'Congratulations to the host for graduating, and becoming a genin of konohagakure!'
A synthetic ambiguous voice, echoed in the back of Zennin Tatsuyas head. Tatsuyas face, which held a bored look, became peculiar, he'd been living in the world for 10 years now, and only now did a system of some sort appear.
He'd thought he was on his own, and that he'd have to fight to the nail to scrape up all the strength he could to survive in this cruel world.
'The system is now operational, This system is the jutsu creation system. Notice: Reward for achieving the rank of genin: 1 D-rank jutsu development card!'
Tatsuyas breath nearly hitched, he hadn't expected this late system to be so useful. 'System, explain your functions!' Tatsuya asked in his mind.
'Notice: This systems main function is to help in the development of jutsu of all categories. A secondary function is the system shop, where the host can buy jutsu development cards and more!'
The system explained its tone and wording neutral and to the point. Something Tatsuya didn't mind as he'd rather a cold and uninterfering system than 1 that issued suicide missions for rewards.
Tatsuya was brought out of his thoughts when his name, along with the names of 2 other newly graduated genin of his class, were call.
"Zennin Tatsuya, Hinetsu Daigo and Nara Enshu, with me!" Called a young man who looked to be in his late teens to early 20s, with black spikey hair pulled up into a top ponytail, black eyes and 2 scars running across his face.
Tatsuyas eyes brighten as he recognized the figure instantly. The future clan head of the nara clan, Nara shikaku!
"Yes sensei!" Tatsuya and his 2 teammates chorused. The trio rose from their seats and followed the lazy looking jonin out of the classroom.
Tatsuya for his part studied shikaku from head to toe. Although this team was a 2 civilian, 1 shinobi clan ninja team, it should be said that the 3rd hokage, was quite fond of civilian shinobi.
Case in point, Namikaze Minato, a rising star on the battlefield, having learned the second hokages flying raijin jutsu.
After his talent was noticed, hiruzen had placed said blond speedster onto jiraiyas genin team, along with 2 other civilian shinobi, of the same graduating class.
'If nothing goes wrong with this team, even if it wasn't a team mentioned in the original work, it should survive!' Tatsuya inwardly mused.
Shikaku led the trio to the akamichi clans BBQ restaurant, Yakini'Q
After settling down in a private booth, shikaku turned his full attention to his team. At the moment there was no need to test genin, as the village needed every able bodied fighter.
Shikaku grimaced at the thought of it, unprepared genin going to the frontlines with the wrong notions, something that he wouldn't allow his team to partake in.
"First let's get 1 thing clear before anything else." Shikaku started his tone firm, yet somehow still lazy at the same time.
"The village is currently in dire straights." He paused to make sure he found the right words, to get the picture to sink into his genins heads.
"You, and all other graduating genin are going to be thrown, right into the thick of it. This isn't some game, or is the village making any exceptions, if you don't watch yourselves on the battlefield, you'll return to the village as a statistic!" He finished. Harsh his words may be, but they were words his genin needed to hear.
He wasn't in the business of coddling younger shinobi.
Tatsuya hearing shikaku couldn't help himself. He stood and give shikaku a bow. "Thank you sensei for telling us the hard, factual truths, I hope to learn as much from you as you'd allow!" He said his tone sincere.
Shikaku, daigo and and enshu gazed at Tatsuya who had retaken his seat.
Shikaku nodded, at least 2 out of his 3 students understood that war wasn't some game.
Enshu was a member of the Nara clan, and had lost his father to the earlier part of the war.
Shikakus gaze fell on daigo who gazed back unwaveringly. "I'm not stupid enough to think war is a game, sensei!" He explained simply, although he hadn't lost anyone, that didn't mean he didn't understand the weight others were bearing because of the constant fighting.
Shikaku nodded, happy that at least his team would be entering the meat grinder known as war with the correct mindset.
After that conversations naturally flowed, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Then the meat came and the quartet began grilling.
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Later after everyone had their fill of BBQ, the quartet left.
Shikaku turned to his team with a serious expression, meet me in front the hokages tower tomorrow morning at 9, understood?" Asked shikaku to which he received confirmations from all 3 genin.
"Good, your dismissed!" He said before walking off lazily, his hands stuffed into his pockets.
Tatsuya and the other 2 exchanged glances before bidding each other farewell and going their separate ways.
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After walking for 2 or 3 dozen minutes tatsuya came upon a decently sized 2 story house situated in the outskirts of the villages suburban area.
Walking up to the door, he pulled out a spare key, unlocked the door and entered.
"I'm home!" He called as he began taking off his sandles.
Footsteps echoed coming towards the hall. Looking up Tatsuyas gaze fell on a woman in her mid 20s with white hair pulled into a ponytail and Grey eyes.
"Welcome back Tatsuya-chan, how was your day?" The young woman asked. Said woman, was none other than Tatsuyas mother Zennin tatami, she was a beautiful woman who'd retired early from her shinobi career after becoming pregnant with Tatsuya.
"It was alright, our sensei turned out to be the next head of the Nara clan, Nara shikaku. He's quite straightforward, so there's no need to worry." Answered Tatsuya straightening up after taking off his sandles.
Walking over, he gave his mother a hug, before entering the living room, where in 1 of the corners of the room sat a small shrine, with incense lit.
Lowering himself to his knees, Tatsuya clapped his hands in the universal sign of prayer and began speaking to the photo, of his father enshrined.
A man with jet black hair and silver eyes, a small smile on his face, stared back at Tatsuya. The man was Zennin Natsuya. Tatsuyas father, a special jonin of the village who'd given his life to buy time for his teammates to get back with crucial intelligence. It was why even though his mother had stopped working they still lived in relative comfort.
His father's mission merit had been exchanged for a decent spousal benefit from the villages upper brass.
Releasing a breath, Tatsuya stood from his kneeling position and made his way towards and up the stairs.
As he crested the top of the stairs, his mother's voice echoed up to him. "Food will be ready in 10!"
"Okay, I'll be down in time!" Replied Tatsuya, before heading to his room. Entering and closing the door behind him, he locked it before sitting at the study table in the corner.
'System, I'd like to use the d-rank jutsu development card please!' He thought inwardly.
'Confirmed that the host wishes to use item: D-rank jutsu development card!'
The system asked.
'Yes!' Replied Tatsuya his mind made up.
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To be continued!!