Naruto: The Outsider's Resolve: CH_328

None of the recruits passed all their criteria tests at the ANBU recommended levels. Everyone had a number of tests that they either failed or attempted at a level lower than the recommendation.

Takuma was no different. He passed 10% of his mandatory criteria at levels above the ANBU recommendation,70% at the recommended level, and the remaining 20% below the recommended level.

However, after agreeing to exit training in six weeks, Takuma decided not to shore up his skills that lacked the recommended level. On the first day of training, Tapir and Ant told the recruits that not everyone relied on the criteria test results. This was a difficult decision for him, who carried a resume on his person and wanted to build an internal ANBU version of the document and wanted it to be a shining representation of himself. He was only satisfied that he had a ton of additional, optional skills to make up for it.

Amami and Utamatsu had similar ideas. Amami gave all her tests at the recommended difficulty level and then applied for retesting her failures at a lower difficulty level, which she passed. Utamatsu took one chakra theory course because he had already enrolled in it before switching to the new strategy.

Both of them were planning to leave training after four weeks.

The remaining guys all enrolled in courses to bring up their levels to the recommendation.

However, Takuma did opt for an additional course eligible for training. He figured it would be a bad look if his potential team learned that he spent six weeks in training without taking a single course when testing was all done early.

He needed a reason to stay in training for six weeks.

So, he chose a new skill he hadn't learned before.

During the third week, he faced an ANBU-nin no taller than 5 feet 5 inches. He was dressed in the standard black-and-grey Leaf ANBU tactical gear and had a sword strapped to his back.

Takuma silently gulped because he felt danger from the before him. The man gave a 'sharp' feeling as though just stepping close to him would give someone a hundred paper cuts. Takuma had experienced what jōnin felt like when they didn't hide their presence; the man's presence was nowhere that of a jōnin, but it felt just as imposing.

The shinobi behind the 'duck' mask with khaki-coloured patterns walked to Takuma in a training field inside the facility.

"Greetings, Takuma. My codename is Campbell. I will be introducing you to kenjutsu."

———
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It all started when Takuma was trying to figure out which skill course to pursue.

"What seems to be the issue?" Maruboshi asked as he sat opposite him under the warm kotatsu with a cup of steaming tea.

Takuma glanced at his teacher and landlord and was reminded that Maruboshi used a prosthetic for his lost left leg. He owned two models: home and tactical. The tactical model was made for combat and had a hidden blade concealed within that he used to strike with deadly precision. He had never used it against Takuma, who was never a challenge enough to warrant it.

He also used a tantō, a short blade, as his primary weapon of choice and was well-versed in the sword arts.

"Do you think I should learn kenjutsu?"

"I thought you weren't interested."

They had previously discussed him learning a weapon, but the conversation happened when he was rapidly climbing the ranks in the Ring and was obsessively focused on improving his taijutsu and refining his fledging chakra augmentation, which had brought him his success. He had no time or desire to learn a weapon.

"I am still not sure," said Takuma, gazing at his hand as he clenched his fist. "My combat style revolved around my taijutsu. My greatest weapon is my chakra augmentation... I won't be able to use it if I am holding a sword—or grab someone when they get too close. I use a kunai as a blade regularly, but it's not like I can throw a sword at my opponents... It just doesn't feel like a sword matches my style. It honestly feels like I would be abandoning everything I've built till now, and I know—I know that I'm trying to change my combat style, but I don't want to dump my foundation, the things that make me."

He introspected if he resisted the idea because he had gotten comfortable and didn't want to face change because it meant heading into the unknown. However, after thinking about it, he didn't believe he was avert to change. If he thought abandoning his style and rebuilding it around kenjutsu was the right choice, he would've run full steam with it.

"I think you're misunderstanding something, Takuma." Maruboshi set his cup down. "Learning kenjutsu doesn't mean abandoning your current style. Does learning genjutsu mean you're abandoning ninjutsu?"

"No, why would I? They are two different things that serve different purposes."

"It's the same with learning a weapon. Learning kenjutsu doesn't mean you stop training your taijutsu or not use it in combat. I draw my tantō when I think it will give me an advantage over my opponent, but if I judge taijutsu to be the better option for the situation, my sword rests until I have a use for it."

In Maruboshi's words, if using a weapon was superior to bare-handed taijutsu, then every shinobi would be learning a weapon. But it wasn't true, and taijutsu, like everything else, had its strengths and weaknesses. The real skill was recognising them and using that knowledge to one's advantage when facing any situation.

"You're still unsure," Maruboshi commented.

Takuma nodded. "I have to fix my style, learn new ninjutsu, progress with my genjutsu training, fix the energy imbalance, get better at what I already know, learn new skills, and start a new job soon... there's so much to do; I don't know if it's the right time to start," he sighed. There was already too much on his plate, and it felt like the mountain of stuff would topple if he kept on adding more.

"I have to agree with you there. Sometimes, doing less is doing more... However, I believe learning a weapon, it doesn't have to be the sword, can be helpful to the current you."

"How so?"

"Kenjutsu and taijutsu are different skills. You want to change your combat style. Learning something new, which is so different from what you currently know, will force you into a direction you've never ventured into. The new discoveries may inspire you in positive ways precisely because they're so different... Your kenjutsu might benefit and influence your taijutsu, and the same will happen the other way around..."

It was akin to bringing a fresh perspective. Takuma, who the Ring inspired, had become stale after not developing beyond it and learning to use a weapon would bring in a direction to revitalise his stagnating progress.

"You must help me," Takuma sighed.

"You don't have to ask. However, let us not spar as much. These old bones are not what they used to be," Maruboshi smiled.

Takuma smiled as he gazed down at his calloused hands. His fingers felt weak for a moment, but he clenched into a fist to regain strength before they could tremble.

There was no time to get overwhelmed.

———
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Takuma quickly enrolled himself for a kenjutsu course and received a quick turnaround where he had a teacher in three days. Because he was the only one among the recruits, it was to be a one-on-one tutelage—a boon, in his opinion.

"Do you have any prior experience with kenjutsu?" Campbell asked, looking Takuma over. His voice was flat but strong, and he sounded like he didn't care whatever the answer would be.

"None," said Takuma before adding: "Well, I did use a sword to behead a man once." He killed one of Kon's lackeys with a sword. He didn't remember much of the fight; his memories were all a blurry mess.

Campbell tilted his head and had a pause for a moment.

"...I see? Okay, well, let's make something clear. These lessons will not make you a beginner, much less a master. Bar a few of them, most of these training courses are supposed to be gateways. I'll introduce you to the fundamentals, and then it's up to you to how much you practice them... Finally, I'll be straight with you: unless you're a born prodigy, you will not be skilled enough to pass the lowest difficulty— so, if you're in this to earn a skill to put on your record, quit now and save us both some time. I will sort this out with Tapir, and you can choose some easy stuff."

"Do you not want to teach me?" asked Takuma.

"I don't want to waste my time. If you want to learn, I will teach you to the best of my ability."

"I want to learn."

"Great. Do you have any questions for me?"

"How long would it take for me to reach combat viability?"

Knowing the moves wasn't enough. He could learn the correct stance and train in the proper technique, but it was less than worthless if it couldn't help him defend himself or kill someone in a fight.

"That, once again, depends on your knack for the sword and how much effort you put in sparring and learning the techniques." Campbell held two wooden swords in his gloved hand. He tossed one of them to Takuma. "Effort isn't all it's cracked up to be, but it won't disappoint. So, familiarise yourself with that because that will be in your life for a long while."

The wooden sword felt uncomfortable in his hand; it was so different from kunai or the larger dagger part of his kit. For someone who fought barehanded, the weight distribution felt so unfamiliar. Takuma couldn't imagine how long it would take for the sword to "become an extension of himself."

———
.

In an unidentified location in the Land of Fire, the ROOT agent codenamed Kon, knelt on his knees. One of his sleeves was half-empty from getting his arm hacked away from the elbow a few months back during a mission.

"You don't look well, Kon."

Kon pursed his lips. He had lost weight, a significant portion of it in muscle, and looked much frailer than before. Maintaining their physique was drilled into ROOT agents's bones, and they were punished if they failed to pass their physicals. However, since Kon had lost his arm, he had let himself go and didn't look like a ROOT agent from any angle.

"M-My apologies, master," Kon further lowered his head.

"What do you want to see me about?" asked Shimura Danzo, the founder of the organisation known as ROOT, formerly part of the Hidden Leaf. He was the Shimura clan's leader, the Second Hokage's student, one of the prime candidates for the Third Hokage, and an esteemed jōnin and elder feared by everyone.

Kon swallowed, his mouth dry from nervousness. It was his first time doing something like this; a few months ago, he wouldn't have even dreamed about it, much less daring to think about it.

"Do not waste my time," Danzo warned. His narrow eyes bore down on him as if analysing his existence and considering his worth. There were two ROOT agents in the room, and a twitch of his finger would be enough to end Kon's life.

"M-My arm, master," Kon trembled, and so did his words.

"Yes, you lost your arm... Genin Takuma, was it? The one who took away your arm. That boy, whose voice has barely cracked, handed you one defeat after another. So many of our plans failed. I'm not pleased, to say the least."

The more Danzo spoke, the more Kon trembled in fear, every orifice of his body pouring sweat. ROOT-nin didn't demand anything from their leader; they were supposed to be happy and content to have the life and purpose they were given.

Danzo continued, "Your arm is gone, so I assume you want to substitute it with one of our experiments?"

Kon remained silent. His real arm was gone, crushed into a pulp. There existed development projects in the field of iryōjutsu that could help him recover an arm. He didn't know what specific procedure would work for his specific case, but seeing that he had been once heavily involved in managing many such developmental projects, he had some preferences. As long as he could get the approval, he could pull some threads to ensure things went his way. The process would be difficult and with no guarantee of success, but he would take it as long as he had a chance.

"Very well. Despite your mistakes, you have served the foundation well, and I wish to reward you for your loyalty and dedication," said Danzo.

Kon's heart swelled. Getting his arm was the first step to returning to his previous status and taking back everything stolen from him. And once he had the power and influence to move, he would take his revenge.

"But you must prove that you remain worthy because your failures don't inspire the investment during these... turbulent times," said Danzo.

Since their ex-communication from the Hidden Leaf, they had their funding and now had to survive as an independent organisation, which required huge, sweeping changes, causing internal chaos, which weakened them. They had to attain stability as soon as possible to secure their safety and achieve their new purpose.

"You must prove your worthiness. Here, take this," Danzo held up a mission file.

Kon respectfully received the file before kneeling again. He read the contents, only to be shocked to find that it was a type of mission given to trainees early in their training—something a kid could do in his sleep.

Asking him to do such a mission was a slap in the face.

"Master, this..."

"You will start from the bottom and climb your way back up. Show me that you're still dedicated to our case. The day I see you that you still possess the drive you did back then will be the day you will get your arm back, and that will be the day you will rise from the ashes like a phoenix... Prove to me that you are one, son."

The words made Kon's blood pump and made him feel like he could soar in the sky. Danzo had never spoken to him like that, nor had he heard him speaking to others like this; the encouragement and warmth in his words made Kon realise how much he must believe in him.

It made him feel as though all of the pain and suffering he had experienced till now was just for this moment.

He wanted to be called 'son' again.

"I will not disappoint!"

Kon not only wanted to return to his peak, but he would also recover everything the ROOT had lost because of him. He would show that he was the most loyal, and to prove that, he would serve the Takuma's head to complete not only his revenge but to send a signal that even though ROOT had changed their home, they were just as strong.

———

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A/N: Holy shit, more comments than likes! There are so many suggestions that I had trouble looking through all of them. And they were also so thoughtful and well-through that I was genuinely touched that there are so many people who care about the story enough to contribute.

I observe some trends in the comments, and I have my preferences, so it's difficult and easy to make a decision at the same time.

But right now, let's make our way through this training arc.

Takuma has more to learn.