Year Four, Month Ten
Gato was not used to people meeting his expectations.
The business tycoon had always dealt with people who gave him excuse after excuse as they failed to fully match up to what they claimed they could do, or what they were supposed to do, and through this all, he had grown accustomed to the sheer incompetency of the people that surrounded him. He had learnt, through repeated trial and error, through practice, that it was never wise for you to rely on anyone except yourself. Humans and people were fickle and unfaithful, and they were almost always incapable of performing the tasks and activities that they set out to do.
This was why, as he sailed back to Mizu no Kuni, or more accurately, back to Waterlily Town, he had already put his expectations somewhat low. The worst case scenario would be returning and realizing that his son had done absolutely nothing, and as such, he had made a huge loss. The best case scenario would be a scenario in which everything was still as he remembered it, and any scenario better than that was the idealistic scenario.
This was why, he was absolutely flabbergasted at the welcoming party that awaited him once the ship had docked.
"Welcome home Gato-sama~!"
There, at the docks, were a series of beautiful women, in outfits that were bikinis, chanting his name, as a small banner with the kanji for 'welcome' was hung on large display.
His son stood front and center, with Kitami standing beside him, though, he idly noted that the man's posture and appearance seemed to be incredibly different from what it had been six months ago. If anything, the man looked more… capable, and incredibly more dangerous as well.
Then, there was his son.
While it was good to realize that his son wasn't quite as scrawny as he remembered, he was surprised by the fact that the boy had grown a good six or seven inches in such a short time frame.
Most importantly though, was the manner in which the boy carried himself.
There was an air around him that Gato couldn't place, an air which permeated his form, seemed to sharpen his clothes and elevate his standing above everyone who stood beside and around him. It was an air of command, an air, in which, if the boy were to demand that Gato jump into the ocean and swim, the man would ask if he were to use to breaststroke or backstroke.
It was slightly disconcerting, and if Gato had not known that this was his own son, and had not known how he was six months ago, he would have mistaken the boy for royalty, for a foreign prince or a distinguished ruler, with an appeal that far outstripped anything the man himself was capable of.
Also, his son had gotten ridiculously handsome.
Four year olds were not meant to have faces that could tempt women to become pedophiles.
"Alright boy, I'll bite. What sorcery did you use?"
He smiled. "I have absolutely no idea as to what you mean father."
Sweet heavens, even the boy's tongue was deceptively sweet. Had Gato been someone who didn't know any better, or worse, a woman, he would have believed those words as though they were the gospel truth. However, he instead rubbed his nose in irritation and gave the boy a stern gaze.
"You have almost as much charm as the recently dead pretty boy Hokage, and that's saying something."
The effect seemed to crack, as the boy's face twisted into surprise. Genuine one, Gato noted.
"What?"
"I said –"
"The Hokage's dead?"
Gato rose an eyebrow. "Huh. I thought you of all people would keep your ears to the ground about local events boy. The Yondaime Hokage's dead. Shinobi in the Land of Earth partied all night long when they heard about it – sacrificed his life to kill a biju and what-not." He snorted. "Idiots, those tree-fuckers are."
There it was again, that contemplation in the boy's eyes. The boy probably though that he didn't notice it, but Gato did, Gato noticed the way his son's eyes would always switch to calculating, planning, contemplating, and he had always been doing it, ever since the boy was born.
Gato couldn't help but grin in pride.
His son was perfect. Cunning, ruthless, and now, possessing a deceptively deadly amount of charm. He was the perfect tool he needed to dethrone the God-Men that decided to play house in their tiny little villages. Men, powerful enough to reshape countries, summon storms and lightning, manipulate the weather and breathe fire –
The closest things to god in the world were Shinobi – and yet, they chose to become human.
Bah! If he could do what they could do, he would have enslaved the world long ago and enjoyed its benefits.
Still, that was what his son was for, to succeed where he failed, to conquer everyone and everything, to rule supreme as emperor of the world.
"Now, tell me boy, how well have you imprinted on this town?"
The boy looked like a deer caught by lightning.
"What?"
Gato snorted. "Don't play dumb. I saw it in your eyes from the very second I told you about my trip – you wanted me gone so you could turn the town to your little playpen. And judging by how Kitami over there seems to be more inclined with staying at your side than greeting me, I'd say you've done something worth winning over his loyalty."
Again, Junior's eyes widened.
"It's in your reactions fool. And looking like a fish caught out of water when I call you out on your stunts isn't helping. Maintain the façade of ignorance or apathy, and never let that mask drop unless you want everyone to know your plans."
His jaw dropped.
Gato rolled his eyes. "We need to work on that. You would not last five minutes in a conversation with a halfway decent Politician without spilling half of your secrets from your eyes and face alone, let alone a Jonin, Kage or Daimyo."
"I – huh. And here I thought I was – I mean –"
Gato moved up to Junior, who was clearly flummoxed and irritated, before patting him on his head. "You still have a lot to learn brat. What did you think, that you could learn it all in six months? Hah! Even I'm not that arrogant."
He completed ignored Kitami, who gave him a respectful bow, but one which made it clear of his shifted allegiance, before shrugging and continuing his walk.
"Come on now Junior! Let's see what you've done with the place."
S - O - G
It was official. Gato was dangerous.
"Hoh! You cleaned up all the dirt and grime! This place is looking spotless!"
There was no way this man who had shrugged off my charisma and seen through my intentions so broadly was the same idiot that had let himself be killed by Zabuza. No. Fucking. Way.
"Paved streets? Street lamps? Running electricity? Color me impressed."
By that merit, it meant that most of the other 'characters' I would meet, would, or should, be more intelligent, or more dangerous than what I had originally anticipated. This in turn meant, that taking over this world was not going to be quite as easy as I had anticipated.
"Ah, it's Shepherd-sama!"
"Shepherd-sama!"
"Oh?" Gato's grin widened "You've even brainwashed the public into reverence. That's more advanced than I thought."
I resisted the urge to grit my teeth. This was not going the way I had expected at all. I had been expecting Gato to come back, and to be marveling in awe at the amount of things I had accomplished while he was away, as he proceeded to become another minion under my thumb courtesy of my increased Charisma. Or failing that, I had expected him to become arrogant, conceited, and angry that his son had usurped his authority, which would then lead to the unfortunate task of me having to kill him, and take over his entire shipping conglomerate earlier than intended. Instead, I discover, that he was anticipating me changing stuff.
All at once, his words about 'expecting great things' were no longer sounding hollow.
"What's this?"
We came to a stop at a large banner in the middle of the town square, which, as it stood, now had a statue of me standing tall, with words being held on my shoulders.
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
"Hmm… effective. I like it."
"You know," I snapped, "You could pretend to be a little bit surprised. Just a little bit."
"Hah, did I hurt your fragile pride boy?"
"No." I said, far sooner than I liked.
{97/120} Charisma Check Failed!
Gato smirked at me.
Damn it! I had to have over a hundred Charisma to sway him? That so was not fair.
And I realized that I was actually whining about something for once. This was unlike me, but seeing Gato's smug, 'I-expected-this-all-along' face was incredibly, incredibly grating.
"Let this be a lesson boy. Fascinating and smart as you think you are, crafty and wily, as you feel you may be, there is always someone out there, craftier, wilier, ready to knock you off your high horse and tell you, that you're not the biggest fish in the sea..."
His eyes were dead serious.
"You're the smallest sardine."
I could not help the saliva that coalesced in my mouth as I swallowed. A serious looking Gato was a more intimidating sight than I had expected, and, just a little bit, I could understand his point of view. Here he was, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, and even he was considered weak and pitiful by shinobi. All it would take would be a Genin with a blunt knife to end his life and legacy – and it was not a comforting thought.
"Now stop your brooding and bitching, because it was amusing at first, but now it's just annoying. Don't make me whip out my belt boy – just because you're old enough to kill grown men doesn't mean you're old enough to avoid a lashing."
I nodded mechanically.
"Give me a rundown of what you've done so far."
I willed the screen to flash before my face, and began rattling off the relevant information as though I had it stored in my memory.
Territory
Waterlily Port Town
The town connected to a major port that has been under Gato's control for over six years, but left under your control and influence for six months, allowing it to thrive and prosper, developing faster than possible.
Statistical Information:
Taxation Rate: Low
Illiteracy Rate: 49.9%
Poverty Rate: 10.7%
Unemployment Rate: 6.5%
Birth Rate: 78.4%
Death Rate: 20.5%
Environmental Cleanliness: 99.9%
Populace Satisfaction: 96%
[Note: Low ratings of Environment Cleanliness equal higher frequency of diseases and illnesses, and potential spreads of viruses/epidemics.]
Infrastructural Information:
No. of Hospitals: 2
No. of Schools: 5
No. of Industries: 9
No. of Casinos: 2
No. of Geisha Houses: 7
No. of Brothels: 10
No. of Hotels: 1
No. of Hot Springs: 0
No. of Tourist Attractions: 1
Cult Information:
You have established a Cult amongst the people, rewriting their perspectives, stripping away their individuality, redrafting their history, preying on their gullibility and making them believe in your philosophical and religious "doctrines". Cults have the potential to spread across nations, increasing fame and/or infamy and their capacity to commit actions of great good or great evil.
Cult of the Shepherd
Leader/Ruler/High-Priest: Gat the Shepherd
Designation of Followers: Sheep/Sheeple
Philosophical Doctrine: The Sheep are lost without the Shepherd. The Sheep are devoured without the Shepherd. The Sheep are nothing without the Shepherd.
Religious Doctrine: The Divine Shepherd is god.
Mantras: Freedom is Slavery/Ignorance is Strength/All men are born equal, but some men are more equal than others.
Devotees: 1189
Brainwashing: 81%
Fanaticism: 78%
Loyalty: 95%
Fame: Relatively Unknown
Sphere of Influence: Land of Water
For the Cult, I had selected Orwellian quotes and themes for the sheer novelty, and then I had called the followers sheeple for sheer comedic, and of course, ironic value. Part of me was tempted to just tell Gato only about the general improvements I had made to the place, and mention nothing of the cult, but I went along and told him about pretty much everything, because I had a feeling he would find out about it sooner or later.
As he stewed over the information, I also began to contemplate on the bombshell information that he had unknowingly given me. We were in October, and it seemed, that the Kyubi attack had just taken place.
I re-iterate, the Kyubi attack had just taken place.
This meant that I was four years older than the Konoha Twelve, and as it was, when 'canon' kicked up, I would be sixteen/seventeen instead of twelve. And by 'Shippuden', assuming I hadn't derailed the plot completely before then, I would be twenty/twenty-one. This also meant, that the Uchiha Massacre had not taken place, nor had Kumo's kidnapping attempt, nor had the Akatsuki's full formation. It also meant, that if I wanted to, it would be wiser for me to kill off all my competitors and possible enemies now, before they became guaranteed threats. Or, I could just continue my plans and follow the whole ruining their economy route. Or perhaps, best, I could do both.
"Cults are fickle things to manage boy. The one I know of, the Cult of Jashin, started up as decently as a bunch of wimpy monks, and the next thing I know, they're a bunch of blood-crazed killers. You sure you know what you're doing?"
Well that was an interesting thing to know about Hidan's religion. "I'm sure."
He let his gaze linger on me for several more seconds. "Hmm." Then he went back to inspecting around and seeing the changes I had made.
And that – was that.
Gato was… strange. Most parents, I assume, would have been equal parts appalled or worried, but Gato was… Gato.
I could not tell if this was particularly a bad or a good thing.
"You pass."
I blinked, not sure if I heard that correctly.
"What?"
"I hadn't expected you to pass until maybe you were twelve at best, or sixteen at worst. But, somehow, you've exceeded my expectations in every way possible boy. So, you pass."
I wasn't sure my face could display my confusion any more than it currently had.
"What I'm saying boy, is that starting next year, you're free to go on your journey. Unless you have other things to do in the Land of Water, I'm not allowing you to stay here anymore, and I'll kick you out if need be."
I was wrong. My face contorted into one of absolute confusion.
"There comes a time in every young boy's life where he travels the world and explores it for himself in search of something. A purpose, a reason, a goal. Some want to merely experience the world, and others, heh, others feel that it'd be better if they conquered it."
His eyes flickered towards me at that, and I resisted the urge to cough as I accidentally swallowed my own saliva.
He knows?
"I went on this journey. My father. My grandfather. And now, you. It is to ensure that we never stagnate, possessing wealth and riches, we are often tempted to become content with our lots and retreat into our comfort zones, like the Daimyo's who grow stupid and dull from their satisfied lives."
Gato snorted. "Anyway, you've got a good head on your shoulders, but you're still dense in certain areas. A little bit of exploring and travelling will do you good. Of course, where you go, you'll be representing me and the Shipping Corporation – so how you use this in your travels will be up to you."
I stared. "You – you're serious."
"Of course I am." he said, "I own the largest Shipping Corporation in the world boy. I never stay in one place for too long, and the only reason I have been in the Land of Water for so long was because of your birth – the sea is no place for a baby."
I… actually hadn't known that.
"So, my options are to have you follow me around everywhere I go, across the open sea for the rest of your life –"
My nose immediately scrunched up at that.
"Or to leave you here to your devices and little cult, where you'd eventually stagnate due to simply being superior to everyone around you, and lacking any challenges –"
…Which was kind of true. Hell, I had gotten Kitami to be my version of The Hound in just six months of impressing him, raising my reputation with him and overwhelming him with my natural charisma. This was not to say of how easily it would be for me to walk into the town and immediately command an orgy, and just like that, the people would obey.
"Or the third and final option, to give you the liberty to travel and grow. As long as you're still managing and expanding the Shipping Corporation – the freedom of where you go is entirely up to you."
Wow. Just wow.
I hadn't expected Gato of all people to be so… thoughtful.
"I'm four years old." I said, pointing that out.
He snorted. "And you're the leader of a cult, capable of managing and restoring a city economically damaged beyond repair, to a thriving, bustling metropolis."
Touché.
"Oh, and you seem to be under the impression that I was giving you a choice boy. I'm not. Come your fifth birthday – I'm kicking you out."
Ah, there was the evil-hearted bastard I knew.
"Now, where the hell is the nearest geisha house? I have an itch I need scratched."
Yup. Same, old Gato.
S - O - G
I was born in January, which meant, that I only had two months to my birthday, and two months to prepare before Gato Spartan-kicked me out of the nest. With that knowledge in mind, I had decided to actually start working on the rest of my skills and stats, because I had no idea as to what I was going to face out there, and as such, being a weak civilian unable to defend myself would be one of the fastest ways I could get killed.
In the past six months, I hadn't actually leveled up or gained any stat increases, except for one stat, which made me grimace as I brought up my information.
Name: Gato Junior
HP: 150/150
CHK: 41/41
Level: 2
Age: 4
Rank: Civilian
Title: Little Cutthroat
EXP: 2921/3000
Money: Approx. 55,000,000,000 Ryo
SPECIAL
Strength: 4 (-2) [E– Rank]
Perseverance: 25 (-2) [D Rank]
Endurance: 37 (-2) [C Rank]
Charisma: 77 (+20) [A– Rank]
Intelligence: 19 (+20) [C Rank]
Agility: 4 (-2) [E– Rank]
Luck: 0 [F Rank]
Status
Buffs:
N/A
Debuffs:
N/A
Foils:
(Strong Civilian Heritage: Possesses less Chakra than the average human, 60% harder to increase Chakra reserves)
(Son of the Monster: –50% Reputation Gains with Civilians.)
(Machiavellian Principle: –50% Reputation Gains with Honorable or Good Characters, +50% Reputation Gains with Amoral or Evil Characters)
Boons:
(Arithmetic Prodigy: Grants +20 to Intelligence)
(Utilitarian Principle: Grants +20 to Charisma)
(Size Matters: Grants Perfect Chakra Control if Chakra reserves are less than or equal to available Health Points.)
Bio
Gato Junior, or Gat, or Junior, is the son of the prominent, but often amoral Business Tycoon Gato, and the sole heir to the Gato Shipping Conglomerate. Possessing a brilliant mind, a flair to be overly dramatic and pointlessly deep, he believes himself to be a genuine psychopath who will take over the world, enslave its women and become a God-Emperor.
I was A– Rank in Charisma, courtesy of giving numerous speeches and using a silver tongue to ensnare and capture. The A– Rank meant that I was more Charismatic than an ANBU Captain, and as Charismatic as a rookie Jonin. It also meant, that my Charisma would fail to impress or completely hold sway over an average or elite Jonin, let alone a Kage or S-Rank Shinobi, and, as Gato had displayed, it would also not be entirely as effective against highly experienced politicians or business men. Anyone else however, was completely fair game for me to twist their minds however I so wished.
However, this had me thinking, as to why people who often got reincarnated as a Gamer, were not strong enough to conquer the world after about six years. I mean, even the original Gamer, that is, Mr. Han Jee-Han, had his Gamer ability for less than a year or two, max, and this was me being generous, before he was capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the overpowered characters of his own world.
If you lived as the Gamer for a decade or more, and had not yet become strong enough to curbstomp the big-bad in that time, then you were doing something seriously wrong.
My excuse, was that I had no plan of conquering the world with my fists.
Still, I rubbed my nose in irritation as I realized that I could have used these past six months to get some more Charisma training done, but instead, I had focused on building my cult and improving the town – which kind of sucked, considering that I'd be leaving it all behind in two months.
…But, my dearest father hadn't said anything about not carrying my cult along now had he?
"Focus Gat, Focus. I have only two months left to prepare for the world. What do I need to do to ensure my survival, and how do I need to do it?"
For starters, I needed to improve my strength. Except, there was no quick way to do it right now, which meant…
Shortcut time.
Sitting down cross legged back at the mansion, I accessed my chakra for what felt like the first time in years, and the energy came soaring through my veins. I had perfect chakra control. This fact had been something I hadn't really cared about beforehand, but it would be useful now. I had perfect chakra control. It was a tradeoff for my pitifully low chakra capacity, as I was sure that Sakura would have more chakra than I would ever be able to wield, but still it was enough, because I had no goal of getting into long prolonged fights, but merely to be capable of defending myself well enough from most attackers.
To that end, one technique came to mind.
"Draw the chakra, focus, fine-tune, release at the point of contact –"
I slammed my fist into the ground in front of me.
–4HP!
And, it had not gone at all as planned. I was so glad I had gone through such intense pain-training, otherwise that impact would have hurt way more than it did. Still, I was determined not to give up.
"Draw the chakra, focus, fine-tune and then release at the point of contact –"
–4HP!
No dice.
"Draw the damn chakra, focus, fine-tune and then release at the point of contact –"
–4HP!
Still no dice.
"Draw –"
–4HP!
"The –"
–4HP!
"Chakra –"
–4HP!
Six hours later, and I had expected some sort of notification, or perhaps maybe, the Game system interfering and finally aiding me with what I was planning on doing, considering that I did have perfect chakra control, I had assumed it would be much easier.
But no. No matter how much I tried, I could not imitate Tsunade's legendary super strength technique. All I got for it, was a heavily bruised fist. Seeing as how I did not have either the Gamer's Mind or the Gamer's Body, I knew that the bruise and swelling would not heal till tomorrow.
"Heh – if only I had that damned Gamer's Body –"
If I had Gamer's Body, I'd simply learn to open the Eight Gates.
Unlimited Power + No potential for backlash or permanent critical injury.
This was probably another one of the reasons as to why I didn't have it – Gamer's Mind and Gamer's Body were complete and utter game-breaking abilities, but people never even realized it. Gamer's Mind would have granted me complete immunity to Genjutsu, or at the very least, made me extremely resistant to them. Gamer's Body would have ensured that I could simply pluck out my own eye and slam another orb into it without need for any surgical accuracy, and bam, instant transplant.
OP as hell.
"Wait… surgical accuracy?"
Maybe I had been looking at this wrong – Tsunade's Super Strength – maybe I didn't quite need that.
Instead, I focused back on my chakra, feeling and drawing from it, pouring it into my right hand, slowly steadily, until a wispy shape of dense chakra began to form, and my eyes immediately lit up.
From experimenting with your Chakra, a new skill has been created!
Chakra Scalpels (Active) Lv. 1
Scalpels of Chakra generally utilized by medical shinobi for complex surgical work on the human body, or on the tenketsu. These scalpels pass through skin external chakra layers with relative ease.
Cost: 14CHK Per Scalpel
The Scalpel in my hand was shoddy, weak, and I had a feeling that the blade was equally blunt, but still, it didn't matter. It was a formed shape, and, once I created it, it wouldn't dissipate until I willed it to do so. The Chakra cost was relatively minor, but a Chakra Scalpel was an incredibly dangerous tool, perhaps, even more dangerous than a super strength punch.
Now, imagine what I could do with these scalpels if I could throw them. Or, shoot them, since my throwing skills sucked.
Unfortunately for me, the only way I would be getting to that level with the scalpels was through constant practice and grinding the skill.
I grinned.
Looks like I knew what I was going to be doing for the next one month.
Amidst greeting my cult members of course. Can't have the sheeple forget about me now can I?
And of course there was one place I needed to go.
"Kitami."
I ordered, finding the man standing guard a few paces behind me.
"Yes Shepherd-sama?"
I grinned.
"Gather the men and the ship… and plot a course… for Kirigakure no Sato."