3 Weeks Later. November 24th, Year 6


    At the start of the past 3 weeks, Ichigo investigated the Snappers. He learned they don''t act like normal gangs. He had yet to find issue with how they ran things, which was pretty strange. They didn''t harass folks for their protection money too much because not only is at a reasonable cost, people actually seek them out because they actually do protect them from rival gangs.


    The gang also has people stationed all around the slums to act as guards especially at night. This makes the slums a relatively safe place to live.


    Infact some of the apartment buildings are owned by the gang themselves and people seem to have no issue living there as tenants.


    "The loan shark company doesn''t act like the stereotype either. This gang really is weird." Remarked Ichigo. For a whole week after that he went deep into the surrounding forests to hunt. He''d invest the resources into the shop run by Asa and her dad. The remaining week was spent on miscellaneous things including Blowing Out Asa''s Back.


    The town of Abe would be Ichigo''s first stronghold. He''ll remain here to earn money for his future plans, as well as level up enough to make another shadow clone to explore ahead. His strategy to accomplish this was simple:


    - Hunt his way to a town or village.


    - Sell hide and buy stuff.


    - Hunt his way back to Abe.


    - Turn in goods to Asa and Co.


    - Smash Asa thoroughly.


    - Repeat.


    Additionally, once a month he''d set his destination to that one farming town to get his instalment.


    Same Day. November 24th, Year 6


    Pov: Fukumoto Kondo


    With regards to Kondo, he''s since become aquainted with Shikamaru and Choji. This was inevitable with the Ino-Shika-Cho thing. Since he was familiar with Ino, he was going to meet those two sooner or later.


    Anyway, the gang began joining Kondo and Tenten in their training sessions. Well, more like Ino dragged Shikamaru kicking and screaming, with Choji tagging along while eating chips. Kondo had a taste of those chips. They were pretty good.


    Tenten is thrilled to have people to train and hang around with; guess doing it alone was taking a toll on her. Regardless, if Tenten''s happy, Kondo''s happy.


    There''s not much going on with Kondo beyond this; he''s even stopped searching for Might Guy because the stress of training might pop his clone. He''s decided to take his time enjoying his youth while keeping on top of his training.


    1 Month Later: Dec 21st, Year 6


    Kondo''s days have been fine so far. Mana recently found out about him and the gang''s activities after school, and has decided to join in; mostly to fight Kondo, though.


    It''s now him, Sakura, Ino-Shika-Cho, Tenten and Mana: 7 in all. They engage in target practice and sparring with one another all day.


    He''s aware that this will make the side characters stronger in the beginning, but so long as team 7 forms, the rest in unimportant.


    On another note pertaining to the timeline, Kondo has been keeping tabs on the Uchiha Clan. His misgivings about performing the rescue had waned over time. He doesn''t know when exactly the Massacre will take place, but his guess is within the next 2 years.


    He was never a fan of Itachi''s decision to eradicate his clan, and Kondo will make sure he does everything he can to stop it from happening. He already has a couple ideas on how to go about it.


    - Assassinate Danzo.


    - Confront Itachi.


    - Cause a ruckus.


    - Escape with some survivors.


    He''s under no delusion that he can save the whole clan, but he wants to save as many as possible.


    1 Month Later: January 26th, Year 6


    Kondo reassesses his future plans.


    Short Term Plans


    - Rescue Uchihas.


    - Get more jutsu.


    Long-term Plans


    - Learn Byakugo seal.


    - Get executioner blade.


    The Uchiha Rescue:


    - Plan A: Confront Itachi.


    - Plan B: Obstruct Itachi.


    - Plan C: Cause a ruckus.


    - Plan D: Escape with survivors.


    - Plan E: Lure other clans to Uchihas.


    - Plan F: Kill Danzo.


    Get More Jutsu:


    - From bandits.


    - From criminal districts.


    - From auction house.


    Learn Byakugo Seal


    - From Tsunade or Sakura When Tsunade returns.


    Get Executioner Blade


    - Hopefully. After Zabuza is defeated.


    Kondo has also been busy with a little project he thought up: instead of waiting for Tsunade to show in 5-6 years from now, he''ll make his poor man''s version of the Byakugo Seal.


    He was inspired by Kurama''s seal which allows chakra to seep into the jinchuuriki, and the storage scrolls which can be used to store even Jutsus.


    If he''s able to master the seal of the storage scroll, and tweak it some, he can hopefully make a chakra container he can fill up whenever he wants, and tap into when he needs to.


    However, right now all he intends to do is study Fuinjutsu as much as possible. He would rather leave experiments and testing to the 2nd clone when he makes it. He''d rather not accidentally blow his main body up messing with Fuinjutsu. So for now, he has to do research and hold off on development.


    Speaking of which, Kondo plans to sneak into the restricted parts of the Ninja Academy Library. He wants to get his hands on very useful books to eat: especially Ninjutsus and Fuinjutsus. It''ll have to wait until next Semester though, as his planning isn''t sufficient to pull it off this Semester.


    2 Days Later: January 26th, Year 6


    POV: Itadori Ichigo


    The past two months have been quite eventful for Ichigo. He hadn''t planned to encounter as many Bandits and their dens as he did. Luckily he made sure he was disguised, and the haul from those places was quite alot. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Usually he''d make the bandits surrender their treasure and let them escape. He wasn''t a fan of killing. However, those survivors spread the word, and made him famous in the local underworld.


    The remaining bandits in the area left as a result, and the roads around Abe became safer than they''ve ever been before. He would hear folks in the taverns singing his praises. "The Guardian of Abe" is what they called him.


    However that''s nothing compared to what happened Just yesterday on his return trip after collecting the final instalment from the farming village. He had levelled up and now had enough Chakra to create another Shadow Clone safely.


    This clone would be sent out to other elemental nations while Ichigo remained in and around Abe Town. He already has his first destination in mind: the Land of Hot Springs.


    He decides to hold off on creating the clone, however. He''d rather wait till Semester break when Kondo and his dad go hunting again. When the time is right, he''d poof himself, and Kondo would create 2 new clones: Ichigo and another. He''s been sending kondo letters through the inventory, so they already have things planned out. Until the day comes, he''ll continue his routine.


    February 15th, Year 6


    POV: Kondo


    Just like clockwork, the father-son hunting expedition is underway. The night before, Kondo had poofed Ichigo to get his memories, EXP and more. It was quite alot to take in. This cemented on Kondo''s mind the importance of doing this as frequently as possible. Leaving clones out too long would be bad for his health.


    He''s not making the new clones right away, however. This was his chance to get some serious physical training in with no fear of popping his clones to hold him back. He only has till the end of February when they''d head back home to do this, however. That''s when he''ll make his clones and send them out into the world.


    March 1st, Year 6


    Two weeks pass, and two of Kondo''s clones are running through the forest on their way to Abe. One will resume his role as Itadori Ichigo, while the other will travel to the Land of Hot Water via caravan.


    This clone''s role is to travel to the surrounding nations primarily to:


    - Acquire battle experience.


    - Copy Jutsus from his opponents.


    - Become a freelance Ninja.


    - Buy/steal strong weapons.


    He''ll show a different set of skills from Ichigo so nobody can hope to link them in any way.


    - He would wear a mask to conseal the face.


    - Kunai and Senbon is fine since everyone uses them.


    - Kenjutsu is allowed, but only Zoro''s fighting style.


    - No lightning style jutsus allowed. Other nature transformations are fine, though.


    As for the clone''s persona:


    - Name: Kenji Touma meaning "Strong Iron".


    - Age: 20 yrs.


    - Aloof and easygoing.


    - Son of retired mercenary making his own way.


    Touma will begin at the Land of Hot Water which is located to the Northeast of Konohagakure and make his way westward along the small nations that border it until he reaches the Land of Rain which also boarders The Land of Wind and Stone respectively. After that, he''ll decide where to go next.


    Touma would tag along a caravan of merchants heading to the Land of Hot Water to buy potatoes and relax in the hot springs.


    That''s all that country offers, and the Ninjas are just glorified security guards, so there''s unlikely to be decent opponents to fight there.


    He won''t stay there for long, however. He intends to leave soon after, sneak past the Sound Country, and continue west.


    The reason he''s following a caravan is in hopes bandits attack, allowing him to fight them off and loot them of their stolen belongings.


    March 14th, Year 6


    POV: Kenji Touma


    There was no ambush, much to Touma''s disappointment. The caravan arrive at a sizable trade town to do business. Touma however heads straight to the hot springs. He''s always been curious as to what one was like. Now that he has a chance, there''s no point letting it pass him by.


    After having his fun, Touma sets off to a Yorozuya Guild. What is that exactly? It operates kind of like a fantasy world''s guild, but more for odd jobs.


    Jobs even Genin don''t bother with are handled by such a guild: members of which consist of civilians, freelance mercenaries and Ninja Academy dropouts.


    The Y.G. also appears to be controlled by, or under the thumb the local Ninja Village because they are taxed by them. Probably for the privilege to compete with them.


    It''s a system unique only to the Small Elemental Nations, for some reason. Why the larger ones don''t adopt it is a mystery to Touma.


    Speaking of which, his goal there is to register as a Freelance Mercenary. This would qualify him to take up jobs from the Guild. Also, his ID would be valid in all Y.G. branches across most small Elemental Nations, so it''s very important.


    After registering, he receives his ID: two dogtags: one with his bio, and the other representing his rank in the Guild being "Stone": the lowest rank.


    Ranks in the Yorozuya Guild:


    - Platinum - Highest Rank.


    - Gold.


    - Silver.


    - Bronze.


    - Copper.


    - Stone - Lowest Rank.


    Touma makes his way to the Jobs section to peruse what''s available for his rank. A couple catch his eye:


    - Nutria extermination.


    - Invasive iguana extermination.


    - Dragon Carp extermination.


    He takes the Nutria Extermination job first as it''s basically his specialty. Nutria are large rodents that burrow and eat plant in it''s entirety. This is bad for land and building structural integrity and also bad for Potato production.


    He just has to provide the cut tails as proof to get paid, but can also sell the rest of it to the guild as it also has a commerce department.


    With everything in order, Touma heads out and over to the nearest water body to search for his prey. With the use of [Electromagnetic Sense] to find them, Senbon to dispatch them, and [Chakra String] to fish their bodies out of the borrows, he was an Extinction level Threat as long as the Nutria were concerned.


    Touma was at it from 9am to 10pm; purifying miles of waterway and caught hundreds of Nutria. He got a pretty decent pay and left to settle in for the night at a modest inn.


    March 21st, Year 6


    Over the past 7days, Touma hunted Nutria for 3 days, Iguana for 2 days and Dragon Carp for the remaining 2. The Iguana were the most straightforward to deal with as he just had to chuck Senbon at them. Whether it be on land, in water, or up in trees; Touma dropped them in a heartbeat.


    The Dragon Carp were interesting to handle. They turned out to be identical to the Asian Carp from his original world. So for this job he rented a boat and had it sail to known spots with high concentration of them.


    When the carp got agitated and jumped out of the water, Touma simply activated [Electromagnetic Sense] then caught them out of the air with his hand and dropped them in the boat.


    In places that he confirmed there was no one to see what he was doing, he dipped his hand in the water and used lightning release to stun the fish in the area. After they all floated to the surface, he would use [Chakra String] to remove them from the water.


    Despite these being very low ranked repeatable jobs, the amount of points gained would be equally as small; but since Touma could turn in so much so quickly, the points added up and he was promoted to Copper Rank at the end of the week.


    Despite his busy schedule, Touma takes time out to train. Infact, he just began a little side project.


    He''s working on his Earth Style. Why you ask? He''s trying to see if he can develop a jutsu that will enable him to manipulate soil for agricultural purposes.


    This is a bit difficult for him to do, however. Making a jutsus from scratch is hard enough to do; add on top of that a Nature Transformation that''s not his natural one, this is a tall order for him.


    The reason he wants to learn this is because it would make an invaluable skill. Ninja villages go to war over food, so being on the forefront of Agro-ninjutsu would be a huge boon to him. Plus he was a big fan of permaculture, so he was itching to create a Swale no Jutsu.


    March 28th, Year 6


    The past week, Touma has been scouting out various unsavory parts of the village. Especially an area called the 10th district. He has gathered a fair bit of intel during this time:


    - There are 4 main gangs in the district.


    - The Baki Gang led by A Pimp Named Slick Baki who specialize in the adult industry,


    - The Kayne Gang led by Cole Kayne who sell drugs,


    - The Ino Gang led by Cass Ino who are involved in gambling dens, cockfighting, and run underground fighting rings among other things.


    - The Ciel Gang led by Bai Ciel who trade anything from contraband to people and run an underground auction house.


    The Ciel Gang are also the Kayne Gang''s biggest suppliers of drugs as well as the Baki Gang''s largest provider of aphrodisiacs and other bedroom products. The Ino Gang use them for loans and little else.


    Touma is quite interested in the Auction House run by the Ciel Gang. He''s likely to find something useful there.


    Touma has also considered taking over the Gangs here, but isn''t keen on it. The ethically questionable things he''d have to do would be alot for his conscience to handle, but he hasn''t ruled out the idea as he believes he can do alot of good if he goes all out.


    However he''s concerned that high ranked Shinobi and bureaucrats may have a hand in the Gang operations and taking it over may cause the whole town to descend on him in response.


    So for now, he''s going to play it safe and take things slow and steady as he immerses himself in the environment.


    April 7, Year 6


    Touma has been getting familiar with the auction house: in disguise of course. There were a number of interesting stuff there: Jewelry, Antiquity, Weapons, Tools, Ninjutsu Scrolls, and people too. Nothing Touma can do about that, he can''t save everyone.


    He did nab a couple Ninjutsu Scrolls while he was there:


    - Earth Style: Earthquake slam and


    - Water Clone Technique.


    The Earth Style technique is to help him with his Earth Style: Plough technique he''s been working on. He just has to power it down and make some adjustments.


    The Water Clone Technique was a no-brainer. Though they are 10% the original''s strength, compared to the Shadow Clone''s 100%, it has its own benefits.


    - it''s less of a strain on chakra.


    - can be used to move water around as ammo for water style jutsus.


    - great for training with.


    Touma has also been active around the Baki Gang''s turf extracting additional information from the Call Girls. Turns out that the Baki Gang sources some of its girls from the Ciel Gang, while other girls are either troubled youth groomed into the lifestyle or are folks desperate to pay off depts even by selling their body.


    As for the Kayne Gang, they''re pretty straightforward: Selling drugs supplied by the Ciel Gang. It wouldn''t be strange to just consider them a branch of the Ciel Gang since they''re so dependent on them.


    The Ino Gang is just as straight forward, except they only treat the Ciel Gang as a bank and little else.


    All things considered, the Ciel Gang is at the center of the criminal underbelly in the 10th district.


    April 14th, Year 6


    In order to accelerate money making, Ichigo and Touma began exploiting the inventory.


    Ichigo would purchase goods in bulk from settlements after hunting his way there. That plus a portion of the meat from his kills will be sealed into a scroll along with a note of prices and placed in the inventory.


    Touma on the other end acted as a secret supplier for some store owners in the 10th District who didn''t ask any questions.


    With the sudden influx of cash, Touma made some more auction purchases:


    - Earth Style: Underground Shark Jutsu


    - Water Prison Technique.


    April 21st, Year 6


    Touma is currently hard at work ridding a waterway of a certain town of Nutria, Iguana and Dragon Carp.


    Yes, he''s returned to his old job. It''s a pretty straightforward way to farm XP.


    He will continue doing this in town after town as he makes his way westward to the border, and then out the Land of Hot Water into the Land of Sound.


    Yes, the Nation formerly know as the Land of Rice Fields which was taken over by Orochimaru and turned into the Land of Sound and also established the Hidden Sound Village.


    Touma''s plan is to sneak through and maybe spy on Ninja''s there along the way. Just because Orochimaru is there doesn''t means he''s in every nook and cranny.


    Besides. Touma''s a clone, so there''s no danger. He shares the inventory with Kondo, so if he gets popped, he''ll only end up losing what little is on his person and nothing important.