I

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  Arc I Chapter 9

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  Kurenai did not know what to think of her newest student. Asami was incredible. There were no other words to describe her, which was not exactly true. Kurenai had a few other words in mind, but they were not particularly positive.

  Asami was exceedingly prideful, haughty, conceited. Her little vainglorious princess was worse than an Uchiha. Still, the girl was talented, extremely talented. Her skill indisputable. Despite her raising the bar continuously, the girl passed her little tests with apparent ease. They were not much of a bother for her, just a minor nuisance.

  The girl wielded her kunai with years of experience, experience that she should not possess. She proved to be a fast learner. Always attentive. Always listening. Her chakra control was advanced. Her reserves without a doubt considerable, even when she was playing dumb. Chakra? What is that? Can you eat it? Can you buy it somewhere?

  Kurenai did not believe her for a second. The girl survived all her training without using a droplet of chakra? Impossible. A certain idiot in green might be able to pull that off, but not a girl with her constitution.

  Her fighting style combined speed and agility. Their sparring matches showed as much. Her attacks were fast, swift, precise. They aimed to break your defence with overwhelming force.

  Once again, the girl displayed an uncanny degree of prowess that she should not possess. Even at this young age, her sheer natural skill surpassed all of her expectations.

  The girl was beyond doubt a certified genius. With her potential, Asami was destined to become a powerful, if not legendary kunoichi. A kunoichi whose legacy would even put Tsunade to shame. But that was the distant future and not the present. For now, she still had the upper hand over her.

  “...” Kurenai grinned with a certain sense of satisfaction. Their sparring match ended, and as usual, she had won.

  Asami meanwhile was resting on the ground, exhausted, out of breath. Licking her wounds. Bitter about being defeated again and again, she cursed, grumbled, complained. Not that it helped much.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

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  Asami considered Kurenai a smile of fate. Her training simplified information gathering immensely. Kurenai shared everything with her. She taught her about the origins of the ninja, their history, their techniques, their jutsu.

  Thanks to Kurenai, she had now access to knowledge that was difficult to come by for a mere civilian like her. After all, knowledge was power, and power was what she desired.

  Armed with this knowledge, Asami finally understood the nature of chakra. So far the strange force called chakra had eluded her, but not any more. She understood. She comprehended. She grasped chakra in its entirety, its secrets uncovered.

  Chakra was a mysterious substance. Stable, reliable, and easy to use. Chakra was supposedly the extension of your own will, which was the case. Much evidence over the years suggested so. Chakra was strongly linked to your own emotional state. She had observed such more than once. When she was angry, her chakra boiled. When she was happy, her chakra bounced. When she was sad, her chakra comforted her. When she was nervous, her chakra enveloped her, protecting her like an armour.

  Chakra was malleable. Shaping it was merely a question of practice. With some skill, you could even change the elemental nature of your chakra. Water, fire, lightning, earth, wind, your chakra filled all roles.

  But why change? Asami was quite happy with her elemental affinity. The chakra paper indicated that hers was katon, fire. It was an affinity that suited her temperament perfectly.

  Asami did not complain. In general, she saw little reason to complain about her chakra. Although her chakra was primarily composed of yin, chakra was still chakra. Conventional wisdom dictated that the formation of chakra required spiritual and physical energy, yin and yang, which was true, but the reality proved to be more nuanced. Her chakra was plentiful, and her reserves seemed near endless. The chakra that coursed through her veins was strong, powerful. Even her old signature colour had returned, eager to join her in this life.

  A dark sphere of purple brilliance surrounded by a corona of swirling amethyst beauty sprang forth from the palm of her hand. The purple light of her chakra radiated magnificence and splendour that illuminated even the darkest of nights. This was true power and might, and Asami fell immediately in love with her child. Her chakra was so cute and sweet, was it not?

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  “Asami-chan, we have arrived.” Okaa-san squeezed her hand before halting in front of the academy gate. The day of the entry exam had finally arrived, yet first impression was already found lacking. The academy building was in a terrible shape. The academy was an old, rotting, decrepit ruin only waiting for demolition. Not much to impressed by or proud of.

  “...” Asami frowned. This place was going to be her second home for the next years. How marvellous.

  Fortunately, Okaa-san was there to cheer her up. Everything was better with Okaa-san around. “Asami-chan, no need to be nervous. Just give your best. No matter what, I will always be proud of you.”

  “...” Asami blushed, her cheeks reddening. Okaa-san’s words did not touch her, at all. They did not warm her heart. “Okaa-san, will you be there to watch me during the practical part of the exam ...”

  Okaa-san ruffled her hair, rewarding her even with a kiss on her forehead. “Of course, I will be there. Of course, I will be there to watch you and cheer for my cute little treasure.” Asami was happy.

  And thus the entry exam began. The day to prove her worth had arrived. With Okaa-san at her side, they passed the gate together and entered the academy. The school yard was filled with children, overeager parents, happy relatives, and other fellow humans. Meh, humans.

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