Chapter 4 — The Year of Preparation
Living alone didn't frighten Kiemi. After the orphanage, the quiet house felt almost cozy. Peaceful. No shouting, no crying, no watchful eyes. Just her — and her path.
The first days were spent adapting — to space, to silence, to freedom. Food, cleaning, sleep — all by routine. Discipline ran in her blood.
But her true mission began in the second week.
First — the basics. Reading and writing. The house had books — old, worn, but useful. She took them one by one, studying and matching symbols, sounds, meanings. She learned fast. Not like a child — like a soldier on a new base.
It took her one month.
By day thirty, she could read children's books and local documents fluently, and write cleanly, without mistakes. For now, that was enough.
Then she found the library — a small building tucked between a pharmacy and a weapons shop in the village center. The librarian raised an eyebrow when he saw a three-year-old girl with such a serious gaze, but asked no questions. He simply pointed to the shelves.
She started simple: the history of the shinobi world, the structure of the village, the clans, the Academy system. Then — anatomy, chakra, chakra networks, basic elements. Every day — new pages. Every evening — handwritten notes in her notebook.
A week later, she discovered a training ground — an old, dusty lot on the outskirts, scattered with worn targets. Perfect. No one around.
From that day on, she trained — following the Academy's curriculum, which she had found in one of the books.
Physical training: running, push-ups, stances, balance. Slowly at first, then more. She didn't go easy on herself. Her stamina grew. Her body hardened.
Kunai and shuriken throwing. She made her own target and practiced from different distances. Soon — 10 out of 10. Always.
Chakra activation was a new challenge.
The "leaf on the forehead" exercise looked simple — but wasn't. It required sensing chakra, directing it. One month of daily focus — and the leaf stopped falling.
Next came the three basic Academy techniques: Bunshin no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Henge no Jutsu.
She read, attempted, failed, then read again and tried again. After a couple weeks, her clones were stable, her substitutions swift, and her transformations clean.
Finally — taijutsu.
In her father's chest, she had found old scrolls. The Konohagakure style: stances, strikes, blocks. Basic, but precise. Her body still struggled to keep up, but she repeated every move until it became automatic. Every day — repetition. Every evening — review.
A year passed.
Inside, she was still a soldier. But now, the body obeyed more readily. Her muscles strengthened. Her movements grew sharper. Her gaze — keener.
She was ready.
Ready for the Academy.Ready for the world she was born into.Ready — to begin her path.