Chapter Two (Patreon)

Much as she wished to, Hua Jing did not immediately start throwing lightning around. She had no idea what the rules or customs of this place were. She didn’t even know the town’s name. So, instead of summoning storms and learning how to bend lightning to her whims, Jing instead turned to the orphanage’s library. It was a large collection, some sixteen books in total. Either the orphanage was well-funded or books were far easier to make in this world.

The first book Jing picked was A History of Konoha. It was a simple tome, befitting an orphanage. It spoke in blunt, propagandistic terms. Senju Hashirama had been a visionary who overcame his rivalry with Madara Uchiha to found Konohagakure and became its First Hokage. He had ended the Warring States period through might and generosity, trapping the rampaging Bijuu and distributing them between the newly-formed Five Great Hidden Villages. His brother, Senju Tobirama, was a worthy successor. The Second Hokage had attempted to maintain his brother’s peace, only for the rest of the Hidden Villages to spit in his face. The Great Shinobi War had erupted. Despite great casualties, Konoha had won and peace was secured for the future.

Considering her imminent admission to the Academy, Jing rather doubted the veracity of the book. Still, she had learned a great deal. The village was controlled by ninjas. Though formally commanded by the Hokage, the ninja clans played a large role in politics as well.

The good news was Jing would soon be part of that ruling class. The bad news was she would be in last place. But if there was one lesson that carried over from her previous life, it was that strength triumphed over all. Zhao Di had been allowed to do whatever he wanted because of his strength. Then he ran into a more powerful being, refused to bow, and died. Humility and might were the secrets to survival in her last world. It seemed they would be the same in this world.

Placing the book away, Jing stood. She moved into the kitchen, where the matron was chopping carrots.

“Kojima-san?” Jing asked. “Is there a place I can train?”

“Train?” the matron scoffed. “What are you going to train? You’ve yet to learn anything!”

Jing puffed up at that, words spilling from her mouth before she could stop them. “I know plenty! And I can at least get used to running!”

“If you want to run go to the park,” the matron said. “You’re not allowed to access the training grounds until your second year at the academy.”

“Is that your rule or a real rule?”

The matron fixed Jing with a fearsome glare. “Both.”

Jing nodded weakly. “Yes, Kojima-san. Can I go to the park now?”

The matron paused. She looked Jing over, eyes searching clothes and soul alike. “Tch. Yes.”

Jing bowed, and sprinted out the door.

Hidden Quest Completed: Join the Konoha Academy

Welcome to academia. We hope you like hand cramps

Reward: 1x Negligible Mental Blessing

Would you like to roll?

Yes, Jing thought from her desk, ignoring the teacher. He was lecturing about proper brush holding techniques, something she’d learned ages ago.

Negligible Mental Trait

Frisk

Allows you to know the full inventory of a target you are looking at, what they are wearing, and what's on their body as well as a quick summary of their inventory.

Measure King

Measure once, cut twice. Allows you to know the exact dimensions and measurements of anything you come across just by taking a look at them.

Frisk, Jing decided. Useful as Measure King would be in crafting, Frisk would let her tell the difference between civilians and assassins playing at being civilians.

“Hua-kun!” the teacher suddenly yelled. “Are you paying attention?”

“Yes sensei!” Jing declared loudly.

“Then what is the direction you use a brush for thick lines?”

“Down, sensei.”

“Tch,” the teacher (had he introduced himself? Jing couldn’t remember). “Correct. And remember to hold your brush at the correct angle, like so.”

Jing nodded. She glanced at her teacher and used Frisk. Clothes, brush, pens, kunai? Shuriken? Well, I guess a teacher at a ninja academy has to be a ninja as well.

New Quest: Pencil Pusher

Come first in yearly rankings

Reward: 1x Minor Skills Blessing

Jing perked up. Suddenly she felt like paying much more attention to the boring lecture.

There were six classes in the first year of the academy. Four were academic subjects; Geography, Language, Sciences, and Maths. Two were practical subjects; Survival and Fitness. Jing never had to try in Language or Maths. Though her memories had been lost, her forgotten skills seemed easily adaptable to this new body. She instinctively held her brushes, painting the kanji characters in perfect lines of broad and thin strokes.

Maths was a simple class, merely addition and subtraction. Jing had looked ahead though, and knew it would not always be easy for her. She knew of some basic geometry, but the formulas that showed up in the last year of the academy were entirely foreign to her. She studied them, knowing that staying ahead required more than walking slowly.

Science and Geography were new. The latter was foreign but familiar, merely new maps of a new world. The former was where the problem lay. This world was far more advanced in the sciences than her last. She had never heard of cells or cloud types, nor half the words used by their teacher. Her trait, Prodigious Pupil, proved most useful in this class. She paid close attention to their teacher, asking questions at every moment of confusion or divergence and absorbing the new information with spongelike alacrity.

Practical lessons were much the same, though for different reasons. Jing excelled at these not because of her natural gifts, but because of her remaining memories. After being tortured for decades, what was the pain of a little exercise? After being kept formless in chains, what was the boredom of practicing kunai and shuriken throwing for hours on end, or listening to yet another lecture on which plants could be eaten and which could be used for poisons? They were nothing compared to her suffering, the only memories she had left of the previous world.

Alas, there was little to recommend her classmates. They were dull creatures, entirely childish in disposition. Though it was excusable given their age, Jing would have thought the nature of the Academy would enforce seriousness. Thus far only Hyuga Haruko seemed to know the purpose of their lessons. At least she made for a good sparring partner, even if her eyes were practically cheating.

*

Jing ducked under Haruko’s hand, pointed fingers aimed at her neck missing by centimeters. She leapt forward, trying to use her shoulders as a weapon but the Hyuga simply pivoted. Smooth as a river, Hyuga Haruko avoided the attack. Her own hand came down, pointed fingers stabbing into Jing’s side. Even through gritted teeth Jing could not contain her grunt of pain. Something flared in her chakra, a sudden blockage that sapped her circulation. Jing tried to get her chakra to move past it, but that only served to distract her. Within seconds she was on the ground again, breathing heavily as she stared up at white eyes.

“Better,” Hyuga Haruko said, offering her hand. Jing took it, pulling herself off the ground. “You lasted eight more seconds than last time.”

“I still can’t reopen my tenketsu,” Jing grumbled.

“If you could there would be no point in using the Gentle Fist,” Haruko replied. “My clan does have other techniques.”

“Any that you’d be willing to share?” Jing asked hopefully.

Haruko tilted her head in thought. “I can ask my uncle,” she decided. “It would be good for both of us.”

“Really?” Jing brightened. She moved forward in a wave of childish excitement, arms sweeping around her friend. “You’re the best friend anyone could ever ask for!”

“Get off!” Haruko struggled. “I don’t even know if he’ll say yes!”

“But you’re gonna ask,” Jing smiled, tightening her grasp. “That’s enough.”

“I–get off!”

They struggled for a few moments, Haruko trying to escape Jing’s embrace. But between the persistence of her past life and the innate power of childish cuteness, Jing was inescapable. At last Haruko huffed, settling into the hug and (eventually) returning it.

“Did you mean what you said?” Haruko asked after a moment, her voice uncharacteristically small.

“Hm?”

“About being my friend.”

“Of course,” Jing replied. She looked up at the taller Hyuga and smiled. “You’re my friend. No objections.”

Haruko rolled her eyes, but didn’t move away from the hug. “You’re my friend too.”

Hidden Quest Completed: Get a Friend

Many people lose themselves on the path to power. Don’t be an asocial loser like them

Reward: 1x Minor Companion Blessing

Roll, Jing thought, her head still resting on Haruko’s shoulder.

Minor Companion Blessing

Gama

A large frog shikigami that can support its master using its long tongue. Its tongue can be used to ensnare its master's target and is strong enough to throw and slam them into objects. The speed of the Toad's tongue is useful for helping its master or an ally out of harm's way. Its large size allows it to carry targets in its mouth for transportation or restraint.

Note: To fit in with the world, this has been change to a Summons Contract with the Ninja Toads. You will still need to prove yourself to them

Sensor

You have always had a knack for sensing and locating energy/mana/chakra etc. Your ability to sense and locate energy as well as your Thinker abilities are enhanced.

Note: Current range of fifty meters. This can be improved with practice and effort

For the first time so far Jing struggled to choose. On the one hand, being able to summon a Toad sounded quite useful, if it was on par with a demon. On the other hand, Jing knew she was nowhere near able to prove herself to such creatures. If she could prove herself as she was now, odds were the Toads were too weak to be useful.

Sensor, on the other hand, was a known quantity. She would be able to detect chakra within fifty meters. She could extend it over time. With this ability Jing would be able see her enemies coming, regardless of their efforts at stealth. Even better, it was something Haruko could help her train.

Probably the only reason it counts as a Companion Blessing, Jing thought. Well, I got the blessing because of Haruko. It’s only fitting I choose something that lets me spend more time with her.

*

It had all come down to this. A single spar, before their greatest audience. The victor would go on to write their name in the stars. The loser would be forever grounded in forgetful mortality.

“Begin!”

Jing leapt forward, charging at her foe. The Searing Lightning Style demanded no less than total commitment, and Jing always went above and beyond. This move, the Lightning Fist Meets World, demanded 100% faith in the user’s ability. Jing committed with 200% faith.

Faith met with skill. With only split-seconds to spare the Great Foe twisted, evading the Lightning Fist Meets World and slapping the arm away with a Redirecting Palm. Jing followed the momentum, letting it spin her out of reach of the Fingers Jab Side, a classic attack of the Gentle Fist Style. She kept spinning, letting the momentum turn her back to face her foe.

She was none too soon. The foe was already upon her, hands moving in the Sixteen Palms. Jing moves swiftly to counter. Her fists formed the Breaking Sky, shattering the concentration of the Sixteen Palms and inflicting the first blow against her opponent. Jing leapt forward, eager to continue the attack.

But it was a trap! The Great Foe shifted while Jing was still in the air. The Foe’s leg moved, breaking Jing’s footing before she could touch the sand. Jing fell. She rolled with it, popping back up with fists raised. The Foe was already upon her. Rapid Palms and Sudden Fists flowed like a river. Jing, alas, was no mountain to stand in their way. She was Lightning, and faded fast when on the defensive.

“Yield!” her foe demanded.

Jing struggled to stand. Her legs were bruised. Her side was bruised. Her arms were bruised. Everything except her face was bruised. Still she stood up, shaking legs and wavering arms once more ready for battle.

Until she stumbled, and fell back down.

“Winner, Hyuga Haruko,” their instructor called out. “Make the Seal of Reconciliation."

They did, with Haruko helping Jing up off the ground.

“I’ll beat you one of these days,” Jing muttered as they walked back to the stands.

“You won’t,” Haruko replied with certainty. “You’re getting better, but so am I. Father said he’d teach me the next stage of the Gentle Fist during the break.”

Jing grumbled, but said nothing. If that was true, Haruko would soon be leaving her in the dust. She really needed to get a place to practice her lightning.

“Do you know if we can use the Training Grounds during the break?” Jing asked as they sat back down. “I really need to practice, and the orphanage doesn’t really have room.”

“I don’t know,” Haruko frowned. “But I can ask. And you can always use my family’s training grounds.”

“Your family? I thought you called them a clan.”

“My family is my father, mother, and siblings. The Clan is all of the Hyuga families,” Haruko explained. “Father is skilled, and he’s the Clan Head’s brother, so my family has our own training grounds. The Clan training grounds are bigger, but they’re always busy.”

“Ah.” Jing hummed in thought. “That would be nice.” She smiled. “Thank you, Haruko.”

“Don’t mention it,” Haruko said, her cheeks faintly pink. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are,” Jing smiled. “Friends forever.”