his ability to summon annoyingly persistent versions of himself. He could set up ambushes and evade danger without any sign of what was truly happening. He could go from the target of a genjutsu to home sweet home in the very same instance.

The tides of combat are mine to command.

It didn't matter what it was. As long as they weren't the reincarnation of the Fourth Hokage. He'd be able to level the playing field with his clone replacements. No one would be able to stop him. His options were almost endless.

His revelation, along with severe exhaustion, lead him to cutting his training short. Sure, there was more for him to do, but he couldn't complete those tasks on an empty stomach.

"Done beating the crap out of that innocent tree?" Kobaru's father asked as he walked up to the house. The man was busy washing rice and hadn't looked up from the pot.

Yay... fish and rice soup.

The situation had evolved into a routine with whoever was charged with preparing dinner. They would always take longer than necessary to finish washing as he waited. Miraculously finishing whenever he walked out into the clearing. Then they'd demand Kobaru's assistance in preparing the dish. Stating that "the boy had a gift".

Before he joined the academy, he enjoyed helping out with the meal. It was a pleasure to be involved. Those days of joy had been worn out and replaced by silent annoyance. Tonight however, he was perfectly famished. Learning his lesson for skipping lunch.

The meals were always the same at his home. If his parents washed rice, then it would be a pottage concoction for dinner. If they washed Bok choy. Then edamame and an assortment of random vegetables would be tossed up instead. It was predictable but it was something that he welcomed into his life.

Being surrounded by orphans lead him to realize that he had too much available to be complaining about dinner. Admittedly it could've been infinitely worse. He thanked the heavens that the two morticians knew how to cook up a meal.

"Yes. He didn't stand a chance."

"One of these days he'll fight back," the man stretched into his stance then groaned at the release of tension, "Your mother's having a bath. Today was a bit busy. We had to deal with a dead shinobi. You know how she gets when she sees one... First in months too so the waterworks lasted longer than usual. I doubt she will be willing to hear anything related to that for a while so..."

Kobaru nodded his affirmative, "did they share anything about the shinobi?"

"No... and he was burnt too badly to make an I.D," the two walked into the kitchen. Kobaru walking behind. His ears peeled or whatever news his father had.

The patriarch of the Museigen household wasn't a very imposing man. Average height and a lean frame couldn't scare anyone in a village where people breathe fire and spit lightning. He had a head of dark hair that was always kept at medium length and genes that could win any battle.

Kobaru realized from a young age that he was an impressive copy of the man. From his hair. To the freakishly black thin iris that Chusei compared to cat eyes. The only difference between the two was that his son's hair was kept long. That was thanks to his mother's non-stop objection to having it cut. He couldn't blame her. The boy inherited nothing that was visible from her side. Not her fair skin or her stark red hair that could be pointed out from a mile away. If she wanted to influence how he kept his hair, then he wouldn't object.

"I couldn't tell where skin ended, and clothes began. Some truly horrifying stuff," he smiled down at his nine-year-old tail, "but he's in the Pureland now."

"His soul is at peace," he replied reflexively.

It was a response that he had to repeat ever since he learned how to say, "Da Da". His father was an eight-generation undertaker, and his mother was the daughter of a butcher. Two occupations that dealt with the dead. Both sides incorporating the same outlook. Believing that life should be cherished, but death was true peace.

Other than their area of work. Kobaru knew little of his mother's side of the family. She talked about them a lot. Recalling experiences of old with fond temperament. Though she spoke often, it did little to paint a picture of those people. All he knew was that the Museigen met when they were both residing in Fire country's main capital.

On his father's side. He was privy to everything they had to offer. From the favorite color of his great-great granduncle to every pet owned by the family. Of course, this was mainly because the Museigen kept better records of their life, but the point still stood.

He assisted his father with dinner setting the bowls and cups in place for the meal. After that they provided each other with details of their day. His father told him of a man that kicked the bucket after drinking month old milk. Then Kobaru told him of his janitorial D-rank on the other side of Konoha. Apparently human excrements were something that he dealt with in his day to day.

The body voiding its bowels was not something he was aware of. His parents somehow missed such important detail.

"So, what other fun things did you learn today shinobi-sama," his father took to lying on the floor as the spoke.

"I realized that I have even more work to do," Kobaru began with a sigh, "I have a classmate that could fight almost evenly with our sensei, when all I could do was run."

His father let out a groan and turned on his side to glare at his son, "Shinobi these days are so boring. All you talk about is getting stronger you know that."

"Well, I'd have more to talk about if you blessed me with ninja genes," Kobaru muttered under his breath.

"I remember when I was a kid and Senju were still walking around the place. That's when shinobi were impressive," his father went on ignoring Kobaru's rude statement, "nowadays, all that's left is those Uchiha guys. Which the Senju basically bullied into making a village."

"Well, I just started I can't bully anyone into doing anything yet."

"Well, that classmate is already bullying your teacher, and everyone knows no clan kid ends up in the reserves," he shot back and waited for Kobaru to respond. Nothing came, "Who knows? You're probably witnessing the early days of your future Kage."

The boy scoffed at the implication and mirrored his father's position. The two simmered in the silence before he decided a random thought popped into his head.

"Do you think I can be as great as a Senju were then?"

It was off handed, and he was definitely asking the wrong person about it. But his father's unfiltered honesty would provide his dosage of reality checks.

The man snorted but kept quiet for a while. More than likely considering the severity of his response. Not that it mattered; he'd still wind up speaking his mind in raw detail. He scratched his hairless chin, then looked at his son with small smile.

"Of course. Anyone who tries can be as great as the average Senju," he replied, "if you keep working hard. Maybe they'll be a Museigen clan in the next few generations," he barked out in laughter before falling on his back, "that way some civilian father and his hardheaded son can compare themselves to us someday."

His bout of laughter was cut short by a knock on the door. The sound was enough to have the man on high alert. With good reason too. The last time someone knocked on the door. It turned out to be a chunin requesting the military education of their first child. Beyond that the distance from the main parts of the village was enough to deter anyone else.

The older Museigen took to a stance releasing tired groans. He quickly flushed his face of any joy and walked over to the door. Kobaru sat waiting for him to attend to the unwanted guest.

His mother hadn't made her presence known as of yet and was unexpectedly holding up the procession. He did his best so far to not sneak bites of dinner. Now that no one was there to stop him with idle conversation. He'd have to try harder.

The man returned from the hallway with their guest. One that had Kobaru on his feet and ensuring that he had a quick exit. He wasn't interested in what was happening at all.

His father narrowed his eyes at the frantic behavior then looked back at the guest, "Kobaru... your sensei said that he'd like to speak to you for a bit."