Three Years Old
I don't sleep anymore.
Not in the traditional sense, anyway. My body lies still, breathing steadily under the sheets, but my mind remains awake. Quietly aware. Mulling away in my Mind Palace.
As the days pass, my understanding of my chakra increases. More each night. More with every breath. And the more I understand it, the more I know how to wield it.
I suppose, in some ways, I'm lucky to be born a Yamanaka, where patience and discipline are taught before destruction.
At least, that's what my clan believes—train the mind before the body, and perhaps you won't lose yourself in the madness of power.
I suppose it's a fine philosophy.
I'm currently seated in my Mind Palace, sipping a cup of jasmine tea under the shade of a jacaranda tree, my legs swinging off the edge of a wooden bench.
It's where I've been designing my build.
Not a physical build, of course, but a mental map of how I'll shape myself—my future—through training. Ninja life, in many ways, reminds me of DnD or RPGs I used to play. Every decision mattered, every specialization, every ability honed for a specific purpose. And me? I was a mage.
A real mage, standing behind the frontline, weaving intricate jutsu with perfect control. But also well-rounded enough to get up close and personal if required...
So maybe a DnD Wizard with the School of Enchantment or School of Illusion Subclass? I could also be a Storm Sorcery Sorcerer? And a Summoner, creating minions to fight for me? Yeah, a mixture of those, maybe…
Shinobi life offered many paths, sure.
I've seen enough of them to know. You could become an Elementalist, mastering the raw power of elemental release. Or an assassin, swift and silent, your blade a whisper in the night.
But for me, it's the mind. Always the mind. Control. Precision. Maximum efficiency, minimum effort.
I flipped through the mental pages. I've categorized my future into five pillars: Genjutsu, Yamanaka clan techniques, Ninjutsu, Medical Jutsu, and Fūinjutsu. Each played a role, and each fed into the next. That's how I'll grow. That's how I'll achieve the control I need to stay above the rest.
My Limit Breaker ability gave me the advantage—unlimited potential and unrestricted growth. In theory, there's no ceiling I couldn't shatter, no skill I couldn't master. But I'm not delusional. Mastery takes time, and I have to prioritize.
Yamanaka techniques are first. They always will be. We're natural-born manipulators of the mind. It's what we do, and it aligns perfectly with my focus on Yin chakra. Still, the clan's techniques have glaring weaknesses. Why should I need to leave my body vulnerable every time I perform a Mind Transfer?
The idea of surrendering control of my own body while controlling someone else's is… laughable. It's a flaw that no one in our clan seems eager to address. But I will. I'll improve the jutsu. Remove its weaknesses. Make it something worthy of fear. Respect.
I tap the end of my pencil thoughtfully. Why can't Yamanaka techniques directly manipulate the brain? Stimulate the adrenal gland to flood someone's system with fear, like the Quincy did to Rukia in Bleach?
Why not affect the thalamus to control a person's sensory perception, the way Aizen could. The possibilities were endless. We could break minds, shatter wills, without even lifting a kunai.
That's what I'll do.
Next on my list is Genjutsu.
It's too often dismissed as a lesser art, but it's deadly in the right hands. I mean, look at Itachi. He became a nightmare with simple illusions.
If he could do that with his abilities, imagine what I could achieve. Genjutsu is all about subtlety, about making your opponent doubt reality itself. I can work with that.
Ninjutsu is third because while the Yamanaka are specialists in mind techniques, I'd be foolish to ignore the raw power that comes with elemental mastery.
I'll become Tobirama 2.0. Jutsu creation and enhancement—it's all within my reach. I've heard the whispers from my parents—my reserves are already larger than average and slowly growing each day, thanks to Limit Breaker—and with enough training, my chakra volume will be astronomical.
But that's not all. Medical jutsu will round out my skill set because the human body is fragile, and knowing how to manipulate it is the key to survival.
I was the best neurosurgeon in America before. Now, I'll be the best medical-nin in Konoha. Medical techniques in taijutsu, like Tsunade's Body Pathway Derangement, will give me an edge in close combat.
Imagine turning someone's nerves against them, disrupting their body's signal. It's elegant. Efficient. Deadly.
And then there was Fūinjutsu. The art of sealing—of binding gods, even. If that doesn't scream potential, then nothing does.
Of course, I would master the basics: taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, weapons, etc. I would be an all-arounder. I would have no deficiencies. No weaknesses.
I smiled to myself, sipping my tea. Yes, I can see it all so clearly now.
The road ahead isn't short, but it's there, stretching out before me, and I'll walk to it until I've made my mark.
I'll change this world, starting with the Yamanaka name.