New years passed by rather quickly, which meant that it was the year where my plans should be put to fruition.
And it was time to have Shiina learn something that would actually better her in the future as well. Outside her Knowledge which is comparable to a High School student now, and her Taijutsu - Martial Arts - was at a level that she could probably defeat most Clan kids during spars in the academy. Her Kenjutsu was another level, though that was because I had been teaching her so compared to regular Shinobi who've been trained under a system that wastes movements and gets you killed if it wasn't anime, she would be better.
Of course, everything was good with this yet, she hasn't been trained yet in the basics of other things. Shurikenjutsu was something that came to mind, yes, but that could be trained in the academy and I'd have her practice it afterwards. No, by far the most important was by far Stealth. Which I trained her in through Hide and Seek. After that came Deception, which I trained her in by having her put into situations where lying is a good decision.
For example, I told her to take one of the toys left behind by another kid, and hide it, then when that kid came back, I offered us both to help. The way Shiina looked at me when I first did this was by far the most betrayed look I saw her with, yet was endearing to see.
Either way, I explained to her what I was doing, and she accepted these situations as part of her training. This did include playing old maid, or Poker too.
However, the hardest one to teach was going to be trapping, or trap making. This one was the hardest to teach because I couldn't just teach it in reality. I mean, that would raise suspicion on so many levels but I did have to do something to teach her how to strategically trap an opponent.
There were many ways to do this, but by far the easiest would probably just teach her how to play Chess, or Shogi, among other board games where Trapping an opponent is an essential part of the winning strategy.
But then there in part lies a newer inquiry.
Which game is the best way to teach this?
Well those 2 games had their merits and demerits, it's almost always going to be Chess for this type of thing but we can use another game. Othello as a secondary to game works. Chess is a very difficult game to learn that teaches what war is like, long term planning for things farther ahead, positions of your troops and controlling the battlefield, and of course traps are a part of that. Whilst Othello being a quick and easy game to learn with a focus on quick thinking and adaptability could teach her how to adapt to situations quickly.
So, when I sorted that out, I began playing Chess with Shiina, teaching her as much as I could.
To note, the tactics I taught her were simple, since I had her learn the Vienna and the Caro Kann, I was teaching her simpler openings since the Sicilian, as good as it is.
Oh right, everything I was just describing started 2 months ago, it was the middle of March, and things had been pretty docile.
It was just an updated routine, to me. Of course, the results of a routine were brilliant.
"Status." I call out in my mind.
Status
Name: Akari Inori
Clan: Uchiha
Title: None
Level: 12
EXP: 0/800
HP: 1200
Chakra: 2650
Chakra Control: 20%
STR: 90
DEX: 95
CON: 120
INT: 300
CHA: 530
Stat Points: 55
This was with a year of training, I was progressively having to upgrade my training, because stat gain slowed down when it reached certain levels but it was very consistent in general. I simply was fine with it.
Ah, right, I guess there's one other thing that should be involved here.
"Perks."
Perks
Combative Insight: You are a natural born combative genius. Your ability to read the ebb and flow of battle is insightful and predictive allowing you to understand the battlefield more closely. You can accurately recall information on the battlefield, see through enemy tactics and strategies, and you plan counterattacks effectively. You can see weaknesses where most do not consider and many people will rally to you for your insight.
Massive reserves: Your chakra pool is vast, brimming with untapped potential. From a young age, your ability to harness and contain chakra has been unparalleled, though not without its challenges. Start with 10X CHA then what you would normally start with, and every level up grants an extra 100 chakra (20 CHA) but starts with 5% less chakra control
Born adept at Chakra control: You possess an innate talent for chakra control, something that even seasoned shinobi might envy. Your natural affinity allows you to perform feats of precision and efficiency that others can only achieve through years of training. 10% CC to start with and triples EXP gain with Chakra control exercises exercises
Uchiha Clan: The Uchiha clan is one of the founding clans of Konoha and is arguably the strongest clan to exist with their Dojutsu the Sharingan. You have a chance to awaken the Sharingan. You gain 50 chakra (10 CHA) every level and start with 75 chakra as opposed to 50 for most civilians and other clans and an affinity for Fire release and one other elemental affinity that'll be revealed when the user does the Litmus paper test.
Jutsu creator: Your creativity and understanding of chakra manipulation set you apart from others. Where others see limitations, you see possibilities, moulding your chakra into unique and powerful techniques that bear your personal mark. When you create a Jutsu, you gain unique bonuses tailored to its nature and purpose, making each technique more potent and attuned to your abilities.
Massive Prodigy (All): Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Kenjutsu, all of it comes naturally to you. Your ability to grow is considered unprecedented and can be scary, yet your abilities are very strong and reliable. You gain a 5X increase in EXP gain from all skills. You learn at an accelerated rate and your brain processes information much quicker by 500%
Fire Affinity: Your chakra burns with the intensity of a wildfire, naturally attuned to the destructive and powerful element of fire. This connection fuels your jutsu, making them fierce and devastating. +50% damage dealt with Fire Jutsu, makes it easier to create and learn Katon Jutsu.
Yeah, it was just what I had from the start, alongside my affinity - I assumed my other 2 affinities will be shown once I did the paper test - that were perks. It was why I didn't bother checking it out.
It was just that when Saishin reincarnated me, the perks I chose were easy to understand. If they created a perk for the Gamer, then it would be easy to understand. Their descriptions made it obvious to me.
Anyways, going back to Shiina, we were currently starting yet another game of Chess.
Shiina eagerly sat across from me, the wooden chessboard between us. The faint morning light from the window cast our shadows over the pieces, and I watched her fingers hover over the pawns, eyes narrowed in thought. This was her eighth game against me this week, and her attention had noticeably sharpened since 2 months ago. But still, she was a beginner, and I had been guiding her carefully, step-by-step. Teaching her traps, tactics, and setting them for her was part of the game.
She understood the basic moves and grasped the openings I taught her well, but I could see she was hesitant. Knowing this, I spoke out.
"Remember the basics, Shiina," I reminded her, my tone monotone, "control the centre, develop your pieces, and consider your next move before making this one. Openings may set the tone for the game. But they simply get you into a good position when played correctly."
After a pause, she pushed her pawn to e4. A solid choice, sticking with the principles I taught her. I responded with c6, my setup for the Caro-Kann Defence. Her familiarity with the Vienna and Caro-Kann openings was growing, but I wasn't making it easy.
Her brow furrowed, and she pushed her d-pawn by 1 square, seemingly confident with her pawn centre. I slid my pawn to d5 in reply, offering her a chance to exchange. Shiina's eyes flicked to me and back to the board before she accepted, capturing with her pawn e4 going to d5. She looked pleased with herself—one of her rare moments of victory—but I knew this was only the beginning.
I recaptured her pawn with my own, placing slight pressure on her position. Watching her reach for her knight and place it on f3, developing the piece I inwardly smiled. She was understanding more and more how to activate her pieces better.
I brought my knight to c6, aiming to keep my grip on the centre. "You're learning, good." I told her, as I looked up at her.
Shiina responded to my move by developing her bishop to c4, eyeing the centre confidently. She'd chosen a standard position, keeping the pressure on, but she blundered her bishop. With my pawn on d5, I could capture her bishop on c4, easily without sacrificing it. She gave me one of her pieces without any gain.
With that, the game picked up, she castled kingside, my king's knight went to f3, she responded by pawn to b3 taking me by surprise as that was an excellent move. I responded with the bishop to g4. h3 was the obvious best move here, and she did play it, after all, even beginners understand this basic move. I took her Knight, which only got to move once, bishop landing on the f3 square threatening her unmoved queen, forcing her to move it, capturing my bishop, then I captured her pawn on d4 with my knight, threatening it again.
With the pressure, she blundered her queen, taking one of my Knights, and then being captured by a pawn. This was an issue all beginners had, being too aggressive and not looking at everything on the board.
With that, she lost her most vulnerable piece.
She took 45 seconds to decide on her next move, looking at the board with a glint of determination and focus in her eyes, she discovered a rather excellent move, capturing my pawn on c4. I moved my rock to g8, activating it along that file, ready for something deadly. She responded by moving her rook to e1, which was a good move, and did in fact affect my plan a bit.
So, I made a move, forking her 2 rooks with my knight who captured the c2 pawn in the process, her response, moving her one rook that could move out of danger to e4. I didn't take her rook yet though as I said, "check," moving my queen down the board ICBM style, except to check her king, which was now cornered as that was the one move she could make.
With that, I moved my e-pawn to e6, setting up for the Checkmate. Shiina, not seeing the danger, moved her dark square bishop to c3, not realising she had just stopped a checkmate with that move, I moved my own dark squared bishop to capture it. Which she took with her Knight, that hadn't been activated, opening her rook for my queen to take but I decided to now follow through with taking her knight with my own knight.
"It's frustrating."
I heard Shiina mutter, as I glanced at her small, "hmm?" escaped my lips, as I looked at her.
Shiina, looking down at the board, realised that with the position it would be almost impossible for her to win. It seemed that I was doing a good job teaching her, because she saw a way to win.
Unfortunately, she was about to lose.
Her pawn went to c5, my queen went to f1 was my move, Shiina moved her Knight to b5, which was a mistake on her part. After all nothing she did could stop this, "Checkmate." My queen takes her pawn on e2, finishing the game.
*The Board*
As the realization dawned on Shiina, her shoulders slumped in defeat, yet her gaze remained steady on the board. She stared at the final position, taking in the implications of every piece.
Shiina sighed, "I thought… I thought I finally had you this time," her voice held a note of frustration but also a glimmer of admiration. "I've been studying everything you've taught me, Akari. I even stayed up practicing with the moves you showed me against the others."
I nodded, my expression calm, "You played better than before. Every move had a purpose. But you let your guard down when you attacked too quickly," gesturing to the board with a small nod I added, "Chess is about patience. Rushing is what cost you your queen."
Shiina looked down, gritting her teeth slightly, but I continued, doing something that even took me by surprise, "It's not a failure. You learned to think further ahead than usual. You're getting better at seeing the traps as well. Each failure, each loss is a lesson you should take to heart to improve upon later, Shiina."
Shiina's eyes brightened as she looked back at me, her lips forming a small, hopeful smile. "You think so?"
"I wouldn't say it if it weren't true. The small steps matter. Besides," looking at the board, I felt the involuntary twitch of my own lips, "You lasted more than 10 moves against me, that counts for something."
Shiina grinned, bouncing slightly in her seat as she set up the board for another round. "Alright, alright, let's go again! This time, I'll get it right!"
I watched her for a moment, feeling a strange sense of warmth before giving a slight nod. "Fine. But keep in mind, chess is not about getting it 'right' just once. It's about getting it right each time. Consistency."
Shiina's brow furrowed, but she nodded determinedly, still full of that childlike eagerness. "Got it! I'll just have to beat you every time then."
Raising an eyebrow, my voice tinged with the faintest hint of amusement. "We'll see about that."
I knew it was impossible for her to beat me, but something told me to not mention that out loud to her.