Train. Eat. Repeat. (A Naruto Fanfic)

Fear of death was torture to those that considered themselves innovative.

And yet to our ancestors it was one of the driving factors in our evolution. Though some attribute it to mating patterns and hunting efficiency. It was all traced back to fear of death.

Fear that one would die without spreading their genes.

Fear that they would die of starvation.

Even the fear of death before one got to answer simple questions about themselves.

Such a basic instinct that existed in all that was alive. So for Kobaru, his decision bore an approach to the obvious conclusion.

He had to live

"Alright," Kobaru sighed then forced his eyes shut.

Seeing that the genin had gone docile, the man let him down.

"Good boy," he said patting the genin on the head, "I want a name, alias, current position and appearance. Can you do that?"

"Of course ther..." Kobaru stuttered under pressure grasping at any idea for timewasting he could think of, "there's no promblem, but I would like to write it down, because I..."

He paused again slowly opening his eyes to make contact with the imposing prescence.

Kobaru widened his pupils on purpose in hopes that it would amplify his innocence, "can I have a piece of paper anything so that I could write it down? That's all you have my word."

The shinobi's eyebrows knitted themselves, preparing to deny the request. It was one made mostly to waste time. So, a rejection wouldn't hurt Kobaru in any way.

"No Ko-chan," the next chunin screamed.

Kobaru's heart skipped a beat.

Confliction birthed itself into existence and Kobaru found himself fighting the urge to run over and help the man.

Slowly he turned his attention over to where him and the blue haired woman fought.

Kobaru craned his neck and was greeted by the image of the older konoha-nin lying flat on the ground. His body covered in what seemed to be chakra paper, which slowly consumed his frame.

"They'll kill you get out of here!"

Those were, his last words before his lips were as mummified as the rest of his body. The two held eye contact until they were impeded by sheets of paper, even then Kobaru could hear muffled requests for insolence.

He turned back to face the orange haired rain-nin.

He stared at Kobaru though his face was devoid of expression, the boy could tell that he was pleased. This gesture of death seemed to bring entertainment to whatever was left of his heart.

"You're making the right decision," he nodded then gestured at his partner, "the boy would like a paper."

Kobaru, still shaken and scared shuffled through his pouch in search of a pencil. His shaking hands forcing him to apply more effort than he would usually.

When he looked up again he found a square sheet of paper floating just in front of his face.

He grabbed it out of the air and began jotting with as much urgency as his fingers would allow. He was for all intents and purposes scared out of his mind, but as one did when they were nervous.

He lost control of his mouth.

"Name... Alias?" he stopped to ask then swallowed in hopes that this would be the question that lead to his end.

"It's like a nickname," the blue haired woman replied.

Kobaru responded with a few quick, stiff nods his breath matching the pace of each. His heart rising up his throat with each pound, reminding him that the tiniest slip up could lead to his demise.

Hopefully this fear went unfelt by his clones, who from the shared vision seemed to developing quite a gap.

Kobaru could at least find solace in the escape.

Unfortunately his mouth continued to operate independent of his mind.

"So... what's your name?"

At the that moment Kobaru wanted nothing more than to tear the glob of flesh right off the floor of his mouth. Then proceed to stomp on it until inoperable.

There was no way they would let him off with this one.

The blue haired woman took several steps forward her eyes knitted as she did so, "Shut up and write the name–"

"Please be kind. I've already read his mind most of his thoughts are incomprehensible but I can tell he's just nervous," the man pleaded on behalf of his character.

The woman seemed to buy it as she immediately stopped and folded her arms.

"He can't be older than ten and doesn't seem to have taken part in the war so... As for your question. Our names pose no importance as we are nothing but husks with a goal. On account that you are still an enemy, that is all I can provide."

"Oh," Kobaru managed to squeak with his tone shaky and inconsistent. Sure they were being comparatively kind to him. Still he found it uneasy, as they just murdered his two superiors while standing in the ruins of a small village.

"I'm," he swallowed fumbling his control over the pencil, "sorry I just assumed the whole cloak thing implied that you were revolutionaries."

"Yes," the man nodded still lacking any change in tone. An act that left Kobaru to abandon his fear in favour of confusion. Which all happened with excellent timing as he caught a glimpse of a clone ready yo make a move.

With his change in composure Kobaru handed the man the note, "here you go."

He stood silently waiting for his clone to launch the escape.

The man sighed then his face twisted in confusion as to what Kobaru had spent so long writing, "You wasted my time just to write Go–"

"Go fuck yourself!" Kobaru held up his two middle fingers.

The man held out a hand to draw the boy in, but as soon as he did, Kobaru swapped positions with a clone. In his wake a version of himself swarmed head to toe with explosive tags.

Kobaru would love to stick around to watch it go off but, this escape would work just fine.

He picked up the child left behind by the clone and continued his run towards Konoha.

Chusei was his friend.

He'd sooner drag himself across a mile of broken glass than be the reason they found the orange haired idiot.

Hopefully they didn't catch up.

He had spoken far too soon.

Kobaru felt a burning sensation in the fingers of his left hand. It was a familiar feeling one he felt whenever someone tried to cast an illusion over him.

Instinctively, he reengaged his pulse technique but at that point it proved to be too late.

A warmth gathered in the palm of his hand. Kobaru held it out, away from him and the child he was trying to save.

Out from the palm sprouted a thin sheet of paper that ultimately unfurled itself to reveal the blue haired rain shinobi.

Without wasting time he purged his hands of any residual chakra and began creating distance between him and his persuer. She summoned a flurry of paper that raced through the air at the young ninja.

In this moment, there existed a predicament both humanely complex and brutishly simple. A resolution that stood on extreme ends of the same spectrum, boasting constraints of moral dilemma.

The young Museigen though reluctant to allow such a though was presented the option of keeping the child in tow and both dying. Or ditching the child and swapping with a far away clone.

Of course, death was something he feared. Yet, what coward, what insolent, selfish fool, would abandon the innocent to face the very thing he fears.

One without a heart. One that could not fathom the idea of a hero solely because they desire to see everyone as miserable as they.

The boy had a good life and the opportunity to experience things he had never imagined. If only for the thought of his last act being one of good will.

Then so be it.

Kobaru continued to dodge and made sharp turns, leading the woman around in a circle. A task made even more difficult with the added weight tossed over his shoulder.

With how quickly his plan was thwarted he regretted asking for paper. A great blunder of misjudgement on his part.

He continued skipping branch to branch before breaking his encirclement. Running off in the direction he hoped was Konoha.

While he made his retreat, he held up his left hand, his index and middle finger pointed.

A half tiger seal.

Followed by half boar.

Then half horse.

All of which were linked together by another half tiger.

Ninja Art: Binding Wire Trap.

With that all the wire he had put in place while running around contracted. With them they dragged bark and leaves all towards the blue haired woman.

Kobaru would have loved the opportunity to actually see his plan unfold. But as of this moment, where the responsibility of life and death remained fully accredited to him. He would save gloating for when he was in safer territory.

Kobaru was sure that his nindo seemed poor to others, but him to him.

Living and learning went hand in hand. You couldn't have one without the other.

Sage forbid he died to a hostile origami artist.