Naruto : The System Files

Chapter no.111 Emotions

Just like that, a good part of Naruto's second week of training came and went. The training was harsh, unforgiving, demanding. Mornings were still full of full-counts, kata drills, shuriken throwing. The afternoons were a punishment, as fighting Akki while dodging steel stars after an intense session of artistic rope jumping was the hardest thing the blond had ever done.

Naruto lived for every second of the thrill and took the challenge head-on. He knew that again and again, he was pushing his limits further and further. Never had he felt like he was progressing so much by the minute.

It was Friday and late when the boy finally got the better of Akki, his worst frenemy golem, by jabbing the dummy's exposed throat mechanism with a blade hand. Two pipes were held jointed together by an adjustable circle of steel. The circle itself was precariously kept fastened by a peg that Naruto's strike had removed.

The water pressure within the tubes had made the rest.

Hot, red, slightly viscous liquid tasting like iron had erupted and drenched Naruto, which made Naruto pause, while blood and gore didn't effect Naruto since he had killed monsters before, he did however wonder would he freeze up if he killed someone from his own world.

"When you slit a real throat completely open, the pressure is more or less the same for a second," informed Tiger with his monotone. "That's why you go only slightly deeper than the vocal cords; it avoids making a mess." The ANBU said. "Next time, don't pause."

Its throat was torn; the dummy had sagged and deflated like some sort of old balloon, fake blood pouring in rivulets down its wooden body, the pump automatically detecting the pressure dive and stopping in mere instants.

"Much like a real heart," provided Tiger dispassionately.

"You can repair a golem but with a man, it's final."

Naruto nodded as he took the kunai Tiger was giving him. The blond shot a questioning look at his instructor.

"Taijutsu is a last resort as it'll often not be efficient enough. Bukijutsu further close combat efficiency. The use of a kunai or trench knife is relatively easy when one has solid taijutsu basics as the motions are the same, with only a few subtleties," explained Tiger. "It'll be many times easier for you to deactivate Akki with a weapon."

Naruto nodded again and gripped the kunai as he had been taught, one eternity ago, in the Academy. Tiger activated the pump and Akki sprung to life. Naruto growled and launched himself against the immortal dummy. This time, it took less than a minute before the blond could puncture the gel-like blood bag that was supposed to simulate a liver. Akki kept flailing for several minutes, Naruto attacking its joints and dislocating them one by one to render them useless until the pressure decreased under the critical level from the flowing "wound".

Naruto had lost a molar despite his protection, the left side of his chest was hurting from bruised ribs, and a kunai had embedded itself deep in the back of his thigh. It would heal but Naruto learned an important lesson that day. Losing a tooth hurt like a bitch. Also, he wasn't getting caught like he had been ever again.

"I will assume you now understand what I mean with awareness." It was as much a statement as it was a question.

Naruto nodded curtly, gingerly holding the side of his jaw, his entire mouth on fire from the loss of his tooth.

"Can you tell me where your awareness failed you?"

The blond lifted his mask slightly to spit blood before setting the disguise on his face straight again. When he spoke, his voice was muffled by his swollen, painful cheek.

"I thought that puncturing the..." Naruto hesitated a second. "The liver, would be enough to deactivate the Akki."

Tiger nodded but stayed silent and the blond could feel the ANBU stare at him. Apparently, Naruto had to say something more. The boy replayed his fight against the mannequin as best as he could.