Chapter Text
Kitty Kitsune Uzumaki had always had trouble controlling her chakra.
It was highly toxic.
She had been born with a rare medical condition that made her chakra poisonous to anyone unfortunate enough to come into contact with it. Even though she possessed a powerful Kekkei Genkai known as the Dizzygan, which was supposed to help her control her chakra, she still struggled with it.
She had gotten better over the years. Much better, in fact.
But better didn't mean cured.
Fortunately, she had two of the strongest shinobi in the world looking out for her.
Her twin brother, Naruto Uzumaki, was the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure. He had finally achieved the dream he'd been chasing since childhood, and Kitty couldn't have been prouder of him.
Then there was Sasuke Uchiha.
Her best friend.
Her only friend, really.
And the other strongest shinobi in the world.
Naruto and Sasuke had always done their best to protect her, but they hadn't been assigned to the same team as her when they graduated from the Academy. Their lives had taken different paths, and there had been plenty of times when neither of them could be there when she needed them.
Still, they had never stopped caring.
Kitty smiled sadly at the thought of Sasuke.
She had loved him for as long as she could remember.
Not the silly sort of crush that so many of the girls at the Academy had developed on the handsome Uchiha. No, Kitty had genuinely loved Sasuke with all her heart, ever since he'd saved her when they were little children.
Unfortunately, Sasuke had never returned those feelings.
He had married Sakura Haruno.
Kitty had been devastated.
She hadn't protested, though. She hadn't tried to interfere or make Sasuke feel guilty. She loved him far too much to ruin his happiness simply because it wasn't with her.
Instead, she'd smiled, congratulated them, and done her best to move forward.
When Sarada was born, Kitty had fallen in love with the little girl almost immediately.
The child reminded her so much of Sasuke that it sometimes hurt, but Kitty adored her anyway. She'd taken the young prodigy under her wing and helped mentor her whenever she could.
Sasuke was rarely in the village anymore, spending much of his time traveling on missions, but he still made an effort to visit Kitty whenever he returned.
Naruto was just as busy.
Being Hokage was everything he'd dreamed it would be, but it was also exhausting. He spent far too much time buried beneath paperwork in the Hokage Tower, and Kitty occasionally wondered whether her brother remembered what a proper night's sleep felt like.
Nevertheless, he always tried to make time for her.
And Kitty had her niece and nephew to spoil rotten.
Boruto and Himawari were wonderful children, and she loved them dearly.
She had never had children of her own.
Her chakra was still poisonous, and the thought of accidentally hurting someone she loved terrified her. She couldn't bear the idea of putting a husband or children at risk.
So she poured that love into Naruto's children and Sarada instead.
It wasn't quite the life she'd dreamed of having.
But it was hers.
And most days, she was happy.
Today, however, was not one of those days.
Kitty was standing outside the Ninja Academy, waiting to pick up Himawari.
Naruto was busy at the Hokage Tower, as usual, and Hinata had a medical checkup. Kitty had offered to collect her niece and take her to the Hyūga compound.
It wasn't the first time she'd done this.
Normally, she enjoyed it.
Today, though, she was nervous.
For the past week, her chakra had been behaving strangely.
She'd been doing everything she could to keep it under control, but the familiar poisonous energy had been growing increasingly restless.
She'd hoped it would settle down.
It hadn't.
And now she was standing outside a building filled with children.
Please, she thought desperately. Not here.
She could feel it.
That horrible pressure building inside her chakra network.
Kitty clenched her fists.
No. No, no, no!
She tried to force her chakra back into its normal pathways, carefully regulating the flow as she'd been taught.
For a moment, it worked.
Then something slipped.
A violent surge of red chakra erupted from her body.
"AAAAAAAH!"
Kitty screamed.
The poisonous energy exploded outward, whipping around her in violent waves.
She staggered, desperately trying to pull it back.
"No! Stop! Please, stop!"
She couldn't control it.
She could feel her chakra escaping, spreading into the air around her.
The Academy!
There were children inside!
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fought to contain the poisonous energy.
"GET AWAY!" she screamed. "EVERYONE, GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Her vision blurred.
She couldn't let this happen.
Not here.
Not with Himawari nearby.
Dizzygan!
Her eyes changed as the ancient dōjutsu activated.
The Kekkei Genkai of the Land of Whirlpools, a bloodline that hadn't appeared in six generations, came to life.
Immediately, she could see the chaotic flow of her own chakra.
She focused desperately, using the Dizzygan to help regulate the poisonous energy.
Slowly, painfully, she began forcing some of it back under control.
It helped.
It really did.
But it wasn't enough.
Her chakra continued to surge around her, resisting every attempt to contain it.
Kitty sobbed.
She hadn't lost control this badly since she was a little girl.
Back then, her chakra had been even more toxic. She had learned years later that the half of Kurama sealed inside her had amplified her condition, although the Nine-Tails had never been the cause of it.
Removing Kurama had made her chakra less poisonous.
But it hadn't cured her.
And now, even with the Dizzygan helping her, she was losing control.
"Please!" she cried. "Somebody help me!"
Then she felt it.
A familiar chakra signature approaching at incredible speed.
Kitty turned her head.
Orange chakra blazed in the distance.
"N-Naru?"
Naruto was coming!
He was surrounded by the brilliant power of his Six Paths Sage Mode, racing toward her from the left.
And then she sensed another familiar presence.
Blue chakra.
She turned to her right.
"Sasu!"
Sasuke was coming too!
His Susanoo surrounded him as he forced his way through the poisonous chakra whipping around her.
Relief flooded through Kitty.
They were here.
They were both here!
She almost laughed through her tears.
Everything was going to be all right.
Naruto and Sasuke would help her.
They always did.
And if they couldn't...
Kitty swallowed.
Then they would stop her.
No matter what it took.
She trusted them to protect the village.
She trusted them to protect the children.
Even if protecting everyone meant killing her.
It's okay, she told herself. As long as everyone else is safe.
Naruto was struggling against the violent waves of chakra, but his Sage Mode provided him with protection against the poisonous energy.
Sasuke's Susanoo was doing the same.
Neither slowed down.
"KITTY!" Naruto shouted.
"Hold on!" Sasuke called.
"I'm trying!" she sobbed. "I can't stop it! I can't!"
"We've got you!" Naruto yelled.
"Don't give up!" Sasuke ordered.
Kitty reached out with both hands.
Sasuke reached her first.
His fingers laced tightly through hers.
A moment later, Naruto grabbed her other hand.
They held on.
The poisonous chakra roared around them like a violent storm, battering against their bodies and trying to force them apart.
Kitty could barely remain standing.
But neither of the boys let go.
Naruto reached his free hand toward Sasuke.
Sasuke did the same.
Their fingers met.
And suddenly, the three of them were standing together, holding hands in a tight circle.
"Just like before!" Naruto shouted over the roaring chakra.
Sasuke nodded.
"We'll stabilize her chakra together!"
They had done this countless times over the years.
Naruto and Sasuke would carefully introduce their own chakra into Kitty's network, helping her regulate the poisonous energy until she could regain control.
Normally, it worked.
But Kitty had never lost control quite like this as an adult.
Still, they had to try.
Naruto closed his eyes and focused.
Sasuke did the same.
Their chakra began flowing toward Kitty.
Orange.
Blue.
Red.
Three powerful chakra signatures intertwined.
Naruto's brilliant orange chakra surrounded them, warm and steady.
Sasuke's blue chakra flowed alongside it, controlled and precise.
And Kitty's red chakra, wild and poisonous, slowly began responding.
The three colors swirled together.
Kitty gasped.
The pressure inside her chest began easing.
Her chakra was calming!
"It's working!" she cried.
Naruto grinned.
"Of course it is! We're not letting anything happen to you, Kitty!"
"Concentrate, Naruto," Sasuke warned, although there was unmistakable relief in his voice.
"Yeah, yeah!"
Kitty gave a shaky laugh.
Even now, they were bickering.
Some things never changed.
The violent waves of chakra began shrinking.
The terrible pressure surrounding the Academy slowly lessened.
For one wonderful moment, it looked as though everything was going to be fine.
Then something changed.
Kitty felt it first.
A strange vibration passed through their joined hands.
Her Dizzygan reacted.
The chakra flowing between the three of them suddenly began moving faster.
Much faster.
"S-Sasuke?"
His eyes widened.
"Naruto! Something's wrong!"
"I know!"
The three chakra signatures twisted together, becoming brighter and brighter.
Orange.
Red.
Blue.
Kitty tried to pull her chakra back.
She couldn't.
Naruto attempted to stabilize the flow.
It only grew stronger.
Sasuke tightened his grip on their hands.
"Don't let go!"
"I wasn't planning on it!" Naruto shouted.
The wind howled around them.
Their combined chakra surged upward, forming a brilliant column of swirling energy.
Kitty screamed as the power intensified.
"NARU! SASU!"
"We've got you!" Naruto shouted.
"Hold on, Kitty!" Sasuke yelled.
The force pulling at them became almost unbearable.
It felt as though something was trying to tear the three of them apart.
But they refused.
Naruto tightened his grip.
Sasuke held on with everything he had.
And Kitty clung desperately to both of them.
They had spent their entire lives protecting one another.
They weren't going to let go now.
Then, without warning, all three chakra signatures exploded.
A blinding flash of orange, red, and blue swallowed them.
The last thing Kitty felt was Naruto's hand gripping hers on one side and Sasuke's fingers intertwined with hers on the other.
Neither had let go.
And then...
Everything went black.
Kitty woke with a moan.
She blinked up at the ceiling above her, feeling strangely disoriented.
For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was.
Then everything came rushing back.
The Academy.
Her poisonous chakra.
Naruto and Sasuke desperately trying to help her.
The three of them holding hands as their chakra exploded.
Kitty sat up abruptly.
What happened?
She looked around.
Her eyes widened.
She knew this place.
It had been years since she'd seen it, but she would recognize it anywhere.
It was her and Naruto's old apartment!
The same little apartment where they'd spent most of their childhood and a good portion of their chūnin years.
The same battered furniture, the same familiar walls, and the same arrangement of their beds.
What the heck was going on?
Kitty looked toward Naruto.
He was sleeping peacefully in his bed, completely oblivious to her growing panic.
She grabbed her pillow.
WHACK!
"OW!"
Naruto shot upright, rubbing his head.
"What was that for?!"
"NARU!"
Kitty scrambled out of her bed and climbed onto his.
Their beds were arranged with the foot of Naruto's bed touching the head of hers, making it easy for her to climb from one to the other.
She remembered the arrangement perfectly.
Although, now that she thought about it, she'd spent most nights sleeping beside Naruto anyway, at least until they were thirteen or fourteen.
They'd never liked being separated.
Not when they were little.
Not when the rest of the village seemed determined to make them feel unwanted.
But right now, she had much bigger things to worry about.
"Naru!" she cried, grabbing his shoulders. "You look like a little kid again! You've got to be eleven or twelve!"
Naruto stared at her.
Then his eyes widened.
"THE SAME FOR YOU, KITTY!"
He grabbed her shoulders in return.
"WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
Before either could say anything else, a bright blue screen appeared in front of them.
Good Morning!
You have slept in your own bed!
HP and CP are fully restored!
"AAAAAH!"
Both twins jumped.
"What the heck is THAT?!" Naruto demanded.
Kitty stared at the floating screen.
"A genjutsu?"
They exchanged glances.
Then, almost simultaneously, they raised their hands, holding their index and middle fingers together.
Chakra gathered at their fingertips.
"KAI!"
Nothing happened to the screens.
Instead, another notification appeared.
SKILL ACQUIRED!
Kai — Level 1
Also known as Genjutsu Dissipation or Genjutsu Reversal.
This technique allows a shinobi to disrupt the flow of chakra in their body to dispel a genjutsu.
The technique may be performed by the victim, provided they recognize the illusion, or by an ally who introduces chakra into the victim's system.
Jinchūriki who have established a cooperative relationship with their tailed beast may also receive assistance in breaking genjutsu.
Kitty stared.
Naruto stared.
Then they looked at each other.
"Well," Kitty sighed, shaking her head, "we were never really good at that, were we?"
Naruto frowned.
"Not when we were kids."
Kitty nodded.
"We hadn't formed a good relationship with Kurama yet."
"Yeah," Naruto agreed thoughtfully. "But I remember Kurama helping me out of a few genjutsu later on."
"I never had a good relationship with Kurama," Kitty pointed out. "Actually, I never had much of a relationship with him at all. That was your thing."
Naruto scratched his head.
"Right."
Kitty turned back toward the screen.
"Still doesn't explain what this is."
As though responding to her words, another message appeared.
WELCOME, CHOSEN ONES!
You died as the chosen protectors.
The Three Chosen Ones.
It has been decided that you will be granted a second chance, albeit with very slight alterations.
Your choices matter to the story and the world around you.
You have been granted the most powerful and ancient power of Gamer.
For several seconds, neither twin spoke.
Then Naruto blinked.
"Wait."
He pointed at the screen.
"THREE?"
Kitty frowned.
Then her eyes widened.
"Sasu!"
Naruto turned toward her.
"What?"
"It must mean Sasu!" Kitty exclaimed. "It has to mean him!"
Naruto considered that.
Then he nodded.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Sasuke was my equal, so it has to mean him."
Kitty smiled.
Of course.
The three of them had been holding hands when their chakra exploded.
If she and Naruto had been sent back...
Then Sasuke must have been sent back too!
A notification suddenly appeared in front of her.
For deductive reasoning, +1 INT!
Kitty blinked.
"Oh! I got INT for that!"
Naruto leaned closer.
"You did?"
"Yeah!"
Then Kitty frowned.
"Wait. Why did I get INT for that? Shouldn't that have been WIS?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Maybe the System thinks you're smart."
Kitty gave him a look.
"I am smart!"
"Didn't say you weren't!"
Before she could argue, another screen appeared.
It is time for your tutorial!
"Oh, boy," Naruto muttered.
The next several minutes were spent going through a surprisingly detailed tutorial.
Apparently, their lives now operated according to game mechanics.
They had levels.
Stats.
Skills.
Experience points.
Quests.
Inventories.
Health Points and Chakra Points.
And a whole collection of menus that Kitty suspected would take some getting used to.
Fortunately, they weren't completely unfamiliar with games.
In their previous lives, Naruto's son Boruto had loved playing them, and both twins had spent plenty of time playing alongside him.
Kitty had particularly enjoyed spending time with her nephew, even when she hadn't understood why he found certain games so entertaining.
Now she was beginning to understand.
"This is incredible!" Naruto exclaimed, examining his Status screen.
Kitty nodded enthusiastically.
"We can actually see our progress!"
"And get stronger by training!"
"And complete quests!"
The twins looked at each other.
Slowly, matching grins spread across their faces.
This was going to be fun.
Then Naruto happened to glance toward the bedside table.
He frowned.
"Hey, Kitty?"
"Hmm?"
"What day is it?"
Kitty blinked.
"I have absolutely no idea."
Naruto grabbed the little calendar sitting on his bedside table.
He stared at it.
Then his eyes widened.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
"What?"
"We've got school!"
Kitty blinked.
"School?"
"Yeah! It's the first day of our last year at the Academy!"
He looked at her.
"So we're twelve!"
Kitty stared at him.
Then she looked down at herself.
Twelve.
They were twelve years old again.
They had an entire year before graduation.
An entire year before their original lives had truly begun changing.
Kitty slowly smiled.
"Well, then we'd better get dressed!"
"Right!"
The twins scrambled out of bed and hurried to prepare for school.
Kitty dressed in her familiar red-and-black outfit.
Her bright red hair was styled into two odango buns resembling fox ears, with long pigtails falling all the way to her waist.
Her eyes were the same brilliant blue as Naruto's.
She wore a fitted black spaghetti-strap top beneath a short red jacket that ended just above her belly button. The Uzumaki whirlpool symbol was proudly displayed across the back of the jacket and on both upper sleeves.
A short red miniskirt with black shorts underneath completed the outfit, along with a blue weapons pouch on each hip for her kunai and shuriken.
Black tabi covered her feet.
Kitty checked her reflection.
She looked exactly as she remembered looking at twelve.
It was strange.
Very strange.
But she couldn't deny that she was excited.
Naruto, meanwhile, had dressed in his familiar orange-and-blue outfit.
His bright yellow hair stuck up in its usual unruly spikes, and his blue eyes sparkled with excitement.
Three whisker-like marks decorated each cheek.
He wore his orange-and-blue jacket with its white collar, white swirl and tassel on the left side, and the red Uzumaki crest displayed proudly on the back.
Orange pants, a shuriken holster strapped to his right knee, blue sandals, and his familiar green goggles completed his appearance.
He looked exactly like the loud, energetic Academy student Kitty remembered.
Naruto grinned at her.
"Ready?"
Kitty grinned back.
"Ready!"
And the twins raced out of their apartment.
They were running across the rooftops of Konoha, leaping from one building to another as they made their way toward the Academy.
And they were having the time of their lives!
Their new Gamer abilities made even ordinary physical activity rewarding.
As they ran, small notifications occasionally appeared.
STR +1
DEX +1
STAM +1
They quickly discovered that their stats didn't increase at the same rate.
Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina were all being trained, but the amount of improvement depended on how much effort they were putting into the activity and how challenging it was for their current bodies.
It was fascinating!
They were halfway to the Academy when they spotted a familiar figure moving across the rooftops ahead of them.
"SASU!" Kitty shouted happily.
Sasuke turned.
For one brief moment, he simply stared at them.
Then Naruto grinned and pointed toward the Academy.
"RACE YOU!"
Sasuke's lips curved into a smirk.
"You're on."
And just like that, the three of them were racing across the village.
They leaped over gaps between buildings, bounded across rooftops, and pushed their young bodies as hard as they could.
Sasuke was clearly faster than the twins.
He was also stronger, which meant the System wasn't awarding him as many Dexterity or Strength points for the exercise.
Apparently, his Stamina had reached some sort of threshold as well, because it wasn't increasing nearly as quickly as theirs.
Naruto and Kitty, on the other hand, were pushing themselves to their limits.
Their notifications were appearing much more frequently.
"HA! DEXTERITY!" Naruto cheered as another notification appeared.
"Stop looking at your screen and RUN!" Kitty laughed.
"You're just jealous!"
"I'm ahead of you!"
"NOT FOR LONG!"
Sasuke glanced back at the bickering twins and smirked.
Some things never changed.
Even with all their adult memories, Naruto and Kitty were still perfectly capable of acting like children.
Then again, he supposed he wasn't much better.
After all, he was enjoying the race just as much as they were.
The Academy came into view.
"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Naruto shouted.
Sasuke immediately accelerated.
"HEY!" Naruto protested.
Kitty burst out laughing and followed.
Several students were gathered in the Academy schoolyard when three blurs came flying toward the building.
Heads turned.
Someone shouted in surprise.
Sasuke landed first, slamming his palm against the Academy wall.
"I win," he announced smugly.
Naruto was only a short distance behind him, but his foot caught awkwardly against the ground as he landed.
He stumbled.
Kitty immediately took advantage.
She darted past her brother and slapped her hand against the wall.
"SECOND!"
"HEY!"
Naruto recovered and slapped the wall a moment later.
"Darn it!"
A familiar blue screen appeared in front of Kitty.
For coming in second place, +3 DEX!
Kitty grinned.
"Three Dexterity points!"
"I got five," Sasuke informed them quietly, leaning against the building.
Naruto stared at him.
"I got ONE!"
Sasuke's mouth twitched.
"That's not fair!" Naruto complained. "You don't need any more speed, Sasuke!"
Sasuke gave him his signature childhood smirk.
It was both amused and thoroughly condescending.
Naruto scowled.
"Oh, don't give me that look!"
Kitty giggled.
"Well, maybe you shouldn't have tripped, Naru."
"TRAITOR!"
She stuck her tongue out at him.
Sasuke shook his head, still smirking.
"Come on."
He jumped into a nearby tree.
The twins exchanged glances before following him.
They settled on a sturdy branch overlooking the Academy grounds, with Kitty sitting comfortably between the two boys.
Sasuke opened his Inventory.
"I made you guys breakfast."
Two neatly packed bento boxes appeared in his hands.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"FOOD!"
Kitty beamed.
"Sasu, you didn't have to!"
"I know."
He handed them their lunches.
The twins accepted them with enormous grins.
"THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD!"
They immediately began eating.
Sasuke chuckled and reached into his Inventory again, producing two cartons of fresh milk.
"Here."
"Milk!" Kitty exclaimed happily.
Naruto was already reaching for his.
"You're the best, Sasuke!"
Sasuke smiled faintly.
He remembered their childhood.
He remembered how little money the twins had possessed and how often they'd struggled to find decent food.
He hadn't realized just how bad things had been until much later in their lives.
Fresh milk, for example, had been something of a luxury for them.
He could still remember Naruto drinking expired milk and spending the rest of the day desperately running to the bathroom.
It hadn't been funny at the time.
Well...
Perhaps it had been a little funny.
But looking back on it now, Sasuke understood how badly the twins had been neglected.
Their poor diets had contributed to their small size when they were younger.
Not this time.
He was going to make sure they ate properly.
Kitty took another bite of her breakfast, looking thoroughly delighted.
Sasuke glanced toward her.
Then he looked again.
A faint blush crept across his cheeks.
Had Kitty always been this pretty?
He couldn't remember ever paying much attention to her appearance when they were children.
Her bright blue eyes, her red hair styled into fox-ear odango buns, and the way her entire face lit up when she smiled were suddenly rather difficult to ignore.
What the heck?
He quickly looked away.
He had known Kitty for most of his life.
How had he never noticed?
Unfortunately for him, Kitty noticed his reaction.
She caught the blush on his cheeks and felt her own face grow warm.
Oh, Sasu...
All these years later, and she was still hopelessly in love with him.
She'd thought she'd gotten used to hiding her feelings.
Apparently, being twelve again hadn't made that any easier.
She quickly lowered her eyes to her bento.
Don't look at him. Just eat. Maybe he didn't notice.
Sasuke, meanwhile, had deliberately turned his attention toward the Academy grounds.
The twins were distracted by their breakfasts, so he would keep watch.
It was something he could do for them.
Something he wished he'd done more often the first time around.
When Naruto and Kitty finally finished eating, Sasuke collected the empty bento boxes and milk cartons and returned them to his Inventory.
The three of them had discovered the Inventory feature during their tutorials, and Sasuke was already finding it extremely convenient.
No need to carry bags everywhere.
No need to worry about forgetting equipment.
And, most importantly, no need to carry empty lunch boxes around all day.
"We need to talk," Sasuke said quietly.
Naruto looked at him.
"About what?"
"Team selection."
Kitty immediately straightened.
Sasuke folded his arms.
"We can't allow ourselves to be separated again."
Naruto nodded.
"Yeah. That was a pain the first time."
"We need to make sure we're assigned to the same team," Sasuke continued. "The question is how."
Unbeknownst to the three children, a jōnin was watching them from a concealed position nearby.
Kakashi Hatake had been observing the unusual trio for some time.
He'd seen them racing across the rooftops.
He'd seen their strange little screens.
He'd even watched Sasuke produce objects from what appeared to be thin air.
And now they were discussing team assignments.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"We have to prove that we belong on the same team," Naruto declared, rolling his eyes and shrugging as though the answer were obvious.
Sasuke gave him a look.
"And how exactly do you propose we do that?"
"By being awesome!"
"That's not a plan, Naruto."
"It's a great plan!"
"No, it's not."
"YES, IT IS!"
Kitty sighed.
They might have become close friends in their previous lives, but that certainly hadn't stopped them from arguing.
Some things were apparently permanent.
"Guys," she interrupted.
Neither listened.
"GUYS!"
Both boys turned toward her.
Kitty folded her arms.
"They probably think Naruto and I have the same skill set, right?"
Sasuke considered that.
"Probably."
"We're twins," Kitty continued. "They might assume that because we're both Uzumaki, we'll have similar abilities."
Naruto frowned.
"But we don't!"
"Exactly!"
Kitty smiled.
"Naruto has Wind Release, and I have Water Release. We have different strengths, different weaknesses, and different ways of fighting. We need to show them that."
Sasuke nodded slowly.
"Go on."
"We also need to prove that the three of us can work together perfectly," Kitty explained. "If we demonstrate that we complement each other's abilities, then separating us would be stupid."
Naruto grinned.
"So we make ourselves the best team before they even assign teams!"
"Right!"
Sasuke smirked.
"That could work."
Kitty nodded firmly.
"We don't just tell them we belong together. We prove it."
The boys exchanged glances.
She was right.
From his hiding place, Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
That was a surprisingly mature argument for an Academy student.
Especially one who was supposed to be Naruto Uzumaki's twin sister.
He continued listening.
"Step one," Sasuke announced.
The Academy bell rang.
The three of them glanced toward the building and began making their way down from the tree.
"Chakra control," Sasuke continued as they headed toward their classroom. "You two need it."
Naruto groaned.
"Aw, man!"
"Don't complain. You know I'm right."
"I know, I know!"
Kitty nodded thoughtfully.
Chakra control had always been difficult for her.
Her toxic chakra made regulating its flow particularly challenging, and now that she was back in her younger body, she couldn't afford to be careless.
Sasuke glanced at both twins.
"We'll work on Leaf Sticking after school. If the System recognizes it as a skill, we should be able to unlock it."
"That would be great!" Kitty agreed.
Naruto grinned.
"Think we'll get experience for it?"
"Probably," Sasuke replied.
Before they could discuss it further, three blue screens appeared.
QUEST UNLOCKED!
Quest: Chakra For Noobs
To unlock the fundamental power of this world, Chakra, one must first understand it.
Requirements:
-
Read about Chakra.
Rewards:
-
1,500 Ryō
-
500 EXP
-
Unlock Chakra Control Skill
-
Unlock Chakra Theory Skill
-
Surprise Scroll ×1
Naruto blinked.
"Chakra For Noobs?"
Kitty giggled.
"Well, technically, we are noobs again."
"Speak for yourself!"
Sasuke studied the quest.
"Reading about chakra unlocks two skills and gives us experience points?"
"Don't forget the money!" Naruto said enthusiastically.
"And the Surprise Scroll," Kitty added.
Sasuke nodded.
"Then we'll complete it today."
The three of them entered their classroom and settled into their seats.
Only then did they realize that the bell they'd heard had merely been the warning bell.
The same warning bell that practically everyone ignored.
Naruto grinned.
"Guess we're early."
Sasuke leaned closer to the twins.
"I know a book that might help."
Kitty turned toward him.
"What book?"
"My brother made me read it once," Sasuke explained quietly. "I was pretty young at the time. It was before he left and before I started at the Academy."
His expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"Itachi said understanding chakra theory was important before trying to learn advanced techniques."
Naruto nodded.
"Sounds like something he'd say."
"It really helped me," Sasuke continued. "I'm sure it'll help you two as well."
"Do you still have a copy?" Naruto asked.
"There should be one or two at the compound."
Kitty brightened.
"Really?"
Sasuke nodded.
"We'll go there after school. You can read the books, complete the quest, and then we'll start training."
"Sounds good to me!" Naruto whispered.
"Me too!" Kitty agreed.
Sasuke settled back into his seat.
"Then it's decided."
The three of them turned their attention toward their schoolwork.
They had an entire year before graduation.
An entire year to prepare.
And this time, they intended to do things differently.
