Naruto: The Azure Ghost of Konoha

Entering a forge recommended by weapon shops, Yoichi heard a voice say:

„Well, I see you're a newbie. I'm Andre from Konoha."

Yoichi looked around the interior of the forge. Various types of weapons were hanging on the walls, from kunai and shuriken to larger blades and various ninja tools.

However, he couldn't shake the blacksmith's words from his mind.

„Andre... from Konoha? Is this really Naruto's world?"

He looked carefully at the man. He had long, white hair tied in a ponytail and a long, white beard. Before he could dwell on it any further, the man spoke again.

„Are you okay? Need something?"

Yoichi quickly returned to reality and replied:

„Yes, I learned that you can buy exercise weights here. I'd like to know how much they cost."

Andre looked at him carefully before replying:

„They cost 5000 ryō. They're adjustable, and if you want to increase the weight later, you'll only need to pay 2000 ryō for the upgrade. Unless you'd rather use training seals, in which case you must first go to the administration building and exchange two rank [C] merits. Once you bring back a confirmation document, I will prepare the seals for you. So, which one do you choose?"

Yoichi replied:

„For now, I'm just asking about the price since I don't have enough funds yet. And what exactly are these rank [C] merits?"

Andre raised an eyebrow and sighed slightly.

„You are an Academy student and you don't know it yet? Merits are earned mainly for completing missions of the appropriate rank. Once you collect enough, you can exchange them for various things, such as training seals or access to certain techniques in the library.

If you know fūinjutsu and your Explosion Tags and Storage Scrolls meet the standards, you can pay 350 ryō for an explosive tag and 1200 ryō for a storage scroll. So, what do you want to buy?"

Yoichi shook his head and turned to leave.

„Maybe next time. Thanks for the information."

As he walked toward the library, he couldn't stop thinking about his meeting with the blacksmith.

„He really looked like Andre of Astora from Dark Souls... Strange. But there's no point in spending more time on it."

He sighed quietly, trying to focus on something else.

„More importantly, how could I have forgotten about fūinjutsu?! If I want to make rapid progress, I need to include it in my training. Then I need to establish a proper training plan."

Entering the library, he showed his ID and asked for guidance on available materials. He learned that the library is divided into seven sections: Section F, containing basic ninja-related information, and Sections E, D, C, B, A, as well as a section for civilians.

He now had access to Sections F, E, and D.

He first walked through the available sections, scanning the titles of various scrolls to get a sense of the materials available. He found information on chakra theory, chakra control, chakra manipulation, nature manipulation, as well as scrolls devoted to fūinjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and numerous historical records.

It took him several hours just to skim through the titles of different scrolls. Having familiarized himself with the library's contents, he decided to return to his apartment.

After eating dinner, Yoichi began to analyze his situation:

„My chakra control is pretty good, I can try to buy balloons and start the first stage of Rasengan training.

I also managed to develop sensory abilities, allowing me to detect things up to 20 meters away. However, this requires intense focus. I haven't yet been able to develop a way to passively sense my environment.

Thanks to a combination of physical exercise, meditation, and regularly pushing my chakra to its limits, I have steadily increased my reserves.

At the Academy, I'll compare my chakra reserves with my classmates to see where I stand among my peers.

I found out that chakra paper costs 10,000 ryō, which is way out of my budget for now.

For now, I'll continue training my fire element. So far, I'm doing well. I've mastered the leaf burning exercise and can light a fire at the tip of my finger. Additionally, I slowly manage to control this flame, adjusting its size. I should try burning something more durable than a leaf. Hmm.. perhaps a small piece of wood.

I came across various taijutsu styles in the library. From what I briefly reviewed, they seemed incomplete, and to access more information, I would need clearance for Section C. That's why I'll start learning the Senju style.

In any case, one thing I must start doing is learning fire-style jutsu. I should read all E-rank and D-rank fire techniques available in the library and try to master the most useful ones over the next year or two.

The next chakra nature I plan to learn will be either lightning or earth. Hmm… I suppose lightning should be my focus. Although earth release would grant me access to some defensive jutsu, lightning will allow me to eliminate my opponent faster. And if an opponent can't fight back, I won't need to defend myself. Ideally, I'd learn wind release since it complements fire well, but my natural affinity for it is probably weak. It would take me too long.

I should also start learning fūinjutsu. If I succeed, it might even solve my financial problems.

Additionally, I need to determine how much chakra is necessary to safely perform the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Once I'm ready, the clone could help me learn fūinjutsu.

I also need to decide on a weapon and start training with it. Once I settle on one, I'll buy a training version.

For now, I don't have time for medical jutsu, but I must learn basic first aid before graduating from the Academy.

My plan for the week leading up to classes is set. Once lessons start, I'll likely need to adjust it."