Chereads / Naruto: The Story / Chapter 3 - Plan

Chapter 3 - Plan

It was early morning in Konoha, and young Uchiha was sitting in his room, cross-legged and working on breathing exercises. This was Koji Uchiha, now two years old. As he breathed out, he finally opened his eyes with a small smile on his face.

"Two years old, wow, time really flies."

He had finally mastered the language and even learned how to read and write. Over the two years, Koji was especially focused on understanding the language and gaining better control over his small body.

'In the mornings, a small amount of meditation and yoga has been really helpful to start off the day. I have noticed that it keeps me fresh and also improves my flexibility.'

Koji knew that it was foolish to start training his body already since his body was still developing, it would only hinder his growth if he started doing strenuous activities like working out.

'Over the two years, there hasn't been much I can do, but I have focused on improving my body's flexibility and making sure I stayed as healthy as possible. This meant eating well, making sure I kept my mind sharp, and even sleeping well.'

'Outside this, I made sure to acquire as much knowledge about this world as possible. The years I spent in that darkness made me forget a good amount of my previous life, including the anime. Although I had a basic idea of the plot, I don't remember the finer details. On top of that, my influence in the world could cause the plot to change.'

With these things in mind, Koji delved into the history books, making sure that this world corresponded with the anime from his previous world. The things he looked for were major events, like how the first Hokage Hashirama Senju created the Leaf Village and how the second Hokage sacrificed himself in the first Great Shinobi War.

A few more things he had learned was that this was Konoha's 50th year.

'This is big news, it establishes the time I was born in, although I don't remember exactly, this should be around the time when Kakashi Hatake was born. However, I am slightly older than him. In any case, the village seems to be in a lot of unrest.'

Over the past few years, Koji had noticed that the village had become more gloomy, unlike its previous peaceful state. This indicated that something big was going to happen. 

'If my guess is correct, this somber mood in the village is likely due to a potential war. This would be the Second Great Ninja War. Although I don't know much about this war, it will last a couple of years. I would probably be in the academy by then, and hopefully would not have to participate in this war.' 

However, Koji knew that even if he avoided the Second Great Ninja War, the Third Great Ninja War would follow, and there wasn't really any way for him to avoid taking part in that war. Being in the academy could protect me from the Second War, but I'll probably be a shinobi by the third war.

Without worrying about details that he couldn't even fully remember, Koji started walking through the house till he reached the dining table. There was already a meal prepared for him courtesy of his mother. He had truly grown close to her over the years as she had taught him how to speak, read, and write. She had been with him when he relearned how to walk, run, and jump. After experiencing solitude for so many years in that darkness, she was his first interaction with another person, so he truly began considering his new mother.

'My days are not filled with much work, but I am constantly thinking about the future. It still bothers me that I have no idea why or how I got to this world, but you just have to deal with the hand you receive I guess.'

In his past life, Koji was far from a genius and didn't even work hard most times. A true procrastinator. So he wasn't too excited about the Shinobi world, where talent and strength determined if you would live or die. He knew that procrastinating or being lazy for even a single day could get him killed. So over the past 2 years, he has been working on staying consistent and fixing his old habits. A simple routine that he followed each day consisted of waking up early, doing yoga and stretches, meditating, eating healthily, and going for a short run to get used to his small body.

'It was hard at first, especially days where I woke up tired, but the thought of dying and going back to that darkness helped me stay consistent, and eventually, after working on the routine for so long, it became second nature. Procrastination and laziness wouldn't go away so easily, but consistency and routine were the perfect way to combat it.'

He decided to form a plan for himself, these next few years leading up to the academy were crucial, because the academy wouldn't hesitate to send him to war unprepared. So he needed to get stronger on his own, even before entering the academy. Luckily he was a Uchiha and would get access to resources that could help him grow stronger. The first thing he needed to do was learn Chakra, as it was the power source of this world. Even if he couldn't use it yet, learning the theory and practicing it could make him stronger. So he decided that the days leading up to the academy would be spent on learning about Chakra. Along with chakra, he wanted to get a basic understanding of things like shuriken, kunai, genjutsu, and other forms of attacks that are common for shinobi to face. 

As he finished up his food, he searched the house for his mother.

"Mom, can we go to the library again?" he asked.

"Again? We just went last week, don't tell me you already finished reading. Those history books aren't that easy to understand, Koji wouldn't it be better for you to keep reading them?" Yuna replied. She was truly worried for her child. Koji had always seemed a little mature for his age, even though he had always been a good child, she could sense that he had ambitious goals. This was definitely odd for a two-year-old child. It was as if he was constantly on edge. On top of that, she was confused as to why he would do yoga and meditation at his age. These were all signs that her child was a genius, and that made her fear for his future. Geniuses in this era would just become foot soldiers in war, and even if they survived, it was a terrible fate to shed blood at such a young age. 

'I wish you would grow up and not have to follow in the footsteps of your father, he was taken too early, and I don't want that fate for you. Please Koji, please stay safe.' This was the dear wish of a mother who did not want to end up alone.

"I do like the history books Mom, but I want to read other stuff too. Please can we go to the library again?" He pleaded, hoping she would let him.

"Fine, but not too many." She conceded although she did not want her child to be considered a genius, she also did not want to hinder his growth.'

"Great! Thanks, mom!"

And so began Koji's story, his story of becoming a shinobi.