Chapter 4 - Welcome To The Nara Clan Compound

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Konohagakure - Hospital

Ena Narabushi

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I sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, controlling my breathing in and out in a slow and steady rhythm as I meditated. While the sterile smell of antiseptic that clung to the air didn’t bother me in my past life, it definitely did in this one, all thanks to the enhanced senses of a Saiyan. If it weren’t for Damian's skill with getting through uncomfortable inconveniences like horrible smells, it would have taken much longer for me to tune it out.

Hearing a soft knock, I looked toward the door but didn’t need to wait long to see it open, letting in the slouched form of Shikaku Narra. His face is angular, with a defined jawline, narrow half-lidded eyes, and dark stubble shading his chin and jaw. His dark hair was tied back into the spiky ponytail at the top of his head I expected, though slightly looser and rougher than the anime character I remember watching. 

Despite his casual look, my recently obtained skillset told me what I already knew via meta knowledge. That being that his lazy facade was hiding the calculating gaze which was currently trying to see through me, strategizing a board game I didn’t even realise, or rather wouldn’t have realised if I wasn’t a grown ass man in a kid's body.

Shikaku Nara, in standard Jonin uniform instead of the brown sleeveless jacket I remembered, stood just inside the doorway, holding a folded bundle of clothes, tossing them to me without a word.

Naturally, I caught them mid-air, giving him a small nod to wordlessly acknowledge the gesture and stood. Untying the hospital gown, I placed the bland white cloth on the bed, knowing full well Shikaku was studying my physique as I put on the high-quality, long-sleeved top, loose-fitting slacks, and sandals.

“Name’s Shikaku,” He said when I was done, arms crossed and leaning against the door frame. “I’m the current head of the Nara Clan.”

“Appreciate the clothes,” I said with a nod. I was raised with manners after all. “I’d appreciate it even more if you made sure my own were returned to me.”

Shikaku shook his head. “Your old clothes are at home. You can get them back once we make it through the night.”

Ah, using ‘home’ instead of saying his house, or his family home, to makes me feel like Konoha is home for me and not where I lived before. Not a bad start, honestly. Not too forceful and on the nose. Just enough to plant the idea or just remind a person who looks into things more to see that he already sees him as family.

“Fair enough,” I hummed.

“Come on,” Shikaku turned toward the door. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”

We stepped out into the empty corridor and started making our way out, passing by a few nurses who were actually doing a decent job of hiding the fact that they were shinobi, if it wasn’t for the slight smell of metal and shinobi weaponry on them.“Did it take long to find a cave big enough?” I asked casually, while trying to see if I could perceive any shinobi with an invisibility Jutsu of some kind.

Shikaku didn’t look back as he spoke. “We just needed a mountain, then used Earth Style to hollow it out.”

Ena frowned, finding no shimmer of light to indicate invisibility as my eyes narrowed slightly. “Must’ve been the [Fūinjutsu] needed to reinforce it that took the time, then.”

Shikaku sent a sideways glance my way with a raised brow. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t elaborate as we exited the hospital and began walking through what I assumed was the quieter side of the village. We both knew from that statement alone that he would pick on the fact that the Bushi clan were proficient in [Fuinjutsu] to do at least what they most likely did in the mountain. 

We continued walking in silence for a while with our hands in our pockets, until Shikaku decided it was time for what I deduced was a physical assessment, lazily glancing at me as he ‘warned’. “Try to keep up.”

With that, he leaned forward and blurred into motion, kicking up a brief gust of air as he vanished down the street. Letting out a sharp breath, I sprinted after him until I matched his speed, weaving between scattered civilians and darting through uncrowded side streets. It was only what I assumed was Genin speeds though, because he wasn’t as fast as those I fought in the forest, most likely because he wanted to avoid an accident with a civilian, even though the streets he chose were somewhat empty.

Then Shikaku decided to change it up and jumped. His foot hit a low wall, then the side of a building, running up its vertical face with ease. Without pausing, he reached the top in barely a few seconds and vanished across the roofline. Unfortunately, my monkey-tailed ass still hadn’t started doing the [Tree Walking] yet, so I could only grit my teeth in irritation and watch the man scale the building in style.

Without the luxury of chakra that particular version of chakra manipulation to assist me, and not wanting to attempt it now only to blow a wall up by accident, I launched myself toward a nearby fire escape railing, grabbing and flipping up onto it. I sprang from there to a pipe jutting from the wall, then kicked off it in a twisting arc to grab the edge of the balcony above like a flying Grayson would.

Then I was off again, catching up to the pineapple head of a man, who didn’t even look back to see if I made it up the building. Granted, even if he wasn’t a sensor, a Jonin of his calibre would be able to sense me just fine.

He upped the speed a notch when I caught up, and we raced across rooftops until we reached the outer wall of the village. The guards at the gate gave only a brief glance before nodding at Shikaku. No words needed. Without slowing, we leapt into the ginormous trees beyond the village wall and started hopping from branch to branch, while I constantly tried to train my ability to find the ANBU, no doubt following us to make sure we got there safely.

They would never risk a potential tailed beast-level asset travelling outside the village with only one Jonin as protection. I came up with nothing though, which only annoyed me the entire way there.

After about an hour of continuous tree hopping, we arrived at the cave entrance set into the side of the forested mountain. It was narrow and reinforced with visible [Fuijutsu] around the frame, with two

Set into the side of a forested mountain was the wide and dark, newly created cave entrance, reinforced with [Fūinjutsu] along its frame. Two Leaf Village shinobi stood guard outside, clad in standard-issue Jonin gear with the green flak jacket, the same as Shikaku. But I knew they weren’t on his level, because, unlike Shikaku, who had minimised his Chakra to the point I couldn’t sense it anymore, I could sense theirs.

Then again, it could be that they were more [Fuinjutsu]-based shinobi, so they may not have the skill necessary to hide their chakra like Shikaku can. Yet again, I assumed it was another lesson he wanted to teach me about shinobi life, which led me to conclude he would be trying to convince me to become a shinobi of the leaf and join the academy at some point, while using these moments as proof I need it.

The Chunins straightened at our approach, nodding respectfully at their commander while sending an inquisitive glance my way. Neither were surprised at Shikaku’s lazy return of the gesture while he continued inside with me a step behind him. Inside, the cave was uncharacteristically clean and smooth, courtesy of their Jutsu. 

Unsurprisingly, a shogi board sat neatly on a wooden platform with two cushions placed opposite one another in front of it and a futon was laid out nearby against one wall, next to a small stack of books. I took it all in as my eyes swept over the space before lingering on the books and he frowning slightly. “Do you have a book on Konoha’s laws?”

I had no doubt someone would be trying to screw me over while manipulating the law at some point. Best to minimise that possibility as much as possible. Not that it would stop people like Danzo, but it would at least give me some ammo when up against the old bastards that call themselves the Konoha Elders. There wasn’t any screen time for them, but hopefully the Elders of the Nara Clan elders aren’t nearly as bad as the Hyuga.

Without breaking stride, Shikaku snorted as he casually reached into his flak vest and pulled out a small, slightly worn copy of the current Konoha Civil and Shinobi Code, handing it behind him to me without even glancing. That was enough to let me know people tried him so much he had to carry it around to the point it's no doubt already memorised. And if they’re trying him of all people this much, then it’ll be much worse for me, considering my ability to turn into what they will see as another tailed beast they can use.

I took it with a quiet nod of gratitude, running a finger along the cover before slipping it under my arm. “Thanks.”

Shikaku hummed as he moved toward the shogi board and sank onto one of the cushions with a quiet, old dude groan. “You play?”

The book disappeared into the [Inventory] as I walked over, ignoring his raised brow while lowering myself onto the opposite cushion. “I’m more into chess,” I said, while adjusting my seat. “But I was taught shogi too. It’s more complex in some ways, I suppose.”

Shikaku gave me a soft grunt. “What’s chess?”

Oh yeah, there wasn’t any chess in the original Naruto. I reached for one of the pieces and examined it, already thinking about making it my business idea, like how Jirya had his books. “I’ll show you later.”

Shikaku smirked, leaning forward to set the board. “Looking forward to it.”

While I did put up a fight, making him work for the win, he still proceeded to cook me in the game regardless. The hours passed quietly, save for the occasional ‘clack’ of shogi pieces sliding across the board. The sunlight from the entrance had long since faded, and the soft glow of a few lanterns was the only thing illuminating our hunched forms as we exchanged strategies in silence. Shikaku had won most of the games, but I had proven myself a sharp thinker, adapting quickly between each match and proving why Damian was the son of the Bat and grandson of the Demon’s Head.

Meanwhile, I had been utilising the [Help] function during our games, double-checking if being a Saiyan but assimilating a human would give me the half-saiyan benefits like not losing my mind during my transformations. Thankfully, I got the answers I wanted, for the third time, which gave me some peace of mind.  

Eventually, I leaned back with a sigh, placing my last piece down in resignation. “Another loss,” I muttered with a small frown. “You’re annoyingly good at this game.”

Shikaku smirked lazily. “It’s just experience,” he said, flicking the winning piece off the board.

Shaking my head in amusement, I slowly made my way to my feet, rolling my shoulders before reaching both arms overhead in a long, slow stretch. My back cracked faintly, and I shifted into a forward bend, then twisted my torso side to side, working out tension like I was preparing for a sparring match.

Shikaku raised an eyebrow while letting out a resigned sigh, already knowing the answer to his own question before he even asked. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to transform,” I replied casually, still stretching. I had waited long enough after all.

Shikaku frowned slightly, sitting up straighter. “You think you can control it?”

I snorted, hopping lightly on my tiptoes a few times. “Of course I can.”

“Confidence is one thing,” Shikaku said as he rose to his feet and fell into step behind me on my way to the entrance, “but if you’re wrong, people could get hurt.”

“I’m as sure as I’ll ever be,” I said, stopping just short of the cave’s exit and peeking around the stone lip to catch a glimpse of the night sky, watching clouds drift lazily overhead, with the bright full moon already shining through.

Behind me, Shikaku continued with a much firmer tone. “The seal work near the entrance isn’t as strong as the one inside. The second you feel the transformation start, get back in. If it gets out of control…” he paused, “we’ll do our best to restrain you. But if we can’t… our first duty is to keep the village safe.”

I glanced over my shoulder, catching the edge in the man’s tone. I understood the unspoken threat behind his words and honestly don't blame him. His immediate family, his son, live here after all. If I had a son, I’d do whatever it took to save him, too.

I just shrugged, not bothered in the slightest. “Then I guess you’ll just have to do what you have to do.”

Then I felt it, the subtle but unmistakable pull in the back of my mind and a feeling in my spine and tail. My breath almost caught as a dull pressure began building in my chest, spreading internally like ripples across the surface of water. Without another word, I turned and walked calmly back inside the cave. I saw Shikaku follow, taking up a position at the far edge of the cavern and forming a hand seal. 

Then, as if on cue, which I’m likely to believe, several ANBU emerged from the shadows without a sound, each with a different animal mask. They moved to specific points around the perimeter of the cave, spaced out equally from one another. As they pressed their hands to specific seals carved into the stone, the faint blue lines of [Fūinjutsu] lit up, flaring softly in the darkness like veins of chakra-infused stone, with me in the centre.

Eyes closed, I controlled my breathing. A low growl rumbled from my chest before I even realised I was making it. My pulse thundered, my muscles started swelling, and my body trembled beneath a surge of power that no human frame was meant to contain. I could feel my bones cracking and lengthening, but it surprisingly didn’t hurt. As I watched my small hands grow in size, I could see the skin stretching in real time, while fur sprouted on my arms. 

The new clothes I was given strained before being torn apart as thick fur began to sprout from my chest and back while my body expanded, until soon enough, the transformation was complete. The world around me had shrunk, but my awareness didn’t fade. If anything,  I could feel the night wind brush against every strand of fur, even though we were indoors. I could hear the smallest tremor of movement of the ANBU in the cave, or animals miles away. My vision was also significantly sharper.

It was basically the same as how it felt just being a Saiyan after spending an entire lifetime as a human. The 10 times multiplier was real, and it felt really, really good. I roared, loud enough to shake cave walls regardless of the [Fuinjutsu] covering it, but held back enough so it wouldn't collapse on everyone.

It wasn’t out of rage, though. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Every cell in my body burned with energy, but my mind stayed clear, focused. The primal instinct was there, whispering at the edges, but I was still me. Every movement, every breath, was under my control.

Coiling and uncoiling my tail behind me, a massive tail slammed down against the stone before wrapping it around my waist. Then, I flexed my now massive hands, getting used to my new muscles, just as I had when I woke up in the hospital. For several seconds, no one moved. The [Fūinjutsu] around the cave pulsed in rhythm, forming a containment web that shimmered in the air. I suppose my roar earlier didn’t do me any favours.

“Ena,” Shikaku’s voice broke the silence. “You still with us?”

Turning my huge head in his direction, our eyes locked as I nodded, earning me a long sigh of relief from the Nara clan head. He dropped his hands and allowed the tension in his shoulders to ease. The ANBU, though still alert, did not move to indicate any relief whatsoever, maintaining their hand signs.

Meanwhile, I was more focused on why I wasn’t getting any points for being able to control myself during while transformed. It was technically a good deed after all, seeing that my ability to do so literally saved lives. Unfortunately, the [System] wasn’t on the same page.

[Answer: Your ability to control yourself during the transformation is due to an innate ability, and therefore, you are unable to earn System points as a result.]

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Shikaku Nara - Nara Clan Head

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Shikaku Nara stood near the edge of the cave’s elevated platform with his arms loosely crossed, eyes studying the sleeping form of the boy-beast. He didn’t flinch when he sensed the familiar chakra signature flare to life behind him, with the Third Hokage walking up to his side.

He didn’t speak at first. He simply looked ahead, pipe between his fingers. After a long puff, he exhaled slowly and murmured, “He’s what, a third of One-Tails in size?”

Shikaku nodded, not looking away. “Roughly. Maybe a little less in bulk, but longer in limb. Also, his chakra capacity increased tenfold by the time the transformation settled and stayed that way ever since.”

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. “A tenfold increase, huh? I sensed as much. It could be that the Bushi Clan were playing with the idea of the gates when creating the technique.”

Shikaku hummed noncommittally before adding, “And we still played shogi.” He gestured lazily to the oversized stone shogi board etched into the cave floor nearby, with its pieces large enough to be moved with a large ape-finger without messing the whole board up. “There doesn’t seem to be any issue with dexterity with the increase in size. He even slowly did some katas to be sure. It took a while for him to talk though.”

A hum escaped the old Hokage’s throat, part curiosity and part approval. He took another puff of his pipe before glancing sideways. “Are you going to tell him how much the Nara clan invested in creating this place so quickly?”

“Honestly, he’s smart enough to figure it out,” Shikaku gave a small shrug. “Even asked for a book on Konoha’s laws.”

At that, Hiruzen actually smiled as he let out a snort while shaking his head at some of the ridiculous laws that had been put into place, just because some civilian council members wanted to feel like they did something. “How smart are we talking?”

Shikaku finally looked over. “I lost a few games.”

Hiruzen blinked. “You… lost?”

“Didn’t go easy on him either,” Shikaku confirmed. “Not that I was doubting Inoichi’s words, but the kid learns fast. Faster than I originally thought, based on the initial report. It's one thing to read and hear about it, but another actually to witness it in person. At least Skikamaru will have someone to give him a challenge.”

Hiruzen was silent for a moment, clearly impressed and also putting the information aside for use at another time. But then he asked, more soberly, “When do you plan to bring up the Academy?”

“At the house,” Shikaku replied. “But honestly? I don’t see him going for it. Not his type. Structured schedules, sitting in rows, listening to lectures on things that don’t help him improve, just because other people do it? Not with his temperament.”

“So what’s the plan?”

Shikaku shrugged again. “Entice him. Dangle the right Jutsu. Techniques he can’t learn unless he signs up as a Leaf shinobi or consultant in some form. Something rare. Forbidden, even, if possible. If they’re valuable enough and allow for growth, he’ll have no reason to find it elsewhere. But I haven’t mentioned the Cloud village in any way yet, so… we might still be looking at a kid seeking revenge above all else.”

Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. “...Better than nothing.”

A quiet puff of smoke drifted from his pipe once more before his body popped, vanishing into a small cloud of smoke. A tell-tale sign of a Shadow Clone Jutsu. Shikaku didn’t flinch. He just exhaled and turned his gaze back to the massive sleeping form of Ena, eyes narrowing in thought. “Yeah… better than nothing.” 

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A few hours later - Mid-Morning

The Nara Compound

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The first thing I noticed was the softness of the bed I was on and Shikaku’s [Chakra] off to the side, before I even opened my eyes. He was clearly making sure I was able to sense him, to ensure I didn’t just crash out, or we were in his home, and he didn’t feel like he needed to suppress himself. Giving it barely a thought as I opened my eyes, I concluded it was both.

Shikaku was seated on a chair next to a desk, and we were in a room that reminded me of a student’s room before they move in. Completely minimalist, with that new furniture smell, aside from the tea I could smell from the pot on the desk.

“Sleep well?” Shikaku asked casually, pouring himself a cup while leaning back comfortably on the chair.

I looked down at my hands as I sat up, just to confirm there wasn’t a problem with turning back. No one wanted a Hermione moment happening to them in their first few days in their new life after all. Surprisingly, nothing hurt, even though it was basically Dragon Ball Z’s version of a werewolf transformation. Then again, the initial transformation didn’t either. 

I let out a grunt, swinging my legs over the edge and appreciating the fact that they clothed me. “Well enough, I guess.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes after he gave me a cup of tea. Somewhere in the background, I could hear the sound of footsteps, likely those of his wife, Yoshino, moving from one room to the next. She hadn’t said a word yet, and she was moving silently, probably by instinct, but she clearly wasn’t trying. 

Finally, Shikaku set his cup down. “You’ll be staying here. Guest room’s yours.” He lazily gestured to the room we were in. “Don’t touch the study, don’t let the deer in the back eat your sandals, and if my wife gives you a task, just do it. Otherwise, I’ll have to deal with her nagging.”

I deadpanned at the man shamelessly trying to keep himself out of trouble with his wife. “I take it the tasks are not shinobi-related?”

Shikaku snorted. “If you're lucky. Otherwise, just chores.”

With a snort of my own, I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my thighs. “You gonna bring up the Academy? Or were you planning to leave that for a few days while I settled in?”

Shikaku gave him a sideways glance as he went to sip his tea. “Already know what you're gonna say. But yeah, I was. Can’t really teach you Nara Clan techniques otherwise, unless you at least agree to be some sort of consultant. Maybe allow scientists the chance to figure you out or something.”

“I don’t belong in a classroom,” I raised an eyebrow. “And I definitely don’t plan to be a lab rat.”

“Mm. I agree. But this is Konoha.” He paused. “And it plays by its own rules. You want access to techniques, restricted scrolls, summoning contracts, and Clan training, then you’ll need to be on the books in some way. Otherwise, all you get are people saying that you plan to take our stuff to other villages.” He snorted. “You’ll see when you start readding the laws.”

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I stared out the open window, where a light breeze was moving the curtain, taking note of the clouds that indicated rainfall was soon to come. “…We’ll see.”

Shikaku gave me a quiet hum in response but didn’t push further. A few moments later, Yoshino’s voice rang out from another room. “If the boy’s awake, he can help me and Shikamaru bring in the laundry before it rains!”

I guess I wasn’t the only one who noticed the clouds.

Shikaku didn’t even blink. “Good luck.”

I just sighed and stood up, hoping there would at least be some food lying around when I got down there.

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“You call it luck, I call it skill.”

—Damian Wayne

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Hello there!

By the way, the tailed beasts are huge.

The one-tails (Shikaku) is supposed to be 50m, which is 164 feet. And he’s one of the smaller ones. While the Great Ape is supposed to be either around 30 feet or 50-100 feet. I got varying pieces of information.

I’ll definitely be growing it to at least 100 feet as he ages. Or I might just go AU and make him at least as large as a Susanoo when he’s an adult. I’m still undecided. 

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC and original ideas. All credit goes to their respective owners.

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Thank you for reading.

As always, stay awesome.

Until next time, Light's out.