Book One: The Rise of the Blue-Haired Devil.

      It had been six months since I had started my personalised training. Rico woke me up daily in a not-so-nice way. At first I thought it was just part of his personality, but then I realised that my sleep had become very responsive. Within a couple of months, I started waking up early. It wasn't my desire. It was like an instinct of the body. I could literally feel the danger. It was a kind of animal feeling that made it hard to take me by surprise. No matter how hard sensei tried, he could not get close to me without being seen.       My fitness had improved a lot during this time. The weight of the weights on my arms and legs was already around twenty to twenty-five kilos. Rico varied it depending on the type of workout. Overall, I was very grateful to my mentor. He taught me a lot of things that could not be found in books.       If we talk about the main thing, my chakra control went to some incredible level. Sensei was constantly doing complex training, the purpose of which was to develop several areas at once. He believed that chakra control was the most important thing for any ninja. I agree with him in a way, because a lot depends on your chakra volume. To be more precise, it is very difficult to become a strong ninja without a huge amount of chakra, because almost all shinobi's power is based on chakra, but if huge amounts of chakra are not well controlled, there is no point in it. Riko said that he knew a few people who could fight on par with ninja without using chakra, however he felt they were the big exception to the rule. Their training on body and mind is ten times greater than any ninja. To put it in human terms, all these people do is train. Back to my training. Chakra control became the main focus of my training. Every exercise took that fact as its foundation. Any sparring between me and sensei was done on water or a vertical surface. Sometimes we even managed to get a little further away from the clearing where we were training so we could spar on the waterfall. This was much more difficult for me, as it required me to concentrate harder on controlling the chakra in my legs, but after a while this training became routine for me as well. Then we moved on to practising with pieces of paper. I found it incredibly difficult to move the pieces of paper around my body while fending off Riko's attacks in close combat. This training session was followed by another. We began to develop my sensory skills.       This was done by spreading chakra into the surrounding space. I didn't have some incredible store of energy, so I had to proceed a little differently, because simply spraying chakra into the environment wastes a great deal of its volume. I began to produce everything by impulses, that is, I transformed my chakra into a wave spreading in different directions. I did not fill the space with my chakra, but scanned it with the help of chakra waves. Such waves had the property of reflecting only from objects containing chakra. Sensei told me that when he came within range of my sensory waves, he felt an invisible gaze above him. I came to the conclusion that this was due to the resonance of the chakras. My first sensory training was difficult because I had to release the chakra sharply, which required very good control. The most difficult was the release of the first wave. The medium had a lot of resistance to it, because of the friction forces, but after the first wave everything went more or less well. I did this for about two months, after that we were already into ninja techniques. It turned out that there are three basic techniques, which I learnt quite quickly.       The first technique was a body replacement technique. A ninja, after leaving some chakra in an object near him, can switch places with it. The smaller the object, the better one must control the chakra to use this technique. However, by the time I started learning this technique, my control was at a decent level, so it took me two days to master this technique ideally.       The next technique in my arsenal was the reincarnation technique. It was very easy for me, even though Rico claimed it was the most difficult. Its essence was to change one's appearance. It required you to clearly visualise the appearance of the person you wanted to transform into, and it required you to gradually feed chakra from all parts of your body, forming a sort of layer of chakra. It superimposed the shinobi with the image of the person from their mind. Maintaining such a jutsu required concentration from the user. Not all ninja were capable of fighting while maintaining the mask of another person. This technique was a staple when scouting. The last technique I learnt wasn't even really a technique at all, but rather a technique necessary for fighting genjutsu.       Few ninja used illusions because it took a lot of time and diligence to master, however I believe it is worth it. Riko had the opposite opinion, however I showed my stubbornness in this matter, causing sensei to give up. He didn't teach me the illusion techniques, but he helped me study the scrolls he'd gotten from the warehouse. The techniques were very basic. With my control, it took me a week to master them.       For another month, Riko taught me how to use kunai and shuriken. I found those weapons very awkward to throw. I talked to Sensei about it, and he told me about senbon, the long fighting needles.       These weapons required even more skill in throwing kunai and shuriken, so I tried to learn this shinobi trade as quickly as possible. At the end of one of my training sessions, I learnt how to calculate the trajectory of a cold weapon in multiple collisions, and my brain had already been trained in my previous life to solve such problems. Hitting a target behind an obstacle with two kunai had become a commonplace, but I took it a step further: one day Sensei taught me how to chakra-characterise a cold weapon, while demonstrating the penetrating power of kunai as an example. It was then that I discovered another amazing ability.       It was to connect with things using chakra. Once I swept my chakra across the kunai and threw it at the target on the tree I had carved before training, I didn't stop feeling it. It was as if the kunai was an extension of my hand. With a swipe of my finger I changed the trajectory of the weapon. The kunai flew past the target. Sensei told me that it was my special gift - chakra threads. It turned out that I could control my weapon with chakra. Now my kunai could get behind any obstacle, and I didn't even need to correct its trajectory with another kunai. I wanted to start training with senbon, but Riko stopped me. He explained that I wouldn't be able to learn anything with two senbon, which was how many of these weapons were in stock, so he suggested I wait a month. He had already ordered several packs of exotic weapons for me. Sensei wanted to train me in ninjutsu, but it turned out that I had no predisposition for any of the elements.       I was one of the rare set of shinobi who were called pure. I didn't feel good about that, but Riko quickly calmed me down by changing my training plan. He emphasised on developing my strategic thinking.       The constant sparring with my sensei gave me invaluable experience. The delivery was delayed, but I had already forgotten about it, engrossed in sparring sessions with Riko. I couldn't think of a strategy to catch him off guard. Time flew by, and I even forgot that I was fighting for survival in this world. I had grown accustomed to Rico and his ways, his subtle humour and sometimes strange actions that only became clear to me with time. On one such day, the inexplicable happened.       I was summoned early in the morning by the Baron, whom I had forgotten about, because I had not seen his cheeky face for quite a long time. I was confused as I made my way to the local chapter, because we were not going to the central hall where I had parted with Uchiha, but to some other place, so I began to scan the surrounding space with the help of sensorics. When I, along with the guard accompanying me, approached one of the many doors in the passage, I already knew that Riko, along with a dozen ninja, was inside. I got a very bad feeling, but I had no choice. The guard opened the door, letting me through. I looked at him in disbelief, but still silently complied with the mute order.       What I saw inside stunned me: Rico was suspended from four iron chains, each with a hook stuck into his flesh. On the floor was a puddle of burgundy liquid of decent size, growing larger by the minute. It's true what they say, you only realise how much you care about someone before they die. I took a few steps towards Rico. There was still hope in my wounded heart that he would be saved. I couldn't hear any sounds in the room. I was just walking. Three ninjas tried to stop me. I acted on instinct, dodging blows from different directions. The third enemy came in from behind, but I don't know how the hell, but at that moment I saw his every move, so I just took a step to the side, dodging a kunai blow to my heart.       - Stop..." I read from the movement of Riko's lips, who was clearly unable to speak anymore. They weren't trying to kill him. They had tortured my sensei for hours before I arrived. His entire body was covered in bleeding cuts, and there were bruises and haematomas in places. I had so much anger and rage in me at all the people in this room that I was ready to tear them apart. I was only distracted for a second by my emotions, but it was enough for the ninjas who had been watching until then to knock me out.       I woke up the next day. My movements were restrained by a chain. Nearby I found some sort of diary. It was also at the moment of waking up that I felt that the ninja who had been following me had left my room. I decided not to torture myself with speculation and began to study the notebook. As I read it, I found myself thinking more and more. As it turned out, my sensei wasn't such a goody-goody. He was a spy, and a spy at that. He spent about three years rubbing in the trust of one of the most influential people in the country of water to find a "clean". Why they needed a "clean one" - the document didn't say. After reading the notebook, I sank into thought, from which I was brought out of by the Baron entering the room.       - Already read it, then. - The rich man spoke aloud, looking me in the eye. - I don't want to spell it out for you, kid. You know the world is a cruel and unfair place, though I think Rico's death will be deserved. He betrayed me, knowing full well what would happen to him. - The Baron said with displeasure in his voice. He was clearly unhappy to lose such a good servant. - I will give you a chance to gain your long-awaited freedom, but your trial will be more severe than all the others. You won't be fighting a child, but a real ninja. I think your eyes, combined with your skills, will allow you to compete with one of my handlers. Starting tomorrow, you're going back to group training. - Tenga ended the conversation and left the room without saying a word to me, but I didn't need to. I couldn't contradict him at this moment in time. It just wouldn't have been wise, because I was already left with a life after this.